'People just need to be heard:' Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka on mental health in 2021 and beyond
Ask anyone when the year began which athletes would command the spotlight, in their sport and beyond, and Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka likely would have topped that list.
Biles, widely acknowledged as the greatest gymnast the sport has seen, was expected to leave the Tokyo Olympics with another haul of gold. Osaka’s title at the Australian Open in February was her fourth in nine Grand Slams, the kind of dominance usually associated with Serena Williams.
As the year ends, Biles and Osaka did indeed dominate the sports world. Not, however, in a way anyone could have predicted.
By stepping back at pivotal points in their sports to prioritize their mental health, Biles and Osaka forced us all to have much-needed conversations about anxiety, depression and the wide-ranging effects they have. The impact was, is and will continue to be transformative.
Reached by Paste BN Sports, both reflected on the past year and what they will take from it going forward.
“It was so different than what I was expecting, so I’m happy with the response,” Biles said in an email. “But I was truly shocked to see how many people have to suffer in silence. It’s sad.”
Other athletes, including Michael Phelps and Kevin Love, had tried previously to draw attention to the need to prioritize mental health by sharing their experiences. But it wasn’t until Osaka and Biles said they would not compete – could not compete – that there was a much-needed shift in the way mental health issues are viewed and addressed.
Osaka pulled out of both the French Open and Wimbledon, saying she had been struggling with depression and anxiety since 2018. Biles withdrew in the middle of the team competition at the Tokyo Olympics after rising anxiety manifested itself in “the twisties,” causing her to lose her sense of where she was in the air. She would miss four individual event finals – all-around, vault, floor and uneven bars – before returning to win a bronze medal on balance beam.
Instead of containing their emotions as society had conditioned them to, Biles and Osaka made it OK to not be OK.
“It was relatable,” Biles said. “People mainly suffer in silence, but to see a sports figure do something like that, they felt heard.”
Biles and Osaka taught us all about the importance of mental health, but they also learned quite a bit their experiences.
"This year taught me how to be more compassionate for others and to realize that everyone is going through something in their lives," Osaka said through her PR team. "It also taught me that, sometimes, it’s OK to pause when everything around you is moving so fast, in order to take care of our own well-being.
"You have become a role model for a lot of people. Is it difficult when people share their own stories with you? How do you protect yourself from being overwhelmed by that when you’re still navigating your own challenges?"
Osaka also discovered how speaking about her own struggles can also help others and that in turn lifts her spirits.
"People sharing their own stories with me is a privilege," she said. "If I’ve affected even just one life and helped just one person, then that makes me happy."
So what is one piece of advice that Biles will try to keep in mind in 2022?
"Sometimes people just need to be heard," she said. "Just listening is helping them in a way you may not think. Everyone’s journey is unique and that’s very important to keep that in mind.