Rising

The Olympics recently ended, and there were many amazing performances.  One of the things that inspired me the most was Simone Biles comeback from the “twisties” that derailed her in Tokyo in 2021.  Because of the sudden onset of difficulty with spatial awareness she experienced then, she only won one medal instead of the four or five that were expected.  She has since spoken openly about her experience, and how she needed to address her own history of trauma in order to be able to perform at the highest level again.

I think there are lessons for many of us in how she responded.  When faced with obstacles that may be manifestations of our own internal issues it is often easiest to turn away or to blame factors outside our control.  Rather than do this, Simone undertook difficult inner work, seeking to better understand the factors leading her to be unable to perform.  She engaged a therapist for help and guidance, and has stated that she doesn’t feel she could have returned to high level competition without doing this.

Sometimes it is in our mindfulness practice when we become aware that something is amiss, and it is important to understand that this can happen.  In Simone Biles’ case, it happened dramatically in front of a world-wide audience.  At the other end of the spectrum, it can also happen while we are meditating, when we can notice what is coming up while we sit quietly.  Often there may be nothing in particular, and we find we can quiet the mind and feel calm and present.  At other times, we may experience recurrent thoughts, emotions or bodily sensations that call our attention.  Even when we acknowledge them and let them go, they return, over and over.  When this happens, it can be a signal that there are issues that we need to deal with, and it may be useful to get help to process them.  This might be by taking a mindfulness course with a skilled teacher who can provide guidance, or by seeking the help of a therapist, or perhaps both.

In the Netflix documentary Simone Biles Rising, Simone states: “I never thought I would be competing again after Tokyo.  There were such loud voices in my head” and “I was in jail with my own brain and body.”  One of the main causal factors she identified was the trauma she had endured under the care of long-time gymnastics national team doctor Larry Nassar who has been convicted of multiple counts of sexual abuse.  As Simone says “The scars of this horrific abuse continue to live with all of us.  As the lone competitor in the recent Tokyo Games who was a survivor of this horror, I can assure you that the impacts of this man’s abuse are not ever over or forgotten.” She also noted that “I did not get the proper care before because I just thought I was ok. But your mind and your body are the first ones to say ‘Actually, no.’”  So she sought help from a therapist, who she says told her “You can only shove that stuff down for so long” and she largely stayed away from gymnastics for 18 months.  Then she slowly returned to competition, and even before this year’s Olympics, stated “I get to write my own ending” which she did, winning another four medals in Paris.

Simone has a tattoo related to her commitment that states “And still I rise” which is in reference to the Maya Angelou poem and, through hard internal work founded in what I think is remarkable courage and self awareness, she has been able to continue to rise.  As her husband, Jonathan Owens (who is a professional football player) says in the Netflix series “You grow through what you go through.”  That is a lesson that is also at the heart of mindfulness practice.  Difficult issues may come up as we spend time in silence with ourselves, perhaps related to trauma we have experienced.  Rather than turn away, we can, often with help, find our way through just as Simone Biles has, as hard as that might be.