Elaine Loughlin: Simone Biles inspires a generation by taking the Olympics on her own terms

Gymnast's resilience and determination act as inspiration for our future female doctors, scientists, politicians, teachers, and journalists to go out there, push boundaries, and ultimately to change the world

Simone Biles after winning gold at the Paris Olympics on Thursday. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA

We've had Swiftie mania and brat summer, but 2024 should be dubbed the year of Simone Biles.

You don’t need Olympic ambitions to be captivated to obsessive levels by her terrifying ability. Her explosive Yurchenko-style vault, with two flips in a pike position, is one of five skills named after her which no other female athlete has attempted in competition.

Those with abilities and talents that transcend history don’t just excel in the world they occupy; they change it.

At just 4ft 8in, Biles has utterly transformed her chosen sport. But she has done so much more than that too.

Having dramatically dropped out of the Tokyo Games, suffering with what is termed the ‘twisties’, the 27-year-old American — who has had everyone from Martha Stewart to Serena Williams, Michael Phelps, Anna Wintour, Snoop Dogg, and Ariana Grande show up to watch her in Paris — is this time doing the Olympics on her own terms.

Simone Biles with her gold medal at the Women's All-Around final in Paris. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA

If this political nerd with absolutely no athletic ability sounds like a fan-girl, it’s because I am.

She is an inspiration not just to aspiring gymnasts, but to every single girl out there who has been knocked back, who has been told to limit their ambitions, or who has been expected to conform.

The magnitude of events happening around the world, from conflict and political tensions in the Middle East, to the war in Ukraine and climate change, means that the news agenda can feel oppressively negative.

Here, the cost-of-living crisis has put families under severe financial pressure; immigration has become a divisive topic; and homelessness remains a stain on our society.

However, from the moment Lady Gaga made her way down the steps along the River Seine, accompanied by a troupe of eight dancers carrying pink feather fans, all in custom Dior costumes, the Olympics has provided entertainment and escape.

The French certainly know how to put on a show, even in the rain.

From the moment Lady Gaga made her way down the steps along the River Seine, the Olympics has provided entertainment and escape. Picture: John Walton/PA

Our own athletes have given us much to be proud of. Just as a now grown-up generation remembers the images of Sonia O’Sullivan coming up the left lane to claim a silver medal at the Sydney Olympics, the balmy summer evening when Daniel Wiffen took gold in the pool in Paris will live long in the memories of today’s children.

Larne Swimming Club's Alex, Connor, and Evan are inspired by Daniel Wiffen's gold in Paris. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

His win came after Sligo swimmer Mona McSharry put in a stunning performance, claiming bronze in the 100m breaststroke.

Yesterday, rowers Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy make all kinds of history by retaining their Olympic title, which came hot on the heels of Philip Doyle and Daire Lynch winning bronze in the men’s double sculls A final.

Boxer Kellie Harrington is now guaranteed at least a bronze after her victory over Columbian Angie Paola Valdes Pana on Wednesday night.

Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy celebrate with fans in Paris. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

And there will be more, we hope, before these Games are out.

However, the big ticket at the Paris Games is for the women’s gymnastics, where Biles has been dazzling all week.

Already, she has claimed two gold medals, bringing her total across all her Olympic Games to six. Today, she is expected to add to that tally when she competes in the women’s vault final, where again she will show off skills that only she dares to try.

Despite her brilliance, competing in Paris was far from a certainty for her, as a new Netflix docuseries, which dropped right in time for the Games, reveals.

Biles in turmoil

We first meet Biles in turmoil. Going into the Tokyo Games she had been hyped up as a once-in-a-lifetime athlete guaranteed to secure yet more medals and break more records.

However, a severe mental block, referred to as the twisties, caused her to become disorientated, forgetting her sequences in mid-air and ultimately leading her to lose control of her own body.

“Most of the time I was just trying not to die,” Biles says in the documentary, which gives unparalleled access to the star.

Her decision to put her own physical and mental health first by pulling out of the Olympics as the world looked on was a brave one, but one which sparked relentless online abuse.

After reaching her lowest point in Tokyo, Biles was forced to confront her past, including the sexual abuse she was subjected to by former US team doctor Larry Nassar.

In September 2021, just two months after her withdrawal from Tokyo, Biles, along with fellow gymnasts and survivors, testified against Nassar.

Back to the gym

Cuddled up on a couch, she gives a frank account of her struggles, including the pressure to look a certain way, and about how therapy has ultimately helped her back to the gym, which she avoided for long periods after Tokyo.

In a particularly painful moment, she brings us into what she calls her “forbidden Olympic closet”, where her gear from Tokyo sits stacked on shelves.

She looks bereft when she picks up the leotard she had worn for that now-famous vault which went horribly wrong for her.

I used to just sit here and cry and cry and cry... ask God why this happened to me.

When she eventually did return to training, her approach was to “go all the way down to the basics and come back up”, starting with simple exercises on the trampoline to regain trust in her own body and mind.

There were long stints where Biles would stay away from the gym, before coming back sporadically.

Biles did not need to return, and she admits in the documentary that even she thought she would never compete again after the trauma of Tokyo.

However, her jaw-dropping performances at the Paris Games show young athletes what is achievable.

Her resilience, bravery, and determination also act as inspiration for our future female doctors, scientists, politicians, teachers, and journalists to go out there, push boundaries, and ultimately change the world.

Most importantly, she has shown the next generation that they can do it on their own terms.

As Biles puts it: “I feel very grateful I get to write my own ending.”