by Ernie McCray
Some are saying that
Simone Biles is
a “national embarrassment”
who “quit on her team,”
when the truth is
she’s a
superbly talented gymnast
who, for years,
has mesmerized
the world
with dazzling routines
featuring
an array
of twists and turns and flips
that seem to defy
the laws of physics,
finding herself in the Olympics
facing the effects
of what the world now knows
as the “twisties,”
a common kind of mental block
in her sport
where one loses their ability
to know where they are
in the air
when everything
they do
calls for them to,
in part,
fly upside down
through the air,
so now she’s
suddenly in despair,
dealing, surely,
with the enormous pressure
that’s put on
athletes of her stature,
and with the macho-ized
overly idealized
“When the going gets tough
the tough get going”
frame of mind
upon which competitors rely
which would surely,
in her mental state of mind,
jeopardize
her team winning a prize.
But she acted
both brave
and wise
and looked the people
she’s trained with
in the eyes
with trust in her eyes
and told them
as their leader
in this enterprise
“It’s up to you guys”
and coached them
and rooted for them
in a voice heard
throughout the gym
and she
and them
showed the world
the love
they have for each other
and the kind
of esprit de corps
it takes to compete
and win,
eventually securing a silver medal
that honored all the good work
they had put in.
So rather than being
seen as a national embarrassment
who quit on her team,
Simone Biles should be viewed
as having inspired them
to stay focused
on their Olympic dreams.
In doing so
she showed
what it’s like
to be a caring human being.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
No one on earth his done more to ensure that this Olympic gymnastics team is a huge success than Ms. Biles. She chose not to jeapordize the teams chances of losing medals if she were unable to perform up to her usual standards. By temporarily standing down, Biles gave the junior team members she mentored their golden opportunity to show that they could do on their own. Think of the names of all the new US Olympic gold medal winners we now know. Then think about how many we would have become aware of had Biles put the teams chances at risk by insisting on participating in the events and failed. The headlines would have focused on her losses, instead of the team and its individual members performances and wins. Every member of the US Olympic Team and all its supporters owe Simone Biles a giant vote of thanks. She is a true winner in all respects.
What a role model Simone is! She shows us what we need to do when our perception gets twisted. I am not a sport scholar, but I plan to use her demonstration as an example of group success with collective success as a Peacebuilding process.
Thank you Ernie for poetically stimulating this opportunity for commentary.
RIGHT ON! VIVA SIMONE !