Simone Biles shares uncommon mental health update about herself and her dog

Simone Biles recently shared a mental health update about herself and her dog. The 27-year-old gymnast revealed on social media that they're both taking anxiety pills.

Biles posted on her Threads account:

"not me & my dog both on anxiety meds"

Post by @simonebiles

View on Threads

Biles and her struggles with mental health have been well documented. The Olympic champion has been vocal about her mental health, especially since her sudden withdrawal from most of the events at the Tokyo Olympics. The then 24-year-old gymnast had developed the 'twisties', which is a rare phenomenon where a gymnast is unable to perform their moves.

This was the reason why Biles had to withdraw from most of the events after the team all-around event. In an interview with NESN after the Paris Olympics, Biles mentioned:

"Just representing the United States, it's bittersweet because I never thought I would be back competing at the Olympic Games but everything that I have gone through and the story that I get to share with the audience and with the fans not just at an Olympic stage but on our touring stage as well....."

Biles was awarded the 'Sportsperson of the Year Award' by the Sports Illustrated Magazine in December 2024. She won four medals at the Paris Olympics, including three gold and a silver medal in the floor exercise event.

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Simone Biles on her mental health after the Tokyo Olympics

Simone Biles in action at the balance beam final of Tokyo Olympics 2020 [Image Source : Getty]

Simone Biles began advocating on the need to address mental health issues with the athletes soon after the Tokyo Olympics, where she managed to win only a silver medal in the team all-around and a bronze medal in the balance beam event.

The then 24-year-old gymnast opened up on this issue soon after the balance beam final. When asked about her mental health, she boldly replied:

"At the end of the day, we're not just entertainment, we're humans and there are things going on behind the scenes that we're also trying to juggle as well on top of sports."

When a journalist asked how she managed to win a bronze medal despite experiencing the 'twisties', Biles further mentioned:

"So, I had to be medically evaluated every day and then I had two sessions with a sports psychologist from team USA, but I've been training beam every day and we just, last minute, decided to go with the dismount which I have probably not done since I was 12 years old because I've always twisted off and done a full in since I was 13 or 14, but on the beam, that work is easy, I've always been able to do it."

Simone Biles was persuaded by her parents, as well as her coach Cecile Landi to not give up. Their efforts succeeded, and Biles bounced back in style to win four medals at the Paris Olympics, becoming the joint second most successful gymnast in the world alongside Vera Caslavska of Czechoslovakia, who also won a total of 11 Olympic medals.