Connect with us

CELEBRITIES

“It broke my heart…nobody is perfect” – When Michael Phelps opened up about Simone Biles’ withdrawal from Tokyo Olympics due to…see more

Published

on

 

Following Simone Biles’ withdrawal from the Tokyo Olympics due to twisties, Michael Phelps related to the gymnast’s mental health struggles and claimed it broke his heart. The 23-time gold medalist is a firm advocate of mental health.

 

 

Phelps and Biles competed together at the 2016 Rio Olympics. While the former served as flag bearer for Team USA during the opening ceremony, the latter held the honor during the closing ceremony.

The swimmer bagged five medals at the Games and retired afterward while Biles took home four gold medals in her debut Olympics before vying for more in Tokyo five years later. However, while performing a vault routine during the team finals, she lost her balance in the air and nearly fell.

It turned out that the American gymnast was suffering from twisties, a mental health condition where gymnasts lose idea of their position in the air. While Biles withdrew from the team finals, her withdrawal sparked a conversation over the importance of taking care of athletes’ mental health. Phelps related to Biles’ struggles and said it broke his heart.

“It broke my heart but also, if you look at it, mental health over the last 18 months is something a lot of people are talking about,” he said in an interview with NBC in October 2021

He further encouraged Biles’ call for help and emphasized that she was also a human being.

“We’re human beings. Nobody is perfect. It’s okay to not be okay, to go through ups and downs. The biggest thing is we all need to ask for help. I can say personally it was very challenging. It was hard for me to ask for help. I felt like I was carrying, as Simone said, the weight of the world on my shoulders. It’s a tough situation,” Michael Phelps added.

The 28-time Olympic medalist also hoped the gymnast’s withdrawal would serve as a wake-up call for the world.

“I hope this is an eye-opening experience, an opportunity for us to jump on board and blow this mental health thing even more wide open. It is so much bigger than we could ever imagine.”
Simone Biles did make a comeback later and won a bronze medal in the balance beam finals. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she bagged four medals, three gold and one silver.

Following his retirement from the sport after the 2012 London Olympics, Michael Phelps struggled with depression and was contemplating suicide at one point in 2014. Opening up about his struggles later in an interview with the Today show in 2018, he claimed he didn’t leave his room for several days.

“I was so down on myself. I didn’t have any self-love and quite honestly, I just didn’t want to be alive. It was a really, really, really crazy time for me and I didn’t want to see anybody, because for me, I saw myself as letting so many people down and me, myself in particular, and that’s hard to carry,” he said.

“And I think over those three or four days, where I didn’t want to leave my room, I didn’t want to talk to anybody, I finally realized that I can ask for help and it’s OK to not be OK and for me, that’s what changed my life,” Michael Phelps added.

Phelps made a comeback later at the 2016 Rio Olympics, winning six medals including five golds to put curtains on the greatest Olympic career of all time.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

NFL14 hours ago

Donna Kelce drops massive Travis and Taylor Swift baby hint on social media

NEWS18 hours ago

THIS JUST HAPPENED: Karoline Leavitt KICKED OFF Jimmy Kimmel Live! After EXPLPOSING Shocking Secrets That Could DESTROY Jimmy Kimmel’s Career! In an unbelievable live TV moment, Karoline Leavitt was abruptly kicked off Jimmy Kimmel Live! after dropping explosive secrets that could ruin Kimmel’s career. What began as a typical interview quickly turned into pure chaos when Leavitt, unflinching and fearless, exposed hidden truths that caught everyone off guard. The tension in the… Detail 👇

ROYAL FAMILY19 hours ago

“We are deeply saddened to announce…” King Charles choked up with tears as he announced that another royal family member has been diagnosed with the same illness as him. Upon hearing the news, the British people surprisingly “applauded” because… See more below 👇👇👇

ROYAL FAMILY1 day ago

5 MINS AGO! Princess Kate Makes HUGE Announcement! She FINALLY Revealed Her Kind Of Cancer. The entire nation of England erupted in joyous applause… See more below 👇👇👇

ROYAL FAMILY2 days ago

Royal Tragedy! William breaks down in tears as he announces that his brother Harry has been urgently hospitalized in the US and has been diagnosed with the royal family’s genetic condition, which is…” See more below 👇👇👇

ROYAL FAMILY2 days ago

SAD! Prince George and his two younger siblings share a “sad message” about their mother, Kate Middleton: “I thought mom had recovered, but the doctor just informed us that she has…” See more below 👇👇👇

NFL2 days ago

Travis Kelce reveals the reason why he chose not to retire following the Chiefs’ Super Bowl heartbreak

NEWS2 days ago

Jennifer Lopez’s Engagement Is Official—But Who Is the Lucky Man? JLo’s Engagement Is Official—Wait Until You See Who She’s Tied the Knot With!”

NEWS3 days ago

BELIEVE IT: Elon Musk suddenly wants to adopt one of Patrick Mahomes’ children and will raise the child with special privileges that no… 𝓕𝓾𝓵𝓵 𝓢𝓽𝓸𝓻𝔂 𝐂ʜᴇcƙ 👇

ROYAL FAMILY3 days ago

“Pope Francis’ last words before his passing will make you cry — the whole world was in tears: ‘I am deeply sorry for…'” See more below 👇👇👇

ROYAL FAMILY3 days ago

Breaking News: William Publicly Reveals Evidence of Diana’s Accident That Broke the Heart of the Entire Nation: “The Police Found Diana’s Pearl Under the Pillow of…” See more below 👇👇👇

ROYAL FAMILY4 days ago

Pray for Kate! William bowed his head and revealed the name of the ‘type of cancer’ Kate is suffering from: ‘I apologize for keeping this secret, it is…'” See more below 👇👇👇

Copyright © 2024 UKtalkin