Simone Biles named Time's 'Athlete of the Year'

While we all know superstar gymnast Simone Biles has many accolades for her limitless skill and athletic prowess, this time the athlete has been recognized for her decision not to perform.

Time Magazine selected the four-time Olympic gold medalist to receive the prestigious honor of being named the ‘Athlete of the Year.’

The acknowledgement has garnered extreme controversy after Biles’ decision during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics shocked the world.

During the Olympics, Biles struggled with her mental health as well as the life-threatening issue of the “Twisties” which is when a gymnast becomes disoriented in the air. These problems caused Biles to pull out of the 2020 Olympics for her own safety, a move that made her a champion for athletes all over the world, and a quitter to critics.

One of the most remarkable mixed zone press conferences I’ve known. In which Simone Biles described pulling out of tonight’s team event because she had to put her mental health first. Says she was inspired by Naomi Osaka among others #Olympics #ArtisticGymnastics pic.twitter.com/p3Rli5S7J0
— Ian Herbert (@ianherbs) July 27, 2021

Teammate Suni Lee, an avid supporter of Biles, agrees that Biles decision changed the world of athletes for the better.

“What Simone did changed the way we view our well-being, 100%. It showed us that we are more than the sport, that we are human beings who also can have days that are hard. It really humanized us.”

Biles explained to Times that while the choice to pull out of the Olympics was heartbreaking, she wouldn’t change a thing about the decision.

“I was torn because things weren’t going the way I wanted,” Simone told Time, saying, “But looking back, I wouldn’t change it for anything.”