35 Simone Biles Quotes on Mental Health, Courage & Redefining What It Means to Win
Simone Biles (1997-present) is an American artistic gymnast who is the most decorated gymnast in World Championship history, with 30 medals including 23 golds. Born in Columbus, Ohio, and raised in foster care before being adopted by her grandparents, Biles has pushed the boundaries of what is physically possible in gymnastics, performing skills so difficult that they are named after her. Her decision to withdraw from several events at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to a dangerous case of "the twisties" -- a mental block that causes gymnasts to lose spatial awareness mid-air -- sparked a global conversation about mental health in elite sport.
On July 27, 2021, Simone Biles withdrew from the Olympic team final and several individual events in Tokyo, revealing that she had developed "the twisties" -- a potentially life-threatening condition in which a gymnast loses her sense of where she is in the air while performing flips and twists. For the greatest gymnast in history, a woman who routinely performed skills too dangerous for anyone else to attempt, the decision to step back required a different kind of courage than performing those skills. The reaction was split: some called her a quitter, while others praised her for prioritizing her safety and mental health. She returned to win bronze on the balance beam, receiving the loudest ovation of the Games. In 2024, she returned to competition and won three more Olympic gold medals. As she has said: "I'd rather regret the risks that didn't work out than the chances I didn't take at all." That philosophy -- combined with the wisdom to know when not to take a risk -- makes Biles not just the greatest gymnast ever but a model of authentic courage for a new generation.
Who Is Simone Biles?
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Born | March 14, 1997, Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Sport | Gymnastics |
| Known For | Most decorated gymnast in history with 37 combined Olympic and World Championship medals, and prioritizing mental health at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics |
Key Achievements and Episodes
The Most Decorated Gymnast in History
Simone Biles has won 37 combined Olympic and World Championship medals, including 23 World Championship gold medals and 7 Olympic medals (4 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze), making her the most decorated gymnast in history. She has five skills named after her — moves so difficult that no other gymnast had ever performed them in competition. Her Yurchenko double pike vault, first performed in competition in 2021, involves a roundoff back handspring onto the vault followed by two full backward somersaults in the pike position. The skill's difficulty is so far beyond what any other female gymnast can perform that the governing body controversially underscored it to discourage others from attempting it.
Withdrawing From the Tokyo Olympics for Mental Health
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021), Biles withdrew from the team final and four individual event finals after experiencing the 'twisties' — a dangerous condition in which a gymnast loses spatial awareness mid-air. The decision was met with both admiration and criticism, but Biles stated that her mental health was more important than any medal. She returned to compete on the balance beam, winning a bronze medal. Her willingness to say 'no' at the biggest moment in her sport sparked a global conversation about mental health in athletics and gave permission to athletes at every level to prioritize their well-being over performance expectations.
The Triumphant Return at the 2024 Paris Olympics
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Biles returned to competition at age 27 — considered old for elite gymnastics — and won three gold medals and one silver medal. She claimed the all-around title for the second time, becoming the oldest woman to win Olympic all-around gold in over 50 years. Her performances were marked by the same gravity-defying difficulty that had always defined her career, but with an added emotional depth. Having publicly battled mental health challenges, survived the Larry Nassar abuse scandal, and stepped away from the sport at its highest level, her triumphant return was celebrated not just as an athletic achievement but as a story of personal resilience.
Simone Biles Quotes on Mental Health and Self-Care
Simone Biles's advocacy for mental health in athletics was crystallized at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when she withdrew from the team final and several individual events after experiencing "the twisties" -- a dangerous condition in which a gymnast loses spatial awareness mid-air, unable to determine where she is in relation to the ground during complex aerial maneuvers. The decision was met with both support and criticism, but Biles's willingness to prioritize her safety and well-being over medal expectations sparked a global conversation about the mental health of elite athletes. She returned to compete on the balance beam, winning a bronze medal that she later described as more meaningful than any of her previous gold medals. Her honesty about her struggles inspired other athletes across sports to speak openly about their own mental health challenges.
"I say put mental health first. Because if you don't, then you're not going to enjoy your sport and you're not going to succeed as much as you want to."
Press conference after withdrawing from the team final, Tokyo Olympics, July 27, 2021
"It's okay sometimes to even sit out the big competitions to focus on yourself, because it shows how strong of a competitor and person that you really are."
Press conference after withdrawing from the all-around final, Tokyo Olympics, July 28, 2021
"We also have to focus on ourselves, because at the end of the day, we're human too. We have to protect our mind and our body, rather than just go out there and do what the world wants us to do."
Interview with Hoda Kotb, Today show, NBC, July 28, 2021
"I didn't quit. My mind and my body are simply not in sync. I don't think you realize how dangerous this is on hard, competitive surface."
Instagram post explaining the twisties, July 28, 2021
"There is more to life than just gymnastics. It was really hard for me to accept that because I'd been doing it for so long."
Interview with Simone Biles: Rising, Netflix documentary series, 2024
"I should have quit way before Tokyo. And I didn't. So I do stand by my decision."
Interview with New York magazine, "Simone Biles on Her Darkest Moments," October 2021
"Therapy has helped me through so many things. I think everyone should go. There's such a negative stigma around it, but it's been so beneficial for me."
Interview with Glamour, "Simone Biles: Woman of the Year," November 2021
"You have to be a little selfish sometimes when it comes to your well-being. I didn't realize it until it was almost too late."
Interview with Robin Roberts, Good Morning America, ABC, September 2021
Simone Biles Quotes on Courage and Overcoming Adversity
Biles's athletic abilities have pushed the boundaries of what is considered physically possible in gymnastics, as she regularly performs skills so difficult that they are named after her in the sport's Code of Points. The "Biles" on floor exercise -- a double layout with a half twist -- was originally downgraded by judges who argued that no other woman could safely perform it, a decision that critics contended was designed to limit her scoring advantage. Born in Columbus, Ohio, and raised in foster care before being adopted by her grandparents Ron and Nellie Biles at age six, Simone discovered gymnastics during a daycare field trip to a gym at age six and immediately displayed extraordinary natural talent. Her 30 World Championship medals -- including 23 golds -- make her the most decorated gymnast in World Championship history.
"I'm not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps. I'm the first Simone Biles."
Interview with NBC Sports after the 2016 Rio Olympics all-around final, August 11, 2016
"I'd rather regret the risks that didn't work out than the chances I didn't take at all."
Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance, memoir, 2016
"We're not just athletes. We're people at the end of the day, and we have emotions and feelings and things that we're trying to work through behind the scenes."
Testimony before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on the FBI's handling of the Larry Nassar case, September 15, 2021
"I was raised in foster care. My biological mom had her own problems. But I never let my past define my future."
Interview with People magazine, "Simone Biles: Overcoming the Odds," August 2016
"I'm a survivor of sexual abuse. And I know that this story is much bigger than me. It's about the power structures that allowed it to happen."
Testimony before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, September 15, 2021
"People say, 'You make it look so easy.' But they don't see the early mornings and the long nights and the blood and the sweat and the tears."
Interview with Ellen DeGeneres, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, NBC, October 2016
"The comeback is always stronger than the setback. I live by that."
Interview with ESPN after winning all-around gold at the 2023 World Championships in Antwerp, October 6, 2023
Simone Biles Quotes on Greatness and Competition
Biles's competitive return at the 2024 Paris Olympics was a triumphant vindication of her decision to step away in Tokyo, as she won three gold medals and one silver, bringing her total Olympic medal count to eleven -- the most by any American gymnast in history. Her vault scores in Paris were so far ahead of the competition that she essentially competed against herself, and her floor exercise routines featured tumbling combinations that no other gymnast in the world could replicate. Biles's dominance spans two Olympic cycles, a remarkable achievement in a sport where careers are typically measured in a single quadrennium. Her ability to perform at the highest level at age 27, when most elite gymnasts have long retired, reflects both her exceptional physical gifts and her improved relationship with mental health management.
"I'm not competing with anyone else. I'm competing with myself to be the best version of Simone."
Post-competition press conference, 2018 World Championships, Doha, November 1, 2018
"You guys really need to stop asking me if I'm nervous. I don't get nervous. I get excited."
Pre-competition press conference, 2019 World Championships, Stuttgart, October 2019
"I'm going to do what I can do, and whatever comes of it, that's totally fine. I'm proud of who I am and what I've accomplished."
Interview with the Associated Press, before the 2024 Paris Olympics, July 2024
"If gymnastics were easy, they'd call it football."
Interview with Jimmy Fallon, The Tonight Show, NBC, August 2016
"I've won medals at the World Championships that I didn't even know were possible. But none of them matter as much as showing up for yourself."
Interview with Time magazine, "Athlete of the Year," December 2021
"Working hard is important. But there is something that matters even more: believing in yourself."
Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance, memoir, 2016
"They can say whatever they want. I've got the medals to back it up."
Post-competition interview, 2019 World Championships, after winning her 25th World medal, October 13, 2019
"I don't set goals based on what other people have done. I set goals based on what I think is possible."
Interview with USA Today, "Simone Biles Is Changing Gymnastics," August 2019
Simone Biles Quotes on Legacy, Identity, and Redefining Victory
Biles's courage in speaking about her experience as a survivor of sexual abuse by former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar added another dimension to her public advocacy. Her powerful testimony before the U.S. Senate in September 2021, in which she criticized the FBI for its failures in investigating Nassar, demonstrated the same fearlessness she displays on the gymnastics floor. Biles has used her platform to advocate for survivors of abuse, mental health awareness, and the reform of gymnastics governance to protect young athletes from exploitation. Her legacy transcends her medals and records -- she is remembered as the athlete who changed the conversation about mental health in sports, proved that stepping back can be an act of strength, and demonstrated that true greatness encompasses both athletic achievement and personal integrity.
"I want young people to know that it's okay not to be okay. You don't have to be perfect all the time."
Interview with Vogue, "Simone Biles: On Her Own Terms," August 2021
"My parents saved my life. They took us in when we had nothing and gave us everything."
Interview with People magazine, "Simone Biles: Family First," December 2016
"Smiling doesn't win you gold medals. Hard work wins you gold medals. But smiling sure makes the hard work more fun."
Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance, memoir, 2016
"At the end of the day, I'm more than an athlete. I'm Simone Biles. And that has to be enough."
Interview with Simone Biles: Rising, Netflix documentary series, 2024
"Winning is great. But winning while being true to who you are? That's everything."
Press conference after winning all-around gold, 2024 Paris Olympics, August 1, 2024
"I hope that people remember me not just for the medals but for the way I stood up for what was right."
Interview with The Guardian, "Simone Biles: The Most Courageous Athlete in the World," August 2024
"I came back for myself. Not for the medals, not for anyone else. For me. And that made all the difference."
Post-competition interview, 2024 Paris Olympics team final, July 30, 2024
Simone Biles Quotes on Mental Health
Simone Biles' quotes on mental health transformed the global conversation about athletes and wellbeing. When she withdrew from multiple events at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics to protect her mental health, Biles showed the world that the bravest thing a champion can do is put her own wellbeing first — a decision that has inspired millions far beyond the world of gymnastics.
"I have to focus on my mental health and not jeopardize my health and well-being."
Press conference, Tokyo Olympics, 2021
"It's okay to not be okay."
Interview after Tokyo Olympics withdrawal
"We have to protect our mind and our body, rather than just go out there and do what the world wants us to do."
Today Show interview, 2021
"I say put mental health first, because if you don't, then you're not going to enjoy your sport and you're not going to succeed as much as you want to."
Press conference, 2021
Frequently Asked Questions About Simone Biles
Why did Simone Biles withdraw from events at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics?
Simone Biles withdrew from the team final and four individual event finals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021) after experiencing a phenomenon gymnasts call 'the twisties,' a sudden loss of air awareness that makes it dangerous to perform twisting elements. During the team final vault, Biles became disoriented in the air and performed fewer twists than intended. She explained that continuing to compete would have been physically dangerous, as losing spatial awareness during high-difficulty gymnastics skills could result in catastrophic injury. Biles returned to compete in the balance beam final, winning a bronze medal, and her openness about mental health sparked a global conversation about athlete well-being.
How many Olympic gold medals has Simone Biles won?
Simone Biles has won seven Olympic gold medals: four at the 2016 Rio Olympics (all-around, vault, floor exercise, and team) and three at the 2024 Paris Olympics (all-around, vault, and team), plus a silver medal in floor exercise and a bronze on balance beam in Tokyo 2021. Her total of 11 Olympic medals makes her the most decorated American gymnast in Olympic history. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Biles returned at age 27 to win three golds after her difficult experience in Tokyo, completing one of the most remarkable comeback stories in Olympic history.
What gymnastics skills are named after Simone Biles?
As of 2024, five gymnastics skills are named after Simone Biles, as gymnasts who debut new skills in competition have them named in their honor. These include the Biles on floor exercise (a double layout with a half twist), the Biles II on floor (a triple-double, or double backflip with three twists), the Biles on vault (a Yurchenko double pike), the Biles on balance beam (a double-double dismount), and the Biles II on beam. Several of these skills are so difficult that no other female gymnast has successfully performed them in competition, leading to ongoing debate about whether the difficulty scoring system adequately rewards her innovations.
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