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"I’m not crazy, I don’t need to be here" - When Simone Biles opened up about feeling ashamed to seek therapy for the first time
Simone Biles once revealed that she was ashamed of going to a mental health therapist for the first time. However, the seven-time Olympic champion has since become one of the leading voices to spread awareness about mental health issues.
Biles enjoyed phenomenal success right from her senior debut in 2013 when she won two gold medals at the World Gymnastics Championships. She went on to eight more World titles in the following two years before winning an unprecedented four gold medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The 27-year-old took a break in the following year and during her return in 2018, the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal unfolded, which affected her badly. While the gymnast also spoke against the former US Gymnastics doctor, it affected her mental health adversely before she realized it was time to ask for help.
However, Biles was initially hesitant to go for therapy, assuming that the treatment was for people who were 'crazy'. Recalling her first session in an interview with Glamour in 2021, she said:
"One of the very first sessions, I didn’t talk at all. I just wouldn’t say anything. I was like, ‘I’m not crazy. I don’t need to be here.'"
After the doctor made Biles understand that therapy was just an outlet for people to express what they were feeling, the gymnast slowly began opening up about her mental health struggles.
“I thought I could figure it out on my own, but that’s sometimes not the case. And that’s not something you should feel guilty or ashamed of. Once I got over that fact, I actually enjoyed it and looked forward to going to therapy. It’s a safe space," Simone Biles said.
"I’ve learned it’s okay to ask for help if you need it,” she added.
"Seeing my therapist every Thursday is kind of religious for me" - Simone Biles credited therapy for the incredible 2024 season
While Simone Biles started therapy before the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, she had to withdraw from all of the finals except the balance beam due to twisties. The American gymnast said at the time that she wanted to focus on her mental health and three years later, she scripted an incredible comeback at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
After qualifying for the event at the Olympic Trials, she credited her success to weekly therapy sessions.
“Being in a good mental spot, seeing my therapist every Thursday is kind of religious for me. So that’s why I’m here today," she told NBC in an interview.
After winning three gold and one silver medal at the Games in Paris, she told Olympics.com:
“After all these years of putting the mental work in, it’s paid off.”
Earlier in 2023, Biles won the Laureus Comeback Of The Year award for her World Championships success. It was her first international competition after her withdrawal from the Tokyo Olympics, and she dominated it nonetheless, winning four gold medals to become the most decorated gymnast in history.
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