Simone Manuel made history as the first Black woman to clinch an individual swimming gold at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, sharing the top spot in the 100 freestyle. Now, look at her. She’s moving towards her third Olympics. Recently, she shared a post on X, accompanied by two pictures, tears streaming down her face in both.

Alongside these images, she bared her soul, expressing her journey with profound gratitude, “To God be the glory! I could truly say so much, and at the same time, not enough to completely express what I’m feeling and the journey to qualify for my 3rd OLYMPIC TEAM! Bear with me for some of my vulnerability if you choose” She revealed her story so far.

In her second Olympics, that’s Tokyo Games she faced a setback. Reason:  The games were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of competing on the world stage, Simone Manuel found herself swimming laps in a backyard pool in Atherton, California. Frustration and overwhelm clouded her days as racing opportunities dwindled and her performance lagged. It wasn’t until early 2021 that she discovered the cause—overtraining syndrome (OTS), a condition that left her physically and mentally unable to recover from intense exercise. But that’s not all. The struggle wasn’t only this much.

Due to OTS, she failed to secure a spot in her signature event, the 100-meter freestyle, which made her face skepticism and disbelief when she revealed her diagnosis. However, she did earn a spot on Team USA in the 50-meter freestyle and contributed to the women’s 4×100-meter freestyle relay team that won a bronze medal in Tokyo. However, after disappointment, she was facing questions about retirement due to not making into the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021.

More recently, she refused to entertain the notion of quitting, she recognized a higher calling guiding her path. As she puts it, “Honestly, It’s often times been a very frustrating topic for me. Quitting was never an option! The flame was still burning!” With faith in God’s plan and her own resilience, Simone embraced the climb back to the top.

After months of setbacks and uncertainty, she returned to the pool, facing each obstacle with courage and conviction. Simone’s journey wasn’t just about reclaiming her spot in the pool; it was a testament to her spirit and her refusal to give up on herself or her faith. As she embraces her evolution into Simone 2.0, her story inspires others to persevere. But how did she heal?

How did Simone Manuel overcome setbacks?

Following the Tokyo Olympics, Simone Manuel took a sabbatical to focus on healing both physically and mentally. She describes that period as “the most boring months of my life,” spent processing her emotions and experiences. By the end of 2023, Simone Manuel began to regain her former strength and vitality, though it took some additional time for her competitive edge to fully return. Following a 24-day altitude training stint in Colorado Springs in May, Manuel clocked 53.10, her fastest 100 freestyle time since the 2019 World Championships. She had her sights set on qualifying for Paris individually in the 50 and 100-meter freestyle events, as well as securing a spot on the 4×200-meter freestyle relay team.