By Ryan Sanders, Founder of EII, and Lexi Wetmore, Marketing Coordinator for EII
In a previous blog, we discussed “The Science of Bouncing Back”, and the research behind resilience. People who were able to thrive in the aftermath of adversity belonged in at least one of three clusters of protective factors:
A story that has displayed true resiliency after these Olympic Games comes from Simone Biles and her historic withdrawal from the competition.
Her story starts from a very young age–and continued as she was dealt a hard hand of adversity throughout her early years. Biles’ biological mother struggled with drug and alcohol problems, leaving Simone and her siblings in foster care. At age six, Biles’ grandparents adopted Simone and her sister Adria.
After a daycare trip to a gymnastics class, coaches quickly spotted the talent Simone possessed. She began classes at the gym, and her life started to turn for the better. Her ability to overcome the odds of her childhood environment came into play from these three clusters of protective factors that she was finally able to access.
Despite hardships during childhood, all three of these protective factors helped develop a resiliency within Simone that carried her all the way through to the Olympic Games.
The 2021 Olympic Story
Simone Biles was one of the most anticipated stars to arrive at the Tokyo Olympics. She was looking to win five Olympic gold medals and was widely considered the greatest gymnast of all time with a total of 31 Olympic and World Championship medals.
As the competition was underway, Biles displayed some uncharacteristic performances. Big steps out of bounds and wobbles are not what fans expect to see from Simone, especially in a sport with such a small margin for error. During the team finals, Biles had a huge misstep on the vault, failing to complete the skill she had intended on doing. She literally got lost in the air… she was supposed to complete 2.5 twists and only made it to 1.5 twists, struggling to land.
Biles was clearly not feeling right. She made the controversial decision to withdraw from the rest of the competition, as she did not want to cost her team a medal. Biles said in an interview following the competition, “After the performance I did, I just didn’t want to go on. I have to focus on my mental health. I just think mental health is more prevalent in sports right now… we have to protect our minds and bodies and not just go out and do what the world wants us to do.”
This came as a shock to fans around the world. No one anticipated this outcome for her second Olympic debut. On one hand, she received an outpouring of support on social media from many celebrities like Michael Phelps, Michelle Obama, and Justin Bieber. On the other hand, Joan Niesen, in The Guardian, reported many majority right-leaning media platforms and social media comments viewed Biles’ decision as her selfishly quitting in the face of adversity.
However, many of those who were quick to judge Biles’ decision missed important context. Neisen said it well, “Biles is a black
woman in a country facing a racial reckoning, where her gender still battles for equality in every arena of public life.” Her position as a survivor and leading voice of abuse from the disgraced team doctor, Larry Nassar, likely also contributed to Biles’ mental state.
Enter: The Twisties
For those outside the gymnastics world, it’s important to understand just how concerning Biles’ mistake during the team competition was. This was not just a small-step error due to high nerves or a matter of “not wanting to go on.”
It’s called “The Twisties”. Jamie Shapiro, PhD, a certified mental performance coach, describes the twisties as a disconnect between the brain and body. She explains that when the twisties occur, “the body knows what to do, and motor programs are stored in the brain, but the brain is having trouble accessing those motor programs.” Additionally, sports psychologist Allie Wagener, PhD, describes how when you become disoriented in the air, “it can be terrifying, because if you don’t know where you are in the air, you don’t know how to land, and that’s what can be pretty dangerous for injuries.”
At the level of skill Biles competes at, losing herself in the air by over or under twisting could be career-ending. Many elite gymnasts spoke out on the twisties, including Aleah Finnegan. She stated, “You can’t control yourself and what your body is going to do next, therefore literally risking your life.” Former Olympian, Nastia Liukin, also commented during the competition how impressive it was that Biles even landed her vault. Someone else in that position likely would have severely hurt themselves.
Stoicism vs. Resiliency
We have seen that Biles’ withdrawal from the team competition created a divide in opinion among fans. Many without an understanding of her life story or the sport itself were quick to portray her choice as “quitting” the competition. Believing she had poor mental toughness for someone who is supposed to be “the greatest gymnast of all time,” Biles’ critics said she should be able to push through it. Others inspired by her story and struggles saw her decision as resilience, bravery, and strength to safeguard her wellbeing.
With a developed understanding of what mental resilience is, we can see how her decision to step back displays true self-awareness, resiliency, and courage for the overall success of Team USA. Mental resilience is the ability to mentally cope with a crisis by using mental processes and behaviors to protect yourself from the potential negative effects of stressors. Biles had a strong sense of self-awareness and quickly realized what she needed to do after her first vault.
She knew her mistakes could cost her team a medal,
and that they were all strong enough to finish the competition without her.
A strong leader understands their team, and with every team comes both free-riders and workhorses. Going into these Olympic Games, USA Gymnastics took Simone Biles for granted as their workhorse–assuming she alone would put them on top of the podium. The organization put the rest of the team of extremely talented girls on the backburner as free-riders.
Biles, however, understood the strength of her team and their ability to succeed without her. For the first time, she stepped back and was a free-rider while her teammates worked to carry out the competition with stuck routines and a silver medal win.
Leaders, such as Simone Biles, equipped with the skills of strong mental resilience are able to stay tough and make Olympic medal-worthy decisions!
In taking the time to care for her mental health, Biles was able to bounce back on the last day of competition. In an interview, Biles said, “Put mental health first, because if you don’t, then you’re not going to enjoy your sport and you’re not going to succeed as much as you want to. So it’s okay sometimes to even sit out the big competition to focus on yourself, because it shows how strong of a competitor you really are, rather than just battle through it.”
Biles did just that in working with a sports psychologist and vigorously training on beam (an event she doesn’t twist on) with her coach outside of the Olympic Village. She stepped back onto the floor on the last day of the competition… not expecting to medal, but to just go out there for herself.
With a stuck routine she still made it to the podium by winning a bronze medal on the balance beam, becoming one of the most decorated American gymnasts ever.
Athletics has a long history of stoicism… pushing their bodies beyond breaking points. Kerri Strug is just one example, performing at the 1996 Olympics to win Team USA their first gold medal in women’s gymnastics. She performed her iconic second vault on an injured ankle, nailing the landing on one foot, before collapsing in pain.
Fans around the world admired her perseverance. However, NBC Sports contributor Holley Ford brings reality to that illusion. “…many fellow gymnasts who endured the rigors of coaches Bela and Marta Karolyi’s ranch believed Strug was conditioned to push through her pain under an abusive environment where girls were afraid to challenge authority.”
Was the risk worth it? The Karolyis and USA Gymnastics endorsed a “win at all costs culture” in the sport. Gymnasts endured verbal and emotional abuse, and were forced to train on injuries and broken bones. Out of the Larry Nassar scandal came an overhaul of leadership away from the toxic culture that was once believed to create top gymnasts for three decades.
This welcome change has given athletes like Biles a voice that many Olympians of the sport never had. Kerri Strug related to the pressure put on Biles and showed her support on Twitter. So did Strug’s teammate Dominique Moceanu, a member of the ‘96 “Magnificent Seven.” Moceanu described her tibial stress fracture that was left unexamined: “I competed in the Olympic floor final minutes later. Simone Biles’s decision demonstrates that we have a say in our own health… A say I never felt I had as an Olympian.”
Resilience as a Leadership Skill
Simone Biles taught us ALL (even former Olympic gold medalists) a lesson about mental resilience. Biles has created a lastinglegacy of what resilience truly is. Resilience is not about how tough you are at pushing through at all costs. Resiliency is the ability to persevere and even recognize when a step back is needed in a way that helps the team collectively thrive. Even on the world’s biggest stage, Biles prioritized mental health to help her team win an Olympic medal.
At EII Consulting, we believe that mental resilience is a foundational leadership skill. Just as we all have learned from Simone Biles, we can help you develop the mental skills you need for your organization.
If you’re interested in setting up a consultation, contact us.
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