U.S. gymnastics champion, Simone Biles, has had an intense year.
Full of ups and downs, Bilesâ career continues to be inspirational to us all, and TIME Magazine recognized her contributions to the sport by naming her âAthlete of the Year.â
And itâs well-deserved.
At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Biles was forced to tap out of several Olympic events after suffering from a case of âthe twisties.â At one point, there was doubt over whether she would return to the global event.
After much soul-searching, Biles eventually returned to the event and won a bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics in the balance beam final. She now holds seven Olympic medals â tying her with Shannon Miller for the most by a U.S. gymnast.
Bilesâ courage and perseverance was not enough for some, who expected her to return home with five gold medals. She faced heartless backlash from fierce critics, including members of the media.
She still insisted she did not regret heading to Tokyo:
âObviously, there are still a lot of feels and emotions behind it, but as far as my Olympic experience goes, it was very unique and there is nothing like it,â she said. âI believe everything happens for a reason, so I wouldnât take it back for the world.â
TIMEâs ode to Biles echoed her stirring determination.
âWhile supporters lauded Biles, critics lambasted her for âquitting.â But what Biles did transcended the chatter: she fought the stigma that has long silenced athletes, and shrugged off the naysayers who belittled her decision. âIf I were going to quit, I had other opportunities to quit,â she says. âThere is so much Iâve gone through in this sport, and I should have quit over all thatânot at the Olympics. It makes no sense,â the article reads in part.
You can read the full article here.