If someone had told me in 2020 that Simone Biles had the “twisties,” I would have assumed that she had come up with another new, previously thought impossible gymnastics skill. Or maybe the “twisties” were a bunch of Biles enthusiasts, like a Beyhive of sorts.
The world learned what the “twisties” were at the Tokyo Games in 2021 — a certain kind of mental block that a gymnast can experience as they are in the air during a twisting skill. We were used to Biles’ jaw-dropping performances in the vault, but not like this.
Her attempt and the commentators’ subsequently audible gasp are both triggering. In different ways, they are both pictures of professionals trying to contain themselves. What happens next is even more revelatory, as Biles goes to encourage her teammates, uplifting them in their expertise and ability.
It’s easy to attribute narratives to someone as brilliant as Biles. Olympic champion. American icon. Greatest of all time. They all felt deficient in that moment. Even the umbrella of “mental health” didn’t capture the fullness of her struggles.
With the ultimate respect to gymnastics, which requires intense practice and the actual skill of gods and goddesses, life itself remains the highest standard of competition for humans. The sport of gymnastics can convey one thing about life and mental health profoundly – it’s not just an individual sport, but a team sport as well.
“Lost in the air” – the uncertainty that Biles expressed because of the “twisties” – sounded like an analogy for mental health. I have no idea what it’s like to lose my sense of being in midair, but I do know what it’s like to snap out of a daydream behind the wheel of a vehicle. It’s scary and sobering.
Biles’ response, seen as radical by some, was to step away from gymnastics entirely for two years. It might not have been relatable to people who see life through the fragile repetition of paychecks, but it was no less refreshing. In a society where we often value production over humanity, saying “I don’t feel like myself today” carries a mighty weight. That stress is burdensome for a family caretaker or someone on an assembly line, let alone the greatest gymnast of all time.
Looking through the prism of mental health, Biles’ return to competition in August feels like only part of her story. But my goodness, what a chapter. She has not only asserted her dominance in the sport, but earlier this month, she became the most decorated gymnast in history, male or female.
