Five Reasons Simone Biles Should Be YOUR Athlete of The Year, Not Just Time Magazine’s

The Year? More like the greatest athlete of all time…

Legendary 24-year-old gymnast Simone Biles has been named Time Magazine's Athlete of the Year.

We reckon it's well deserved since she's made mammoth waves in the world of athletics and mental health awareness throughout her short career.

In case you needed convincing, we’ve carefully compiled a list of why Simone Biles is truly the G.O.A.T, and a massive inspiration to us all.

1. She’s sparked major discussion around mental health.

Simone made headlines this year when she took a break during the Tokyo Olympics to protect her mental health, despite being tipped to win big (in case you missed it, we covered it as it happened.)

Her withdrawal was due to “the twisties,” a mental block where gymnasts lose their spatial awareness while up in the air.

Her decision sparked chat around the world about the pressure placed on athletes.

In a Time Magazine section on Simone, Tennis legend Serena Williams put it better than we ever could when she said Simone's greatest work was being done off the beam.

“She is using her mature voice and platform to share her personal journey of self-love, respect and acceptance… By living her truth so loudly and by championing mental health, she is setting new standards of beauty, strength and resilience... "

"She is a shining example of what success looks like when you let go of what the world thinks and gather your strength from yourself... from your soul,” she wrote.

2. She’s smashing stigmas around ADHD.

Around the Rio Olympics, Simone’s confidential medical records were leaked, revealing she was medicated for ADHD.

She spoke out about being diagnosed as a child, tweeting: "Having ADHD, and taking medicine for it is nothing to be ashamed of and nothing that I'm afraid to let people know."

She also didn’t let it stop her from pursuing her dreams and education.

According to Forbes, she was the global ambassador for her uni, where she studied business while pursuing her gymnastics career.

3. She’s risen from hard times.

There’s something super inspiring about finding out the obstacles a person has overcome to get where they are.

When Simone was young, she spent time in foster care due to her mother’s struggles with addiction and eventually was adopted by her grandparents.

She is also a survivor of sexual abuse.

She was one of many female athletes who were the victim of the former US gymnastic team’s doctor Larry Nassar, and bravely stood up to testify during his trial.

Simone is not only out here showing us all the importance of prioritising your needs and mental clarity, but also that you can be successful and courageous even if your life isn’t “perfect”.

4. She’s not only broken gender barriers but heaps of athletic records too.

Simone is the most decorated American female gymnast.

She was the first female US Gymnast to win four gold medals at a single Olympic Games, and the first gymnast to win three consecutive world all-around titles in 2013–15.

In total, she’s amassed 32 Olympic and world championships.

She's also the first African American gymnast to become the world all-around champion.

And to top it all off, she has four gymnastic moves named after her.

What an absolute legend.

5. She’s overall inspiring as heck.

Not only to us, but her colleagues too.

Simone’s teammate Sunisa Lee, who won gold in Tokyo, said this about her pal: “What Simone did changed the way we view our wellbeing, 100 per cent… It showed us that we are more than the sport, that we are human beings who also can have days that are hard.”

On if she’d change anything about her career, Simone told Foxsports: “No, I wouldn’t change anything because everything happens for a reason, I learned a lot about myself—courage, resilience, how to say no and speak up...”

“It will be a long time for someone to accomplish what I’ve accomplished,” she said. 

Let’s channel self-care, self-worth and overall big Simone Biles energy in 2022.  In the meantime BRB, watching Simone Biles highlights on Youtube and crying.

Header Image: Simone Biles via Instagram