Simone Biles receives AP Female Athlete of the Year honor for third time

Legendary gymnast Simone Biles recently received the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year title. The prestigious award becomes even more special for Biles because she has become the fourth woman in the last 50 years to be named AP Female Athlete of the Year.

Simone Biles was named for honor this year for all the right reasons. The gymnast made her wonderful comeback this year after suffering from a two-year mental health break. She returned this year at the US Classic, winning three gold medals and a bronze medal.

Her resilience and hard work also got her to compete in the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships for the sixth time in her career. She continued to impress her fans by winning four gold medals and a silver medal.

Celebrating her impressive run this year, NBC Olympics shared the news of Biles being honored with the title:

“Simone Biles is the fourth woman in the last 50 years to be named Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year three times”

It also added snaps of Biles’s incredible performances at the world championship this year. Previously, she received the honor in 2016 and 2019.

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Simone Biles’s expressed fear about her mental health issues

Biles at Day Seven - 2023 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships

During the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Simone Biles stunned the world, not with her performance but with her courageous decision. While performing on the Olympic stage, the gymnast felt her body freeze. It made her realize that her mental health was not in the best state.

Therefore, she withdrew from the Olympics that year. Later on, Biles announced taking a mental health break for some time.

The 26-year-old experienced ‘twisties,’ a mental block that gymnasts face while performing. Biles knew that she was not in a great mental health space, hence, she took the decision.

In fact, during her interview with Today, she broke down while sharing what it was like to experience ‘twisties.’ She told:

"So, having these mental blocks in the gym recently, it’s not been fun, it’s been scary. I’m getting lost in my skills. I’m so prepared that I don’t know if I’m overthinking, but it’s getting to the point where it’s becoming dangerous," said an emotional Simone Biles.

She also added:

"And it’s like it could happen any other time, I don’t get why it happens at the Olympics."

Since 2021, Biles took two years to begin from where she left off. She made her powerful comeback in 2023. Now, she is also planning to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics.