Simone Biles: "I’m not saying that people line up like I’m Taylor Swift, but I still get a lot of attention"

Seven-time Olympic medalist Simone Biles recently shared her views on handling the fame she gained in the initial years of her gymnastics career. The 26-year-old stated that while her fame cannot be compared to someone like Taylor Swift, it's still somewhat difficult to handle at times.

Biles rose to immense fame during the 2013 World Championship in Antwerp. At the age of 16, she became the first African-American gymnast to win the all-around title at the international championship. Biles’ popularity continued to soar when she won four gold medals at the 2016 Olympic Games.

The American sports star built her fame like no other athlete. Fans and media always followed her, wanting to know more about the decorated gymnast.

Biles at Day Seven of 2023 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships

Looking back at her initial years and how she handled her new-found fame, Simone Biles told Vanity Fair in a recent interview:

“I think everyone wants to be famous, and then when it happens, you almost hit a wall and you have an identity crisis. You’re like, 'Am I made out for this? Why did I wish for this?'”

More than Biles, it was her parents who found it difficult to handle their daughter’s fame. She revealed that they wanted to protect their daughter from fans, reporters, and photographers. However, the situation was out of their hands.

Simone Biles also said in the interview:

"I’m not saying that [people] scream and line up like I’m Taylor Swift, [but] I still get a lot of attention. When five people come up to me and they’re rushing for a photo, I just get a little flustered. My anxiety kicks in."

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Simone Biles experienced a mental breakdown during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Simone Biles at 2020 Tokyo Olymoics

After bagging four gold medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Simone Biles carried high expectations from her team and fans at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, held in 2021.

However, during the Games in Tokyo, the gymnast experienced ‘twisties'. The condition is described as a mental block that gymnasts face while they are in the air performing a twisting skill.

It was after this incident that Biles decided to take a break from gymnastics to prioritize her deteriorating mental health.

Moreover, during an interview with NBC Olympics, she revealed that the extreme pressure to perform at the Olympics stressed her out.

"[Being the face of the Games] really didn't affect me. It was just what I wanted to accomplish and what I wanted to do, and how everybody was like, 'You're the glue to the team', and that really stressed me out because I never thought of it that way," Biles explained.

She also added:

"But then whenever it's being shoved down your throat, it's just like, 'So then if I have a bad practice, then the girls are off.' It's just hard."