Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka, and a Conversation on Mental Health

The Summer Olympic Games are finally back after a 2020 postponement due to the (still ongoing) COVID-19 pandemic. Although Japan is still dealing with the effects, the Japanese government and the IOC felt like the Games would be able to be played without fans in attendance. There have been some incredible stories with several countries making history. After nearly 100 years, Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz won the first gold medal for the Philippines in the Summer Olympics. Meanwhile, Flora Duffy helped the small island of Bermuda take home their first gold medal in the triathlon.

My only complaint so far is finding what platform and time each event is airing. Is it on NBC, NBC Sports Network, USA, online streaming via Peacock? Even for a sports fanatic like me, it's very confusing. Ratings have been low in the United States likely due to a 13 hour time difference from Japan to eastern standard time in the United States. By the time we get up in the morning to go to work, our smartphones have already alerted us who won at 3am while we were fast asleep.

Despite all the hype of the Olympic Games, there has been an internal topic that has caused a lot of uproar even before the games began: mental health. Who has been in the center of these talks and why is it such a big deal?

I would like to briefly touch on the stories of two amazing Black women who have participated in the "Tokyo 2020 (yes, I know it's 2021)" games: Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka. Both individuals have dominated their respective sport but have more importantly, made recent headlines for their decisions to drop out of major competitions due to mental health concerns in their personal lives.

Simone Biles- USA Gymnastics

The United States has been very fortunate to have had an amazing group of gymnasts over the last few decades. However, no individual has been as dominant and decorated as Simone Biles. At the Rio 2016 games, she helped win four gold medals for the U.S. Gymnastics team. Throughout her career, Biles has won 25 world championship medals which is a world record. However, her recent struggle and unexpected exit out of the Olympic Games has the country divided in whether she should be viewed as a "champion" or a "quitter."

During the preliminary stage of the Olympics, there were some warning signs about Biles' mental state. "I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times. I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn't affect me but damn sometimes it's hard," Biles said on her Instagram. As the main events began, Biles decided to tone down the difficulty of her vault event, possibly due to some lost confidence in a shaky qualifier. After landing awkwardly in the "team" event, she consulted a trainer before deciding to drop out.

Her three teammates, Jordan Chiles, Grace McCallum, and Sunisa Lee stepped up to the occasion, helping the United States win a silver medal but falling behind the Russian Olympic Committee for the gold. Immediately, people wanted to know if Biles was injured or had something serious happened to cause her to stop competing. The world soon found out that it was due to her mental health.

"This Olympic Games I wanted it to be for myself. I came in and felt like I was still doing it for other people. That just hurts my heart that doing what I love has been kind of taken away from me to please other people," Biles said (USA Today). "I’m one to tough it out to the last minute, and obviously it didn’t work."

That comment is striking to me because it painted a picture of her mindset consistently thinking about the expectations of others. The sport that she loved was now turning into more of a duty and a service she was providing. Sure, everything in life has pressure and expectations from others. That being said, professional athletes are lifted on a pedestal where success of failure determines whether or not you get exalted or discarded. When you are widely regarded as the best to ever do it, it adds a little bit more sauce.

To be expected in the world we live in today, Biles has faced A LOT of criticism for her decision to back out of the Olympic Games. Take for example Piers Morgan. The well-known broadcaster and journalist tweeted this on July 27th: "Are ‘mental health issues’ now the go-to excuse for any poor performance in elite sport? What a joke. Just admit you did badly, made mistakes, and will strive to do better next time. Kids need strong role models not this nonsense."

In contrast, former Olympic teammate Aly Raisman voiced her support for Biles' decision to withdraw from the Olympic Games. "I think it’s also just really important to think about how much pressure has been on her, and there’s only so much that someone can take. She’s human, and I think sometimes people forget that," the 27-year old retired gymnast said (TODAY.com).

This isn't the first time that an Olympian gymnast has had to fight through pain. Dominique Moceanu, part of the '96 "Magnificient Seven" gymnastics team, had to endure a struggle of her own. In an account from her Twitter, she recalled her 14-year-old self fighting through a tibial stress fracture before competing in the Olympic final minutes later. She later went on to say that she never felt she had a say in her own health needs due to the pressure of external factors.

Another participant on the '96 team, 4'7 Kerri Strug, went down in history for her valiant performance. On a vault, Strug had a major ankle injury following a devastating fall. Instead of dropping out, she fought through the pain and completed her second vault on one leg before collapsing to the ground in immense pain. Seeing her getting carried by her coach, Bela Karolyi, is one of the most memorable moments in American Olympic history. Unfortunately, the ligament damage that Strug suffered essentially ended her gymnastics career, retiring later that year.

But Christian, c'mon man, you might say. Those stories you mentioned are physical injuries. That's a valid excuse to drop out. And plus, they fought through it and ended up alright. Why would you drop out due to a "mental setback?" And also this: Biles wore a special leotard with a diamond-speckled goat and had a television spot with an actual goat as well. Shouldn't she be able to take the heat?

In response, I would first say that gymnastics is a dangerous sport. If you land wrong, you could break bones or be paralyzed for life. If you don't trust yourself mentally, it could very well be the first catalyst to the end of your career physically. It's not our call as fans to judge her decision if we've never done it ourselves. As for the GOAT-themed attire, she deserved to wear it. Even if she never participated in the 2020 Tokyo Games, she would've still been America's most decorated gymnast. This year was just icing on the cake to her resume. However, if the fanfare caused her to build up a "hero or bust" complex in her mind, maybe she would want to change that in retrospect to focus on her love of the game instead of getting validation from the outside.

Will her reputation as the "G.O.A.T." (Greatest of all-time) take a hit? Probably so to certain people. But in my opinion, it really shouldn't. I think it was actually a selfless thing of her to do by dropping out. Clearly, she didn't have her "best stuff," failing to successfully land on a routine vault. Biles also commented that she didn't want to cost her teammates a medal. "I'll usually persevere and push through things, but not to cost the team a medal," Biles said. For a reason that only she knows, she wasn't trusting her ability to get the job done.

For the remaining gymnastics events, the 21-year old Arizona native Jade Carey will do her best to pick up where Biles left off. It was great to see Biles cheering on her teammates despite how difficult it likely was to sit out. It's unfortunate that this may be the last time we see her compete in the Olympics, since most gymnasts only get two cycles at the most. If this was truly it, what a ride!

Naomi Osaka- Tennis

It's been the "Serena and Venus Williams show" in the American tennis landscape for quite some time now. However, in a few years, Naomi Osaka may take the crown in both the United States and Japan. Raised in the USA, the Haitian-Japanese tennis player has taken the world by storm. At just 23 years of age, the soft-spoken star has played in 15 major tournaments, emerging victorious in seven of them.

In the "Tokyo 2020" Olympics, Osaka had the distinct honor of lighting the Olympic cauldron to kick off the Games at the Opening Ceremony, validating her growing popularity. As the second-ranked women's tennis player in the world, it is clear she is a star that will be around for a while. While everything seemed to be going smoothly on the court, Osaka was more focused on trying to combat the demons inside her head.

If we take a step back to late-May 2021, Osaka made waves in the news for declining to speak to the media at the 2021 French Open, referencing mental health concerns as a reason for not participating. “I think now the best thing for the tournament, the other players and my well-being is that I withdraw so that everyone can get back to focusing on the tennis going on in Paris," Osaka said. “I never wanted to be a distraction and I accept that my timing was not ideal and my message could have been clearer. More importantly I would never trivialize mental health or use the term lightly.”

World-famous Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic recently came out in an interview about mental health which may have indirectly taken shots at Biles and Osaka's recent stances on leaving competition to take care of their mental needs."Without pressure there is no professional sport," Djokovic said. "If you are aiming to be at the top of the game you better start learning how to deal with pressure and how to cope with those moments — on the court but also off the court."

I will say that I agree on his stance on "pressure as a privilege." If you have pressure, that means that there are higher expectations on you because you are extremely good. If you are a "no-name" scrub, no one is gonna care. However, if it's someone like Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady or Argentina Lionel Messi, the stakes will always be high because of a proven track record of winning and championships. However, you can still be great and have bad moments or mental breakdowns. We are all human no matter your status as an "everyday Joe" or a superstar athlete.

I've also seen several quotes on Twitter that "Michael Jordan wouldn't have quit in Game 7 of the NBA Finals." For those not familiar with sports, "Game 7's" decide the winner of a best-of-seven series in basketball, hockey, and baseball during the postseason. Obviously, Jordan didn't do the action of the aforementioned quote but he did quit basketball in the middle of his prime (1993) for two years following his father's death. He had won three straight NBA Finals but decided not to continue for a short while. I'd be willing to bet that was mental health related. For Biles and Osaka, we have no idea what has previously gone on in their life. We only know what is reported on. Remember that when you try and judge someone's story.

It has been well documented that Osaka suffers from anxiety and depression. She had dealt with depression since her first Grand Slam title in 2018 US Open. Osaka vividly has explained her personality type and her body language to help her combat her internal struggles. “Anyone that knows me knows I’m introverted, and anyone that has seen me at the tournaments will notice that I’m often wearing headphones as that helps dull my social anxiety,” Osaka said (The Guardian).

Earlier in July, Time Magazine released a story written by Osaka herself. "Lesson one: you can never please everyone," she said. "I am naturally introverted and do not court the spotlight. I always try to push myself to speak up for what I believe to be right, but that often comes at a cost of great anxiety."

"I can’t imagine another profession where a consistent attendance record (I have missed one press conference in my seven years on tour) would be so harshly scrutinized,"Osaka said. Unfortunately, this has happened in almost every sport and with every moment documented online nowadays, it is difficult for athletes to overcome and move past their shortcomings when all they see and hear about is their mistakes.

I don't think there is a human being on this Earth that doesn't appreciate being respected. It is human nature to want to be accepted. However, many athletes want to be left alone. For introverts like Osaka, it's not that they can't communicate effectively, it's that they are drained by constant social interaction. Will you lose marketing opportunities and money for not wanting to interact with others or participate in interviews. Of course. For someone like Naomi Osaka, she doesn't play tennis for fame. She plays it because she is uber-talented and for the love of the game.

Former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch was notorious for his short and sweet responses to the media such as "Yeah," "I'm just here so I don't get fined," and "I'm just 'bout that action boss." As someone who didn't like to talk much, he was noted to have had trust issues with individuals trying to misconstrue his words and actions. While technically not retired, what fans should remember him most for is his farewell speech about mental health in 2020.

"I heard a couple players that I played with that they no longer here no more, they no longer. So start taking care y’all mentals (mental health), y’all bodies and y’all chicken (money). And when y’all ready to walk away, you walk away and be able to do what you want to do," Lynch said. Translation: if you don't care of yourself, the end result will not be a pleasant one.

At the end of the day, these individuals are all Americans that have trained nearly their entire lives to make it to this point. In turn, they deserve to make the decisions that best aid their physical and mental wellbeing. Fans often want to know everything about their favorite athlete but privacy is needed to avoid running into more mental health stress. When you know you're being monitored 24/7, you're gonna act differently. It's just human nature.

Recently, Osaka crashed out of the Olympics in the 3rd Round to Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic. Once again, she declined to talk to the media. It might have been a blessing in disguise that fans were not in attendance because that could've provided additional pressure by playing in her birth country. Athletes are role models whether or not they want to be. Osaka's story is a constant reminder that not every athlete desires to be in the limelight.

The Future of Mental Health & Final Thoughts

In five or ten years how will the landscape of mental health change, especially in the world of sports? Currently, most players and coaches have obligations to speak in press conference and make appearances throughout the year. While I do think it's fair that athletes speak to the media, there may be additional rules such as a yearly "exemption pass"or extended wait times between the end of a competition before media can gain access in a press conference or locker rooms. This may help these world-class athletes cool down and collect their thoughts before stepping out into the limelight.

Sports are highly entertaining because they often tell a story. About a team. About an individual. About a country. About a generation. The list goes on and on. Capturing the raw emotion of events such as the "Miracle on Ice" as the U.S. upset Russia is amazing to see. However, sports have turned into so much more than just a game. There is so much money involved with organizations, television, and sponsors that puts a lot of pressure on these athletes. A single success or failure can mean so much for thousands of people involved in a result. Imagine having the weight of all that on your shoulders...

How many times do we hear, "if they only said something..." following the result of a tragic suicide? Part of it may be due to the psychological backlash of the individual for trying to take on too much. Obviously, I am not a world-class Olympian, otherwise I wouldn't be writing on this blog. However, I would say that representing your ENTIRE COUNTRY is one of the biggest honors a person could ever have. There are nearly 330 million people in the United States and only one Simone Biles. There are 126 million people in Japan and only one Naomi Osaka. How many people could replicate what they've done? Very few, if any.

The other concern I have that I suspect has heightened mental health concerns is the meteoric rise of social media. Generation Z uses it more than other generations. Those sharing their mental health struggles are majority younger people which signals to me that these online platforms could be a reason for added stress, anxiety, depression, and more. Both Osaka and Biles are under 25 years of age and are active on social media so possibly this has played a role in their struggles.

From its origin, social media can be an extremely useful tool. It connects people from all over the world and paves the way for news and advertising to be distributed in a matter of seconds. It can also provide job opportunities by becoming a self-starter and content creator. On the negative side, it can also create a false sense of community and acceptance. There are many people with thousands of followers on their Instagram or Twitter. However, how many of those people do they have deep, genuine relationships with? I'd bet the number isn't that high. It can also provide a shield for haters or what I like to call, "keyboard warriors," to say whatever they want without many consequences.

The point I'm trying to make is social media isn't a great depiction of how real life works. It is essentially a platform of curated highlights of an individual's life. As someone who is majoring in Advertising and Public Relations, it would be amazing to be in an advisory role for professional athletes. If I was a public relations representative for either of these fantastic women, I would strongly suggest for them to get off social media and have a professional run their page. While there are a lot of loyal supporters, there are also many detractors as well. As the saying goes, "don't feed the trolls." Not everyone has the discipline to do that and when you respond, people will attack from all sides.

Ultimately, I think everyone has to decide for themselves how much they can endure before they say "enough is enough." With anything in life, there are consequences to our decisions but it may be worth it if it helps them grow. Aspiring athletes in the coming years will need to be smart about evaluating this changing landscape and understand the responsibilities of becoming a professional athlete. It's not just performing well at a sport. It's about being away from your family. It's about taking criticism. It's about being in the spotlight for every little thing you do, good or bad. Not everyone is built to handle that.

Mental health is a topic that is very close to my heart and I feel a social responsibility to let my voice be heard about a very serious issue. By speaking up about your experiences and the obstacles you have faced in your life, you could potentially help talk someone out of making a bad decision. You never know who may be inspired by your story. You don't need to be a celebrity to make an impact.

I'll leave with this: mental health matters, y'all. Don't treat it as an afterthought or a joke. If a friend or family member is coming to you with a problem, take some time out of your day to spend with someone in need. Admitting you need help isn't a sign of weakness. In fact, I'd say it is one of the strongest things you can do because it is willing to show vulnerability in a cold, cruel world.

For those struggling out there, find a support base that is willing to help you. Whether it be at your job, club, church, or volunteer position, make sure you have high quality people around you. Every human should be comfortable talking to at least one person to share a sensitive topic to your family or friends. Maybe it's drug or alcohol abuse. Maybe it's taking time to remove yourself from a toxic work or volunteer environment. Maybe it's conflict with a sibling or family member. Maybe it's just...life is HARD.

Regardless of what the situation is, you are not worthless because you failed at something. No one enjoys coming up short in life. Often times, we need to regroup and take time for ourselves. Take it from Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka. Did they have the performance that they wanted for themselves. Absolutely not. However, this won't be the last shining moment both women will have in the careers. I'm excited to see how they bounce back and once again, prove the haters wrong.