Simone Biles, in a recent interview, revealed that she is “still scared to do gymnastics” after struggling with “the twisties” in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. 

“Yeah, I don’t twist. But everything else just weighs so heavy and I watch the girls do it and it’s not the same,” she said during an interview on the ‘Today’ show on Thursday. 

‘The twisties’ is a phenomenon in which a gymnast gets lost in the air. The 24-year-old had to withdraw from multiple competitions due to this. she ended up winning  bronze in the balance beam final and silver in the women’s artistic team all-around. Despite withdrawing from several events, the athlete remained a topic of discussion during the Tokyo Olympics. She became a symbol of mental health awareness as athlete prioritised her well-being over the competition.

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During the interview, she said she is “a lot better” now and getting the therapy she needs.

“Over the years, after suppressing so many emotions and putting up a front on a global scene, I think really all of that came to light,” she told Kotb.

“My body and my mind allowed me to suppress all of that stuff for so many years, for as long as it could take, and as soon as we stepped on to the Olympic scene, it just decided it couldn’t do it anymore and it cracked and that’s what happens and that’s why taking care of your mental well-being and mental health is so important so that something like that doesn’t happen.”

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The 24-year-old went on to say that though things have been hard, she has found a silver lining in the ordeal. 

“I’m grateful that it wasn’t somebody else and it was me because I know I’m strong enough and I can get back on my feet and I’m going to be ok with the right help. But it does kind of suck because I had worked really, really hard for that,” she said.