#57: Knowing When To Stop

THE TWISTIES

Simone Biles landed her vault at the Tokyo ‘Covid’ Olympics and forced a smile, but immediately realised she was done. Most of the masked crowd were likely none the wiser, but Simone was attempting a back handspring into 2-and-a-half twists and was one full rotation shy. She had developed a case of the ‘twisties’ – where your mind and body are completely out of sync. 

To explain, Simone uses the analogy of driving. Imagine, ‘one day you wake up and you have no idea how to drive a car, your legs are going crazy – you have no control… it’s terrifying because we’re in a car without protection!’ Video of Simone Explaining

Simone Biles was the standout star of the 2016 Rio Games, collecting 4 gold medals in an awesome display of power and poise. She wanted desperately to carry on for her team, but also knew that her mind was freaking out mid-air leaving her in incredibly dangerous positions. It was crazy to continue.

This mind-body disconnect can be brought on by chronic stress, perfectionism, extreme anxiety and even trauma. In golf, baseball, and guitar playing it has been termed the ‘yips’ where mastered skills become stuttering and jumpy. You might have even felt this when public speaking.

Essentially, at a certain point something snaps, and the mind/body decides that this is not a safe environment and tries to protect the body from danger. Unfortunately, this often brings about the worst-case result that the mind was looking to avoid and performance anxiety can snowball.

At Tokyo, as the face of the games, Simone had the weight of the world on her shoulders and was also preparing to give evidence at the horrific abuse trial of Larry Nassar, that affected 100s of US gymnasts. Furthermore, her support group was absent, as family members could not travel to Japan. It was all too much. 

After retiring from the competition, she faced a huge backlash on social media about quitting – which in turn sparked a heated debate around mental health.

For a full 18 months, Simone walked away from competition. She attended weekly therapy sessions, spoke openly about her abuse and started to find greater life balance – spending time away with her partner at social events. For so long Simone’s entire self-worth was tied up in her identity as a gymnast. 

When she returned in 2023 and swept the boards at the Worlds (taking her haul to 23 World Championships gold medals!), it was on her terms. Simone found time to attend a friend’s wedding in the build-up – she wasn’t going to be just an athlete anymore.

Gymnastics builds strength, body awareness, work ethic and most importantly is great fun. Many coaches and gyms are amazing, though the culture of elite gymnastics where the result has often been all important by any means, has led to a terrible record of unhealthy practices and abuse. 

Simone’s actions have helped give young athletes the confidence to listen to and act for their own needs.

Now as Simone competes at the Paris Olympics, she is smiling, is in a great headspace, and is there for the right reasons – to compete for herself and to have fun. 

She wants redemption and further gold medals, alongside millions watching at home, but regardless of the outcome, she is still Simone Biles the person and can be very proud of herself. Further Info

WISDOM 💎

“We have to protect our mind and our body, rather than just go out there and do what the world wants us to do.”

Simone Biles

Tip 1 - A SMART PLAY ✅

Pressure is not real. It’s a construct. The more we feel expectation, the more likely we are to try to overcontrol from the mind or tense up from the body. Neither is helpful.

Tip 2 - AVOID 🚩

Burying emotions and trauma. Dealing with them effectively is vital for mental and physical health, as well as long-term sustainable performance.

Tip 3 - ACTION 💪

We need to be able to let go to perform at our best. Are you struggling with expectation or perfectionism in your field? Try taking a step back and remember why you are there and what you love about it.