Simone Biles is TIME Magazine's Athlete of the Year
Originally, we were not going to touch this story with a ten-foot pole, but then figured it was at least worth sharing in a generic fashion.
TIME Magazine named Simone Biles their “Athlete of the Year,” which is garnering a lot of discussion on social media. A lot of passionate discussion, to put it lightly.
Biles, as you know, pulled herself out of several Olympic events because she didn’t feel like she was mentally or physically in a good spot. She did return for the final event, but the overall reaction was sharply divided, with some commending her and others labeling her a quitter.
Here’s what authors Alice Park and Sean Gregory wrote at TIME, in part:
“If 2020 showcased the power of athletes as activists after the murder of George Floyd, this year demonstrated how athletes are uniquely positioned to propel mental health to the forefront of a broader cultural conversation. While a few sports stars have opened up about mental health—Michael Phelps, for instance, has been candid about his post-Olympic depression—in 2021, the discussion became more wide-reaching and sustained. After withdrawing from the French Open in May to prioritize her well-being, citing anxiety, Naomi Osaka wrote in a TIME cover essay, “It’s O.K. not to be O.K.” Biles, by dint of her status at one of the world’s most watched events, raised the volume. “I do believe everything happens for a reason, and there was a purpose,” she tells TIME in an interview nearly four months later. “Not only did I get to use my voice, but it was validated as well.”
While supporters lauded Biles, critics lambasted her for “quitting.” But what Biles did transcended the chatter: she fought the stigma that has long silenced athletes, and shrugged off the naysayers who belittled her decision. “If I were going to quit, I had other opportunities to quit,” she says. “There is so much I’ve gone through in this sport, and I should have quit over all that—not at the Olympics. It makes no sense.”
A month after the Games, Biles put her vulnerability on display once again. Along with three other of the hundreds of other athletes who had been sexually abused by former team doctor Larry Nassar, Biles gave emotional testimony before the Senate about the failures of institutions like the FBI, USA Gymnastics (USAG) and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) to stop him.”
Commenting on this one way or another feels like a voluntary trudge through a minefield. Like willfully wading into a toxic quagmire. I guess we can just say that it’s TIME Magazine’s award, with arbitrary criteria, and so they decided that what Biles’ did to spark discussion outside of the gym held significant and serious value (spoiler: that’s 100% true). Others will craft arguments saying that the Athlete of the Year should be someone who actually competed instead of removing herself from those Olympic events. They’ll argue against “wokeness” and things like that.
To each their own.