Fans’ Pride vs Mental Health at the Olympics

If anyone has been paying attention recently to the recent summer Olympics of 2021, most would be astonished to find that Simone Biles, one of the most famous Olympic athletes and the proclaimed greatest gymnast of all time, was forced to choose between competing and putting her health first.

During the Olympic gymnastic competition, Simone declared that she would sit out the remaining sets due to her uncertainty about whether her body was up to winning gold or not.

Speaking up later, the public would find out that Simone was actually injured and was experiencing a symptom called the “twisties”, which many gymnasts experience as they are tumbling and twisting in the air, which can cause disorientation. This disorientation can affect their land and the safety of their bodies as they are performing high-risk moves that could cause great damage to themselves.

Not many speak about the dangers of gymnasts and how all it can take is one wrong move to end a gymnast’s career. Most of these young athletes dream of going to the Olympics and competing for their country, but not many realize the risks and dangers that these athletes put themselves in.

The excitement that a lot of Americans felt watching Simone Biles go towards the Olympics, so sure that she would win gold for America, only to watch as she stepped back was, to say the least, heartbreaking. However, it did bring to light the issue of mental health for athletes, an issue that has long gone undiscussed.

Simone discusses the stress and anxiety that comes not only from performing a high-risk sport but also from doing it in front of the entire world with so many people putting their hopes and dreams on her shoulders. Bringing forth the idea of putting oneself first despite the uproar that would come out of backing out in front of such a large audience, Simone Biles stood firm with her decision to put her mental health first. “We also have to focus on ourselves, because at the end of the day, we’re human, too.”

Many other athletes have spoken up about the importance of their mental health as well, such as Naomi Osaka, a top-tier tennis player on Japan’s national team. Osaka spoke previously this year about the importance of her peace of mind while playing in a world where her actions are judged with so much controversy.

“With such a huge conversation about mental health right now, that needs to be taken into account. Not everyone is the same, and not every day is the same. Athletes are humans, first and foremost, and feelings are normal. “

Playing in such global sports with the world as your audience is most likely daunting, but the stress brought on by the athletes themselves is a discussion that is often pushed to the backburner.

Through the athletes that do come forward, the fans of these sports can perhaps gain insight on topics that could promote healthier habits for self-care and the importance of taking care of one’s mental health.