Simone Biles, an artistic gymnast, made an unexpected announcement during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics that she will not be competing in the individual vault or uneven bars finals. A year after the competition was rescheduled, in late July 2021, the gold medallist was having trouble with her performance. In a social media post, she called it a “case of the twisties” and said she needed to prioritize her mental health and take a step back.
Gymnasts are familiar with the “case of the twisties,” a problem in which they encounter a mental block while in midair. In addition, Biles dealt with stress and anxiety for a number of years, using Lexapro to treat her anxiety.
Simone Biles speaks about Jonathan Owens’s constant support
But, Biles had her husband Jonathan Owens as a support system throughout that trying period—a topic that is thoroughly discussed in Netflix’s “Simone Biles: Rising,” which premieres on July 17.
Biles remembered her husband informing her, and she was grateful for his calm and encouraging demeanor. In order to help the Olympic medallist in the right way, Owens also made sure Biles attended her training and treatment appointments. She declared:
“Post Tokyo, Jonathan was just like, I mean, he always has a good head on his shoulders, and he’s like, ‘You’ll get back to where you were,’ and made sure I was staying on top of my training.”
On the other hand, Biles remembered that Owens was never “bossy.” He sincerely tried to support her after seeing her mental health issues after Tokyo. She went on:
“He was making sure I was going to my therapy sessions and was trying to do as much as he could, without kind of being bossy, but he was really just like a shoulder to lean on because he saw like those dark times after Tokyo.”
By going to therapy, the Chicago Bears safety also did his part. When Biles first suggested it, he was perplexed, but after trying it, he felt that his viewpoint had expanded, which he attributed to his partner.
