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In Episode 215 of Anecdotally Speaking tune in to discover the remarkable journey of Simone Biles and the powerful lessons it offers on burnout and the importance of empathy in judging others.

In Episode 215 of Anecdotally Speaking, Shawn shares the compelling story of Simone Biles and her journey through the highs and lows of Olympic competition.

This story highlights the crucial importance of mental health, showing how even the greatest athletes need to prioritize self-care to perform at their best. It also demonstrates the value of suspending judgment until you understand the full context, as Simone’s experience at the Tokyo Olympics taught the world.

In a business context, this narrative serves as a reminder of the importance of empathy in leadership and the necessity of recognizing and addressing burnout. Shawn and Mark also explore how to build tension in storytelling, ensuring your narrative keeps the audience engaged.

For your story bank

Tags: Sport, Success, Persistence, Mental Health

This story starts at: 1:02

Simone Biles gained global prominence during the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics at the age of 19, where she won four gold medals and one bronze, marking the most medals won by a U.S. gymnast in a single Olympics. Her remarkable performance elevated expectations, with the media quickly labeling her the greatest of all time and one of the most significant gymnasts in history. Heading into the Tokyo Olympics, there was even talk of modifying certain rules because she was the only gymnast capable of performing specific tricks. Notably, Simone has five original tricks named after her, only one of which has been successfully executed by another gymnast in competition.

Despite the immense pressure leading up to the Tokyo Olympics, Simone felt confident. However, during the first event, the vault, her practice performance was unexpectedly erratic, a stark departure from her usual precision. This shocked everyone, as they had never seen her perform this way. It was later revealed that she was experiencing the “twisties,” a condition where gymnasts lose their sense of spatial awareness, making it impossible to gauge their position while in the air. Despite her efforts to continue, she ultimately withdrew from the vault event. The same issue occurred during the uneven bars, forcing her to withdraw from the entire Olympics. Simone attributed this to a breakdown in her mental health.

Following her withdrawal, she faced a wave of criticism, with people labeling her a “loser” and a “quitter,” among other harsh comments. However, as time passed, the public began to understand the immense pressure she was under. The Olympics took place during the pandemic, which had pushed back the training season by a year. The absence of a crowd and support squad left her feeling disconnected in all aspects of life and training. After Tokyo, Simone openly discussed the need to prioritize her mental health, taking an 18-month break during which she barely trained. When she did, she still felt off, but with the support of a therapist and her community, she gradually noticed a significant improvement in her performance as her mental health improved.

By the time the Paris Olympics arrived, Simone made a triumphant return, winning three gold medals and one silver at the age of 27, making her the oldest U.S. gymnast in 72 years to win a gold medal.