In her personal TikTok post, Biles detailed the overwhelming experience of being recognized and swarmed for photos whenever she tries to explore the Olympic Village. The 27-year-old gymnast confessed that the constant attention has taken a toll on her mental well-being.
"I have not done much around the Olympic Village and it's because the first day we got here and I got to the cafeteria, and a lot of people were asking me for photos, like non-stop," Biles said in her video. "Whenever I got sat down to eat, my anxiety was so bad I was shaking. And I couldn't stop shaking, and I was so overwhelmed."
She continued, revealing the extent of her anxiety, "I went to the cafeteria to meet my friend yesterday, but before that, I haven't gone back to the cafeteria in like five days. I just go to the store, stock up on food, and just like stay here, because it gets me so anxious."
Biles has long been a vocal champion for mental health, drawing from her own trials at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. During the Games in 2021, Biles was hit with the "twisties," a disorienting condition that disrupts a gymnast's sense of space and air awareness.
This led to her withdrawing from the majority of her events, an ordeal that deeply impacted her, particularly amid the COVID-19 pandemic. So much so, she created a "forbidden Olympic closet" in her home, a repository for all things related to her time in Japan, including her flight ticket from San Francisco to Tokyo, her athlete ID, and her Team USA mask, among various other mementos.
Despite bagging a silver and bronze in Tokyo, Biles steers clear of that room to avoid memories of those challenging times. She only enters to process her feelings.
"A lot of this stuff is good keepsake, but it's in this closet because I never really come in this room," Biles revealed in her Netflix documentary series, "Simone Biles Rising." "I used to sit here and just cry and cry and cry and ask God why this happened to me."
She confessed that even handling these items was unbearable due to the toll on her mental health from competing in Tokyo. Ultimately, her resolve to return and compete in Paris signifies her triumph over mental health struggles.
"Even touching it is like [winces]. But, you know, sometimes you have to take that power back," she concluded. And Biles certainly has taken the power back in Paris.
On Saturday, Biles made history by clinching the women's vault title, securing her third gold medal of the 2024 Olympics, following victories in the team and all-around competitions. Her latest win brings her total gold medal count to an astonishing 10.
With this victory, she has solidified her status as one of the most outstanding Olympians ever , transcending gender, and arguably the finest female gymnast in history. It's particularly apt that Biles sports a goat necklace, which she has flaunted during her medal ceremonies.
The symbolism behind Biles' goat necklace is quite direct, given the widespread belief that she is the "Greatest Of All Time." "It's a little ode...a lot of people love it they always call me the G.O.A.T," she explained. "I thought it would be really special if I got one made."
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