American gymnast Simone Biles, who is in Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics, is one of the brightest athletes who are in the fray for multiple medals. The Tokyo Olympics, which is being held under a host of COVID-19 protocols after a year’s delay, have athletes stuck in their Village room. Unable to go anywhere except her room and practice session, Biles thought of interacting with her fans on Instagram.
In a story, she wrote: Tell me a secret – I’m bored.
As soon as her story was live, her 4.4 million Instagram fans responded to her with everything, ranging from personal problems to school problems to career problems. This prompted Biles not only to respond to their fans’ select messages but also shared some of her two cents on their problems.
One of her messages read: “I have one of my closest friends muted on Instagram cause she posts the dumbest things.” This got an interesting reply from the 24-year-old Biles. She looked straight at the camera and agreed, “Me too. Sometimes it’s needed,” Reuters reported.
One person disclosed the fact that they were pregnant. To which Biles responded with a big grin and “Congrats!”
However, there were some messages that were serious.
“I still haven’t told my dad I’m gay even though everyone else in my family knows,” one person. To which, Biles replied: “Tell him, be free, be yourself. I support you.”
“For anyone else struggling with telling family or friends, just know I will always welcome you with open arms on my page and platforms,” she added.
Biles has won every all-around competition she has participated in since 2013. In the Rio edition, she won 5 medals, including an all-around gold.
Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Summer Games will be held under strict protocols. Athletes will have to undergo daily virus tests. To curb the spread of the virus, minimum fans or no fans will be witnessed in the near-empty stadiums.
However, according to local media polls, 55% of the respondents do not want the Games to be held and 33% are okay with the Games being held.
