“IT took a lot mentally and physically to just trust my gymnastics again,” Simone Biles said in a pre-Olympics interview.
Then, last Tuesday, she led the US gymnastics team to a second gold medal. Two days later, the 27-year-old gymnastics star also won her 6th Olympic gold in the individual all-around segment.
She has overcome the criticism of many who poured scorn on her for dropping out of the Tokyo Olympics and, with no flashbacks to that time, she nailed the vault which caused her such trouble back then.
Biles confessed to being relieved after completing the vault which opened the team finals. “I was like, ‘Phew!’…because I did feel a lot of relief,” she told writer, Scott Bregman.

From that point on she did not look back, but continued to display the high quality of gymnastics for which she has become renowned.
Already hailed as the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) and the most decorated gymnast in history, she is now dubbed the greatest US gymnast of all time, having surpassed the medal count of Shannon Miller, the previous leader in the sport.

This phenomenal athlete took two years away from gymnastics to prioritise her mental health. She still attends weekly therapy sessions and said she felt “calm and ready” after therapy at the start of her record-breaking day.
Her continuing list of achievements, from the time she resumed her career, is a testimony to her mental resilience and the efficacy of professional mental health counselling.
And while not all the stories coming out of this Olympics are of medals won, they all reflect the mental fortitude of these athletes, who are competing in the most prestigious sporting event in the world.

Mexican gymnast, Natalia Escalera, was lauded by all for pushing through the pain of a ruptured ligament in her foot to compete.
Said Fox Sports, “The extent of her bravery was made clear as she completed her routine when she broke down in tears of pain and needed a coach to carry her to a nearby chair.”
The 22-year-old later posted on social media, “I dreamed of (this) since I was 8, I made it a reality with all the love I have for my sport.”

Barbadian triathlete, Matthew Wright, fought back tears as he talked about the “mixed emotions” he felt at his performance in the triathlon, coming in 34th.
He described battling the current in the river Seine in the swimming segment and having problems with a back wheel during the cycling stage, yet he was the highest-placed Caribbean competitor in the event. Though he felt he should have been in the leading group, for these setbacks, he said, ” All in all. I’m proud of myself.”

There were many young first-timers, like Antiguan swimmer, Ellie Shaw, who said she was “scared” and found the experience “nerve-wracking.” She managed to overcome her fear and those nerves, earning third place in her 100 metre breaststroke heats.
Breaststroke is considered by many coaches and professionals as the most complex of all swimming techniques, requiring total focus and commitment.
Guyanese swimmer, 18-year-old Raekwon Noel shattered his national record in the men’s 400 metre freestyle, coming in second in his heat. His speed and grace in the water were a joy to watch and a signal of what he was yet to achieve.

While the journey for both of these athletes ended at the heats, they can be proud of what they accomplished and both said as much in post-performance interviews.
Appearing in her second Olympics, Guyanese table tennis star, Chelsea Edghill, also did not advance, losing in her opening match to Sarah Hanffou from Cameroon.
Edghill was, however, commended by Olympic coach, Anil Roberts on the programme, Oui Paris:Prime, for the way she handled her post-match interview.

Coach Roberts’ was enthused about her composure and the way she was able to speak fluently and positively following her defeat.
He made the point that, along with the physical and physiological preparation necessary for competing at this level, athletes must also be coached on how to respond to the media.
This took me back to tennis star Naomi Osaka’s refusal to deal with the press and the storm she created three years ago when she, like Simone Biles, cited mental health struggles as her reason for stepping back from the sport.

She later told Time magazine that she learned some “key lessons” during her time away from tennis, one being that “…literally everyone either suffers from issues related to mental health or knows someone who does.”
We, in the wider community, who watch these athletes from afar, not living their experiences, owe them our support, encouragement and understanding as they face the unrelenting pressure of international competition.