Former NFL player and Super Bowl champion Benjamin Watson praised Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, who with the rest of the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics Tuesday. Watson noted Biles‘ resilience following the mental health challenges she faced at the last Olympic Games; the gymnast received criticism from some for withdrawing from the team final in Tokyo after realizing the “mental’s not there.”
“So many people disparaged Simone Biles four years ago. She did what so many people are scared to do. She acknowledged her humanity and sought help for her complete health,” said Watson, who is a Christian pro-life and racial justice advocate, in a Wednesday morning post on X. “To see her come back with dignity, excellence, humility and joy has been worth the wait.”
So many people disparaged Simone Biles four years ago. She did what so many people are scared to do. She acknowledged her humanity and sought help for her complete health. To see her come back with dignity, excellence, humility and joy has been worth the wait. Congratulations to… pic.twitter.com/StUrwnt0gY
— Benjamin Watson (@BenjaminSWatson) July 31, 2024
Simone Biles Wins Eighth Olympic Medal
Simone Biles, who Tuesday became the most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast of all time, shocked the world when she withdrew from several events at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021. She did so after a shaky vault performance where she experienced “the twisties,” a term referring to when gymnasts lose track of where they are in the air.
“I just felt like it would be a little bit better to take a back seat, work on my mindfulness,” Biles explained at the time. She said she did not want to injure herself or jeopardize the team’s chance of medaling (they ended up winning silver).
Biles also spoke of the pressure she sometimes feels: “It wasn’t an easy day or my best but I got through it. I truly do feel that I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times.”
While many praised Biles for having the wisdom to pay attention to her mental health, others severely criticized her. The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh called her a “quitter” and said her actions were “disgraceful and selfish” and “an absolute embarrassment.” He said people should not “celebrate cowardice.”
Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk called Biles a “selfish sociopath” and a “shame to the nation.” Seth Dillon, CEO of The Babylon Bee, compared Biles to a soldier running away from battle, saying, “Cowardice is not courage; weakness is not strength. Great athletes understand this.”
Pastor Barnabas Piper, however, praised Biles, saying, “I hope my daughters grow up to be weak people like Simone Biles. That would be amazing.”
Abuse survivor and Christian Rachael Denhollander, who is a former gymnast known for speaking out against USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, said she remembered gymnasts who got “lost in the air” and “suffered catastrophic injuries that altered their lives. The fact that Simone walked out of that meet safely is everything.”
