“Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you greater than any obstacle.”
Simone Biles
Introduction
What happens when you pursue your burning childhood dream? Some succeed, others fail, but the key to success is never giving up. That’s precisely what a certain Simone Biles did. The talented American girl from Columbus, Ohio, set the gymnastics stage on fire when her agile frame dusted her hands and feet down with chalk dust—a genius at her sport, which takes an audience’s breath away with her dynamism and agility. With seven Olympic medals and thirty World Championship medals, this 27-year-old, who lives in Spring, Texas, first won gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. A tour de force who first tried gymnastics at six and began training with her coach, Aimee Boorman, at eight.
Cue the Music
Simone is famed for her bright and sequined outfits. Reds and blues that have made her the star attraction of the USA national team. Her attention deficit hyperactivity disorder fuels her finesse on the bars, beam and floor. A condition that she has transformed into a benefit rather than a hindrance. A young African American woman who has been applauded for opening up about having ADHD. A woman who has battled injury and risen to the top of her sport and diversity by participating in the American television dance show Dancing with the Stars. A gymnastic who turned to the coach Laurent Landi when her long-term coach, Aimer Boorman, moved to Florida.
The Twisties
Biles hasn’t had it all her way. She suffers from the psychological condition “the twisties”, one that causes a gymnast to lose air awareness while performing twisting elements. It is a frustrating condition that causes you to get lost in the sequence and lose vital scoring points. A setback that caused Simone to suffer a barrage of racist and cruel jibes from her ignorant critics. Despite mastering the double pike in her pomp and owning the floor like a masterful ballerina.
Paris Olympics
Paris is a capital city that breathes artistic fire into an individual, which is undoubtedly the case for Biles. She has proven that she is back to best at this year’s Olympics, three years after suffering “the twisties”. Putting Tokyo firmly behind her, Simone blasted the audience and judges away with an acrobatic beam routine and an energetic floor routine featuring one of the five routines named after her. This included her Biles II vault. A routine that earned a score total of 59.566 with only three sub-divisions to go. This was despite her having to apply strapping to her calf before her floor routine. A gymnast who was clearly in some pain and walking with a slight limp. Yet it was clear how much meant to her when she dismounted the bars, and a wave of joy swept through her face, waving to the crowd and hugging her teammates. Biles is back and proving she is the ultimate athlete in these games. She has her feet firmly on the gymnastic stage that she has reigned. A Usain Bolt of her sport and a one-off who should be treasured for the rest of her career and beyond.
