Simone Biles Felt Ashamed for Denying Therapy Post Tokyo Olympics Twisties Nightmare: “So Guilty”

The return of Simone Biles to her journey toward her fourth Olympics in 2024 marks a significant moment. This comeback follows the Twisties trauma she experienced during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, a challenge that continued to affect her even years after the incident. Simone Biles has been candid about the impact of the fear of twisting on her mental well-being, leading her to take a break to prioritize her mental health.

Ahead of her return in 2023, Simone Biles opened up about the mental aspect of gymnastics and her comeback, revealing, “Lots of therapy, I go once a week for almost 2 hrs.” However, in the latest revelation ahead of her 2024 return, she opened up about her struggles with therapy, admitting to dodging sessions and even ghosting her therapist as she sought to heal from her Twisties trauma.

Simone Biles reveals ghosting her therapist

On the ‘Call Her Daddy’ podcast, Simone Biles opened up about her journey with therapy and how she did not think it would work but “it’s working”. When asked about personal goals unrelated to gymnastics by Alex Cooper, Simone shared the importance of prioritizing her mental health. She admitted, “I would say to keep up with my therapy even on those hard days because I have dodged a couple of those.” With a laugh, she shared how she sometimes avoids her therapy sessions, even pretending to be unavailable, despite them being scheduled on her days off, even though her therapist is aware of it.

Discussing the experience of ghosting her therapist, Simone shared,  “I feel so guilty and so ashamed.” However, she explained that her reasons for doing so stem from feeling like she should be healed by now. She expressed, “I just feel like a record on repeat. And again, it goes back to, like, I feel like I should be healed by now. Now you’re shoving this down my throat.” So how has therapy helped her?

How has therapy helped her?

Simone Biles once shared, “I’ve had so much trauma, so being able to work on some of the traumas & work on healing is a blessing.” Reflecting on the benefits of seeking help, Simone shared with Alex Cooper that one lesson she has learned over the years is not to rush the healing process, a lesson she gained from therapy. She shared how therapy has positively impacted the lives of athletes like herself, saying, “So I am very grateful that I’m in therapy and thankful for the resources we have. Because before this, like no athlete was very outspoken about doing therapy or this, that, the other, or even just getting help.”

Simone Biles also expressed her gratitude for being able to be vulnerable with her fans and the community, stating, “We wouldn’t be able to do what we do.” As we reflect on her journey, it becomes evident how much effort Simone Biles has invested, both mentally and physically, to become the most decorated gymnast ever.