Simone Biles has faced a whirlwind of challenges lately—twisties, kidney stones, and even a calf injury but somehow, it all seems to be shaping up as a blessing in disguise. Can you believe everything she’s gone through just to reclaim her title as the greatest of all time (GOAT)? It’s almost like she’s been tested to see if she’s worthy of the crown. Take, for instance, her calf injury during the Paris Olympics. What were you thinking when that happened?
That moment was pure panic for gymnastics fans everywhere. As the world watched during warm-ups for the team final at the 2024 Paris Olympics—her big comeback—Biles limped off the floor with the Team USA doctor right behind her. It was a gut-wrenching sight, and everyone was holding their breath, hoping for the best. But Biles, as we know, is nothing if not resilient.
She powered through that mystery calf injury, emerging victorious with gold medals in the team, all-around, and vault finals, plus a silver-in-the-floor exercise. The recently released trailer for the second part of Netflix’s Simone Biles: Rising gives us an insider’s look at this dramatic moment. In it, Biles is seen telling her coach at that time, “My calf or something just pulled all the way,” as she stepped off the mat.
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The trailer cuts to her getting bandaged up right before competing, with a voiceover asking, “Is this a case of deja vu?”—a nod to her early exit from the Tokyo Games. Despite the pain, she chose to perform, a decision that paid off big time in Paris. But what drove her to take such a risk? But this was just 1 instance! Remember 2018?
Simone Biles: From ‘Quitter of the Year’ to the Ultimate Comeback Queen! React!
Back in the 2018 World Gymnastics Championships, Simone Biles faced quite a challenge. Just before the event, she found herself in the emergency room dealing with a painful kidney stone! But instead of letting it stop her, she went on to dominate the competition in Doha, Qatar. With an impressive all-around qualifying score of 60.965, she blew past her rivals—Morgan Hurd finished second with 56.465. Biles also led the U.S. team to a fantastic score of 174.429, leaving Japan far behind at 162.180.
However, even in the Netflix documentary Aly Raisman shared some insight in the documentary promo, recalling that after the competition, Raisman asked her, “How did you do it in so much pain?” And she said, ‘I couldn’t have people tell me I was a quitter again.” What moment was she referring to here?
Simone Biles battled demons to conquer the Olympics
At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the world witnessed a heartbreaking moment in sports history—Simone Biles, the face of gymnastics, facing immense pressure, was forced to pull out of the team final due to a debilitating condition known as the “twisties.” Instead of empathy, many labeled her the “quitter of the year,” reducing her courage to a simple headline. The irony was palpable; these Games, meant to take place in 2020, had already been postponed to 2021 due to the pandemic—yet the pressure on the athletes only intensified, the branding still reading “Tokyo 2020” as if nothing had changed.
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The twisties, a gymnast’s worst nightmare, plagued Biles during competition—a mental block that makes it impossible to know where you are mid-air, as if the brain and body suddenly refuse to communicate. Biles described her mind going “silent” during routines, a terrifying thought when you’re hurtling through the air, trusting instincts that suddenly betray you. Imagine being on a roller coaster, closing your eyes, and when you open them, realizing the track has completely changed—no sense of direction, only fear.
But the twisties weren’t the only demons she was facing. Simone was still carrying the trauma of the abuse she suffered at the hands of Larry Nassar, the disgraced former USA Gymnastics physician who had preyed on countless young athletes, Biles included. Amidst all this turmoil, stepping back from competition was a necessary act of self-preservation, yet it only invited more criticism. At 27, Biles felt the pressure to retire, but she refused to let others dictate her narrative—she wouldn’t leave the sport on anyone else’s terms.
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And so, in true Simone Biles fashion, she returned—this time at the Paris Olympics, where she snatched not one, not two, but three gold medals. It was the ultimate comeback, the perfect reminder that Biles is all about resilience. She’s a testament to the idea of never saying never, of not letting fear or critics define your limits.
Watching Simone Biles soar again, overcoming the challenges that would have broken many, there’s really only one word that comes to mind: incredible. She has nerves of steel, an unbreakable spirit. Each time she steps onto the mat, she’s not just competing—she’s proving to herself and the world that no matter the storm, she will always rise.
