"Before everybody defined success for me"- When Simone Biles opened up about the change in her mindset after massive accomplishment in the sport 

Simone Biles once opened up about the change in her mindset after being a gymnast for over a decade and accomplishing massive milestones in the sport. The American gymnast shared that early on in her career, even when she had her own definition of what success would look like, her accomplishments were defined by everyone else.

Biles emerged as one of the greatest gymnasts in history after her incredible performances on the mat, which included 30 World Championship medals and 11 Olympic medals. Along with her victorious pursuits on the mat, Simone Biles had gone through multiple struggles in her career, which included several injuries as well as mental health concerns; however, the most decorated gymnast emerged stronger after every setback.

She spoke about success in an interview with Olympics.com in 2023 and shared that over a while, her definition of success had transformed. After having a mindset of winning every time, Simone Biles shared that now, showing up at every moment and enjoying herself without worrying about the result is what success means to her.

"Yeah, I think just showing up and whatever happens, happens. But I think what success means to me is a little bit different than before, because before, everybody defined success for me, even if I had my own narrative that I wanted," she said.

Simone Biles shared that it is important to put forward her best effort and let the result take its course.

"So now it's just like showing up, being in a good head place, having fun out there, and whatever happens, happens, you know? So, yeah," she added.

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Simone Biles opens up about dealing with struggles in her career

Simone Biles at the The Today Show Gallery of Olympians - Source: Getty

Simone Biles concluded her Rio Olympics campaign with five medals and shared that she took some time off from gymnastics and enjoy the offseason. However, the American athlete shared that there was a complete shift after her next Olympic appearance in Tokyo.

Biles withdrew from the quadrennial games in Tokyo before the team finals due to mental health concerns and shared that it was depressing for her, and she decided to seek therapy as well as become vocal about her struggles. The American athlete shared that speaking about her struggles helped her to empower many people by letting them know that they were not alone.

“When I took a break after 2016, I had the time of my life. I was doing anything and everything. But after 2020, it was kind of depressing until I started therapy and got help. I felt like a failure. Even though I was empowering so many people and speaking out about mental health, every time I talked about my experience in Tokyo—because it obviously didn’t go the way that I had planned—it stung a little bit.," she said.

All in all, Biles expressed that being vocal was the best decision, as it helped her to create an impact away from the mat as well.