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“All I Wanted to Do Was Cry and Be Alone”: Inspired by Simone Biles, Elite Boxer Opens Up on His Mental Health Struggles

Published 08/17/2022, 6:45 PM EDT

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Boxing fans were thoroughly disappointed upon the cancellation of the Adrien Broner vs Omar Figueroa showdown. Notably, Broner backed out of the fight to focus on his mental well-being.

Now, his opponent, Figueroa, has also opened up about his mental health struggles. He revealed how he was inspired by gymnast Simone Biles.

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Figueroa was in an interview with a reporter, where he revealed he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, ADHD, depression, and PTSD. He also mentioned that many people struggle with the same.

‘Panterita’ talked about how he was overwhelmed with emotions and could not do anything at the peak of his struggles. He said, “You get to the bottom of the wave and you don’t really know you’re at the bottom and you don’t know why you feel like this and you have all this negativity coming upon you and you’re in this horrible mood and it’s taking over your life.”

In an emotional outpour, he further added, “You feel like you’re not good enough to do anything. When I was at those points, all I wanted to do was cry and be alone.”

Additionally, he also revealed that Simone Biles inspired him to seek professional help.

How did Simone Biles inspire Omar Figueroa?

Simone Biles opened up about her mental health struggles at Tokyo Olympics last year. Stepping away from the biggest sporting stage in the world for her mental health, she instantly became a role model for athletes around the world. As conversations around the mental well-being of players gained the spotlight, like many, Omar Figueroa also sought inspiration from Biles to deal with his mental health.

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Talking about his experience, he said, “I saw Simone Biles decide to pull out of the Olympics despite the fact that she was one of the top stars and maybe the athlete who was the most under the microscope at those Games. She had the guts to do what was right for her and for her mental health.”

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He further revealed that Biles’ story inspired him to incorporate the same into his life. And, he also watched videos on YouTube and sought medical help as well.

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WATCH THIS STORY –  Fan Works Out Like Simone Biles and Witnesses Drastic Changes in Her Body

What do you think of Figueroa’s revelation? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Joshua Ben Joseph

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Joshua Ben Joseph is a Boxing writer for EssentiallySports. He started his career as an editorial cartoonist and holds a BFA degree with a specialization in Animated Filmmaking and Screenwriting from AISFM, Hyderabad. An avid lover of boxing history, Joshua believes his writing extends his lifelong adoration for combat sports.
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Edited by:

Melroy Fernandes