Heather Loeb
Guest columnist
As a mental health advocate, my heart ached for gymnast Simone Biles after she withdrew from multiple Olympic events last week, where she could’ve easily racked up another gold medal.
She must’ve been in a terrible head space to do that, and it has to be respected. I watched her warm-up before the team event, and you could tell she wasn’t mentally there. And for her, not being in tune with her body and emotions can be dangerous.
I think it came as a shock to people how she matter-of-fact she was in reporting her flailing mental health and even more of a shock how she prioritized herself above the games. There IS more to life than gymnastics, even if it’s the Olympics. That’s how it should be. I’m so thankful for her taking a stand and bringing more awareness to how important mental health is.