Simone Biles’ Battle with the ‘Twisties’: Breaking Down Her Mental Struggles and Triumphs

Simone Biles, a decorated gymnast, has opened up about the mental struggles she faced during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In an episode of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, Biles revealed that she thought the world would hate her for her decision to step back from competing after experiencing the “twisties.” The “twisties,” described as a disconnect between a gymnast’s mind and body, make it difficult to execute moves.

Biles felt as though she would be heavily criticized by her home country, the United States, if she did not win gold. Despite these fears, Biles ultimately made the difficult decision to step back from competition, paving the way for her replacement, Jordan Chiles in the team event in which the U.S won silver. Biles went on to win a bronze medal in the balance beam before taking a break from gymnastics. She compared the experience of the “twisties” to other athletes’ struggles such as baseball’s “yips” or suddenly forgetting how to drive a car. Biles expressed feeling out of control over her body and mind leading her to make tough decision to stop competing in games.

Since then, Biles has returned to excellence in gymnastics winning 33rd medal at world championships and Olympics tying Vitaly Scherbo for most medals by any gymnast looking forward , Biles is setting her sights on Paris 2024 Olympic Games where she will continue to strive for greatness in sport