G.O.A.T

Imagine feeling so entitled to your cockamamie opinions, you think you hold some clout when it comes to commenting on the choices and decisions made by the most winningest athlete in history. There is no one, past or present, who comes remotely close to touching the accolades achieved by US Olympic gymnast Simone Biles. Yet you have multitudes of people, who have no idea what she is enduring in her day to day life, let alone the dedication, sacrifice, and commitment it takes to reach her level, spewing their uneducated opinions on how she should proceed with her life. It makes me want to grab their face with both hands and scream “are you stupid!?” in their general direction.

Calling Biles a quitter or a disgrace to America is the low-hanging fruit of all insults. She has been labeled as the G.O.A.T by every media outlet, critic, and spectator who is familiar with her accomplishments and skill. Yet she has also been demoralized and lambasted by those very same people. In fact, the Olympic committee has scored her on a whole separate level just to give other athletes a fair chance at winning or being on level competition with her. Well guess what? Truth is, they aren’t on the same level as her so why should we punish and dock her achievements just to appease others. What kind of participation trophy mentality is that?

I was going to refrain from giving my opinion on the matter, because in the grand scheme of things, who the fuck am I to be commenting on the decisions made by the greatest athlete of my lifetime thus far. I am a nobody writing a blog and fighting in the cage with only a mere few people knowing who I am in my athletic journey. This woman is known and revered by hundreds of millions and is a household name and I have no idea the mental toll that takes on a person. She shouldn’t give a rat’s fart about my viewpoints or any other no-name criticizer who isn’t even worthy to clean the chalk from her calloused hands. Female athletes are harshly and unfairly criticized on a globally larger scale than their male counterparts, from appearances to achievements, and this might be the wake up call society needs to lay off a bit.

Why take criticism from those you wouldn’t take advice from? I’m sure she has an exceptionally good inner circle of mentors, supporters, loved ones, coaches, and teachers and she has plenty of guidance coming from the right people. Society piles all this pressure on one individual person and wonders why they crumble when the weight of millions of people rests squarely on their shoulders. It becomes too much of a burden to bare and truthfully the blame lies with all of us, and not the most dominant gymnast in the history of the sport. Every single news source and media outlet is speculating over what exactly the cause of her withdrawal is, and frankly, I didn’t realize so many were privy to the thoughts, emotions, struggles, and voices that go on in her head. Shame on us all.

If Ms. Biles ever reads this, I want her to know the ridiculous amount of people supporting all that she does despite the vitriolic words hurled her way. Everyone who knows me know how much emphasis I place on mental health and prioritizing one’s well-being. I look up to Simone Biles in so many different ways and even though she is a complete stranger to me, I can’t help but also being hurt by the venomous insults these absolute plebeians are saying. She is an incredible athlete, the best there ever was in her sport, but she is still a human and not immune to bad days and lackluster showings. This doesn’t diminish her standings at all, and her legacy won’t be tarnished by one endeavor. Simone Biles is a badass woman and I hope she continues crushing people’s expectations with her head held high like the G.O.A.T that she is.