Take care Simone

Imagine taking up a sport that you love and finding out that you are good at it. So good that others see your potential too. And those others convinced you and your parents to let you train hard at it. So hard that it had physiological effects on you, some of which you accepted, some of which you had to have preventative and corrective maintenance provided by health professionals.

Imagine if some or even just one of those health professionals sexually assaulted you. Imagine if only you knew while you were becoming the best ever in your sport. Imagine if all of a sudden the world knew after you became the GOAT. Imagine talking publicly about it. Testifying about it. Imagine trying to maintain your GOAT status at the same time.

Imagine if the governing body in your sport tried to outlaw your literal and figurative every move in a ham fisted way of letting your opponents catch up. Imagine them doing this while simultaneously celebrating you.

Imagine a global pandemic that limits your access to everything. Imagine still training and competing throughout. Imagine going to a should’ve been cancelled Olympics in deserted stadiums in the most antiseptic yet contagious of environments. Imagine feeling a nation’s pressure to win despite your nagging injuries.

Imagine doing the most powerful thing you’ve ever done and saying “No” to it all.

Imagine putting yourself first. #SimoneBiles