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Michael Phelps Towers Over Simone Biles as Legendary Mental Health Advocates Meet Up

Published 05/21/2022, 9:30 AM EDT

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Friends enjoy the company of each other. They hang out and discuss topics that pique their interest during their spare time. There are topics of interest that friends share in common. And when they meet, they generally discuss topics they find interesting, among other things. Similarly, Michael Phelps and Simone Biles met to discuss the subject that intrigues them.

Recently, Phelps and Biles met to speak briefly on mental health. The two gleefully posed for a photo during their meet-up. The picture, however, is astoundingly reminiscent of another that made the rounds previously in 2016.

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Simone Biles pose beside Phelps during the recent meet-up

Previously, Biles’ gymnastics coach, Aimee Boorman shared a similar photo. In the picture, the two athletes pose beside each other, showing off their apparent height difference. Similarly, in the recent photo, the athletes stand beside each other. The stark contrast in height is immediately apparent as one looks at the picture.

The difference in height between Biles and Phelps is about one and a half feet. Given the sizeable difference in height, the 6-foot-2-inch swimmer towers over the 4-foot-8-inch gymnast as they cheerily pose for the photo.

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No biggie. 😍 pic.twitter.com/8YgjOXTqyF

— Aimee Boorman (@Salto_Coach) August 4, 2016

Biles made headlines during the Tokyo Olympics when she decided to withdraw from several events at the meet, citing mental health concerns. It was a shocking and new development in sports as it marked the first time an athlete prioritized mental well-being over multiple events at a significant global meet. The incident caused a flurry of media attention.

Similarly, Phelps, too, opened up about his battle with depression many times in the past. He is one of the first athletes to emphasize mental health and has been very vocal about the topic.

Phelps was serving as a TV analyst during the Tokyo Olympics. He immediately came to her support, when Simone announced her decision to withdraw from several events. Reflecting on the pressure athletes experience, the 28-time Olympic medalist said, “We carry a lot of weight on our shoulders, and it’s challenging.”

“Especially when we have the lights on us and all of these expectations that are being thrown on top of us,” Michael added, emphasizing the level of stress athletes go through.

Biles and Phelps leading the discussion on mental health

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Previously, the five-time Olympian opened up about his struggle with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts during an interview at the fourth annual conference of the Kennedy Forum in 2018.

In the interview, acknowledging the pressure of the Games, Phelps said, “Really, after every Olympics I think I fell into a major state of depression.”

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WATCH THIS STORY- Simone Biles Shares a Powerful Message for Young Girls in the Latest Athleta Commercial

Similarly, Biles has also initiated the conversation on mental well-being following her withdrawal from events at the meet. Therefore, the two athletes have been among the most influential people in sports advocating the significance of mental health.

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Written by:

Aklanta Chetia

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Aklanta Chetia Wanniang is a US Sports author for EssentiallySports. He has a Master's degree in Literature from the University of Delhi. With an interest in learning about multiple sports, Aklanta himself is a former sportsperson and has participated in state and national level swimming events.
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Edited by:

Deepakshi Chaudhary