Simone Biles Almost Didn’t Return for the Olympics: ‘I’ve Done it All’

Sure, Simone Biles has four gold medals from the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. But when it comes to the upcoming games in Tokyo, the 24-year-old athlete is facing an all-new obstacle: herself.

Biles recently appeared on the cover of WSJ Magazine’s July digital issue, where she candidly discussed the intense pressure she feels ahead of the 2020 Olympics (which were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic). Although she already qualified for Team U.S.A, the gymnast admitted that she considered retiring ahead of the Olympic Trials.

“I was like, ‘How can I get any better than that?’” she said.

Biles feared that she wouldn’t live up to expectations because she’d already “hit the peak of [her] career.” Despite her hesitation, she returned to the gym with a new set of coaches and a fresh mindset. “Now I can enjoy my gymnastics. It’s really up to me,” she added. “And that probably also comes along with how many titles I’ve won and everything I’ve established.”

Biles has learned to not compare her talents to anyone else’s (or even her own), which has only added to her confidence. “I feel like now I don’t have to prove anything to anybody,” she explained. “I’m trying to level up.”

She continued, “I feel like for all these years, I’ve kind of let gymnastics do the talking, and I’ve kind of stamped my position there. So, at the end of the day, I can say I’ve done it all, and more.”

There’s a reason Biles is the GOAT (AKA “greatest of all time”). 

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