Facing stress and uncertainty, Simone Biles returned to gymnastics competitions in a suburb of Chicago last July, in her first event in two years. Biles acknowledged the pressure and found comfort and confidence as the competition progressed. Her comeback led to her winning the national championship again by the end of August, and by October, she captured the world championship title again.
In December, Biles was honored with the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year Award, making her the sixth woman to receive the award three times. She prevailed over other nominees such as Iowa State basketball star Kaitlyn Clark and Golden Ball winner Aitana Bonmatti of the World Cup-winning Spanish soccer team. Biles’ return was particularly notable given her previous withdrawal from several finals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to mental health concerns, a decision that was met with mixed reactions on social media.
After a two-year break and extensive therapy, Biles focused on her comeback, embracing the self-doubt and turning it into a powerful performance that reflected her unique gymnastics prowess.
Biles, who previously won the AP Award in 2016 and 2019, has seen big changes in her life since her teenage years after the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Now, she’s no longer just a gymnast, she’s a married woman, balancing time between supporting her husband, Green Bay Packers safety Jonathan Owens, managing corporate partnerships, and overseeing the construction of their new home.
Biles’ approach to life and gymnastics has evolved. No longer focused on perfection, she understands the importance of flexibility and perspective in a sport where perfection cannot be achieved.
Her “day by day” attitude was reinforced by coach Cecil Landy’s encouragement to return to competition. Despite initial hesitation, Biles’ inner circle’s belief in her abilities led to her return.
Her return to the sport was marked not only by victories, but by the continued development of her routine, which is still filled with extraordinary difficulty. On vault, she made history by executing Yurchenko’s double javelin in international competition, adding another element named after her to the gymnastics points code.
Although Biles acknowledges the possibility of participating in the next Olympics, she prefers to focus on her current life. She recently shared a personal moment on Instagram from her wedding, underscoring the newfound balance in her life where gymnastics, while important, is not the sole focus.