The life-altering reality of being the most decorated gymnast in history came with its own cost. And this time, Simone Biles didn’t shy away from expressing one of the downsides of it.
With an overarching list of accolades, including 11 Olympic and 30 World Championship medals, Biles still stands with unmatched glory. But in this whirlpool of gains, there’s one normalcy she has lost: her privacy.
“I’d say the only thing I’ve lost is privacy. And believe me, it can be very hard, especially when you want to go back to being a normal person,” she said to El País’ Daniel Arribas. “When you’re in the spotlight, and everyone is watching you, your intimacy fades away, disappears.”
A 16-year-old Biles took the world by storm, winning the all-around title at the World Championships in Antwerp. By the 2016 Rio Games, she became a formidable force in gymnastics. But the 29-year-old Biles wanted something else.
“Everyone starts photographing you every step you take,” she added. “And it’s not something you ask for. It just happens. I was very good at gymnastics, and the rest came with it. I wish I could get back the privacy I had before.”
Losing her privacy was the cost Biles paid along the way. But even so, she’s grateful for being the Simone Biles the world knows.
Simone Biles Is “Very Grateful” to Be in Her Position
Sure, success came with several hardships. But the sport was something she loved, and it also gave her the chance to carve an identity for herself. And going forward, there haven’t really been any big regrets.
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“I’m very grateful to be in the position I’m in,” she said. “At 29, I can say I don’t have big regrets in my life. I can look at the past and be at peace. I want to keep that. I want to keep being able to say I don’t regret anything.”
Rather than seeing the odds as “loss”, Biles eventually championed them. And perhaps this is one of those acts that transits the great into the greatest.
But can you name another athlete who voiced the same issue as Biles? Let us know in the comments.
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