Simone Biles

Everyone, and I mean everyone in the whole world, needs to step back and give Simone Biles space and understanding while she works through her challenges in her own time and at her own pace.

No one knows what this young woman is going through.

Is it a lack of confidence? We have all experienced that, and most of us don’t make our living flying through the air, spinning wildly, and trying to land on our feet without breaking a number of bones.

Is it fear of being injured? That’s certainly understandable.

Is Ms. Biles distracted by a health issue or a family matter that has not been publicized? If so, that’s really none of our business.

Is the pressure that she’s feeling coming from outside? Is she being harassed by a stalker? Is she receiving hateful messages or death threats from people who aren’t ready to accept dark faces in competitive gymnastics? I doubt if any of us can imagine the kind of soul-crushing comments that she has had to endure as her prominence on the world stage has elevated.

The bottom line is this this is a human being, and human beings suffer crises from time to time.

Are you disappointed? Do you feel that it’s unfair that she withdrew from the competition at the last minute? Are you upset that the team didn’t win the gold medal? If that’s the case, you should ask yourself why so much of your self worth is invested in what other people do, particularly people who are barely older than children. Maybe it is those constant, nagging expectations, the pressure to be “the greatest” and to do things that no other human would dare attempt that has triggered this turn of events.

It’s time for all of us to stop viewing athletes as unbreakable machines. We need to appreciate them for who they are, people who will thrill us with astonishing performances on good days but who need to rest and withdraw at other times when an alarm goes off inside them, urging “No! Not today. You need a break. You need to take care of yourself.”