Simone Biles Commends Naomi Osaka for Opening up About Mental Health
Simone Biles praises Naomi Osaka for opening up the conversation regarding mental health. Both Olympic athletes have prioritized their mental health over competing, thus, leading the conversation about this stigma. Last month, Biles withdrew from multiple gymnastics competitions at the Tokyo Olympics, and Osaka pulled out of the French Open earlier during the summer. Their decisions were met with overwhelming support from fellow athletes and fans.
I stand with Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles… YOUR PERSONAL mental health issues are YOUR TOP PRIORITY! Naomi is not in PR and shouldn’t be made to do press conferences if this is not their forte or it will continue to mentally scar them!
— M L (@longostino) August 17, 2021
During an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Biles shared how Osaka reached out to her after dropping out of the competitions.
“She was actually really sweet, and she reached out,” Simone described Naomi. “I was so overwhelmed, so I didn’t get the chance to respond, but I had so many people reach out, and she was just so sweet.”
The gymnast went on to explain how the tennis star opened the conversation about mental health in athletes.
“She is speaking up about mental health, and I think it is really important that athletes put their mental health first,” Simone continued. “At the end of the day, that is what is going to determine how well we go out there and compete in whatever sport that is. I think now that it is a leading topic of conversation, it is really helpful because at the end of the day, we are athletes, and it is our craft, but we are human too.”
Simone Biles Praised Naomi Osaka For Speaking Up About Mental Health “We are athletes and it is our craft, but we are human too.”
— ⚡️CommonWhiteGirl⚡️ (@_teen_problem) August 22, 2021
The gymnast and tennis star hope that speaking out about their battles with mental health will help open up the conversations and have athletes start being treated as humans. While many praised Biles’ choice to pull out of some events for the Tokyo Olympics, Osaka, on the other hand, faced repercussions for her decision during the French Open, including a hefty fine of $15,000 and scrutiny from the media. In her essay, Osaka explained how she hopes athletes start to be seen as human.
Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka are some of the fiercest women in the world! They are successful, well coached, groomed and amazingly talented.
— Donita J Clark MSN, RN, CNML (@donitajclark) August 21, 2021
Both of them knew when to say enough. In the midst of stressful times they were encouraged to protect their mental health.
Are you? pic.twitter.com/uNaot54TIK
“Athletes are humans. But 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. Perhaps we should give athletes the right to take a mental break from media scrutiny on a rare occasion without being subject to strict sanctions.”
Fans can keep up with Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka on social media. Fans can read Naomi Osaka’s essay here.
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