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Overcoming the most arduous Olympic training schedules and mastering jaw dropping skills seem to place second when compared to prevailing over mental “twisties” & battling kidney disease.
Despite these hurdles, Simone Biles: and Suni Lee have already made Gymnastics history and this world-wide competition isn’t even over yet! According to a press release from Team USA, “For the first time in Women’s Gymnastics, two Olympic all-around gold medalists will compete in a final. Lee, gold medalist in Tokyo 2020, will compete against Biles, the champion in Rio de Janeiro 2016.”
It also helps when you are adorned with 10,000 diamond-shaped Swarovski crystals on TEAM USA leotard uniforms, which were custom made for each athlete by gymnastics apparel company GK Elite,
Sunisa Lee, a Minnesota native and student at Auburn University, announced last year that she was suffering from two types of kidney diseases. As an accomplished gymnast, she made history as the all-around champion at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 but in 2023, she couldn’t keep her eyes open due to complications with swelling she experienced in her face, ankles and hands.
"It was just an incredibly hard journey," Lee told TODAY's Hoda Kotb after qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics. "There were so many times where I thought about quitting and just giving up because I was so sick and it was just so hard to stay motivated, watching everybody get better, and I’m just like 'I can’t even get back into the gym' and constantly doubting myself "But once I had those people around me who lifted me up and supported me and just made sure that I was good, I knew that this is something that I wanted."
According to the TEAM USA bio, “Suni’s passion for gymnastics began at the age of six after watching the sport on TV. Her father built a balance beam in their backyard to nurture her early interest.”
That initial love of gymnastics stuck with the Auburn Tiger, as well as her dream to represent the USA at the Olympics one day. So, Suni Lee worked around her illness enduring strict dietary guidelines and health regimens to ensure that she would be in the best shape in time to qualify for the 2024 Paris Games.
The Houston native, is undoubtedly “the most decorated U.S. gymnast in history, according to TEAM USA biography but judging by the American public’s insatiable appetite for “Air Biles”, she is also one of the most loved by every demographic, race and culture for more reasons then you think.
This week at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Biles finished on top of the all-around by almost two points and put up the highest scores on vault, beam, and floor for team USA. Her performance was highlighted by a 15.800 for her signature Yurchenko double pike on vault. In addition to the team competition and all-around, Biles will be in contention for gold on vault, beam, and floor.
Her landings may look flawless, but it hasn’t been an easy road mentally for Simone Biles. Balance, she says is the key....physically and mentally. She sat down with Podcaster and former athlete, Alex Cooper to discuss this very twisted topic on her “Call her Daddy” podcast.
Twisties, can be described in basic terms, when your head and your body aren’t on the same page, and you lose control of the way your body is moving. The term which several elite gymnasts have used, causes serious disorientation and can be “terrifying” as Biles puts it - in many ways including, the risk of serious injury, mental anguish and lack of confidence to work out the so-called “kinks”.
This is the reason Biles pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics and took some well needed time off. She also married NFL player Jonathon Owens. One other important healing tactic that helped her get back on the beam.....therapy. As reported by NPR, “ she convinced her husband, NFL player Jonathan Owens, to go to a sports psychologist, too, and he speaks about how useful it's been in his own career. She spent time processing trauma in her life, including the fact that she was one of many gymnasts who came forward to acknowledge sexual abuse by Team USA doctor Larry Nassar, part of a very long story that publicly unfolded mostly between her 2016 and 2021 Olympic appearances. And she talks about the fact that when she did come back to the gym, it was not with a glorious fanfare and a delighted spring in her step. She was scared and discouraged. “
For now, the 27 year old, who is considered on the higher end of the age bracket with an average age of Olympic gymnastics landing at 18.5, seems to be standing and landing strong.
"It has to be for us," Biles said of the United States' bid to recapture their women's team crown.
"It can't be for anybody else. We do it for ourselves and the love of the sport and the love for representing the USA."
As much as we love the USA, we are also Jersey-strong, just like Olympic newcomer and New Jersey native Hezly Rivera. We know the 16 year old had a big setback this week but, we are so proud of her determination and confidence as the youngest Olympian on TEAM USA! Hezly, We hope to see you in 2028!
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