Simone Biles addresses ‘traumas and downfalls’ after suffering the ‘twisties’ in Tokyo ahead of return to Olympic Games for Team USA.

July 17, 2024

Before Simone Biles can throw herself into the Olympics arena for a third time, she rewound to address her ‘traumas and downfalls’ as part of her upcoming Netflix documentary.

The four-part series entitled ‘Simone Biles Rising’ will have its first part, which includes two episodes, debut on Netflix on July 17. It will be the only part of the documentary to air before Biles competes in Paris.

Biles is arguably the greatest gymnast of all-time, with 37 combined Olympic and world championship medals. Now, she’s back on the global stage three years after suffering the ‘twisties’ in Tokyo.

Biles came under fire for pulling herself out of Olympic competition due to that ailment where you lose the ability to tell where you are in the air.

With Biles’ level of difficulty, competing while having the ‘twisties’ could lead to serious injury.

‘Before I got this tattoo, it was a saying that I loved — obviously, Maya Angelou — and I was like, “And still I rise is perfect” because I feel like that’s kind of the epitome of my career and my life story,’ Biles said of her ‘And still I rise’ tattoo under her left shoulder.

‘Because I always rise to the occasion and after all of the traumas and downfalls, I’ve always risen,’ Biles continued.

‘Whenever I first came back to gym, I had to start from the basics,’ Biles added. ‘Kind of like when kids come and ask me for advice, when they have a mental block or they’re scared, I’m like, “We’ll go all the way down to the basics and then build your way back up.”‘

‘Every comeback so to say that I’ve had, no matter what happens, I still come back, still try to do everything full force, full difficulty, like even after Tokyo. Come back, and I’m here, so, still I rise.’

Assuming Biles wins at least one medal in Paris, she’ll become the most-decorated American gymnast in Olympic Games history, a title many are shocked she does not already hold.