I feel bad for Biles because I can’t help but think in the coming days and weeks ahead if she really looks back with regret on this. She did one vault and packed it in. Juxtapose that image with Kerri Strug thundering down the runway and sticking a landing on an ankle that would need surgery afterwards.
Years ago Sports Illustrated did a fantastic article on a high school that was devastated by the sudden unexpected death of a great athlete there. His best friend played on the basketball team and the first game after his death was playing terribly. He was an emotional wreck and took himself out of the game, went to the end of the bench, and started crying. Later in the game the coach looked down the bench and asked if he was ready to come back in. I’m paraphrasing here but the article he basically wiped his tears and found the resolve to do something he didn’t know if he could.
He stood up.
I remember reading that three word sentence and choking back my own tears. He returned to the game, played great, led his team back, and honored the memory of his friend.
Idk what Simone Biles is going through and I hope it’s nothing serious. I just can’t help but wonder if sometime in the future she wonders what might have happened if she had simply stood up.
