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“I am human. It’s good for other people to see me mess up and that I’m not perfect. Because I’m not.”
Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history
Someone suggested I watch a new streaming docu-series that I’d normally not watch.
’Simone Biles Rising’ documents the comeback story for the decorated gymnast, Simone Biles, widely regarded as the greatest of all time.
I don’t have any interest in gymnastics and didn’t know much about Biles before watching the 2 episodes (now available on a streaming platform beginning with N…), other than she had dramatically dropped out of the Tokyo games citing mental health issues.
At the time many people railed in with opinions that at her level, she needed to be mentally tougher and push through. The documentary shares Biles’ perspective as to what was going on in her world at the time and in the wider environment of women’s gymnastics around her.
She reckons with the overwhelming shame she experienced over dropping out of the 2020 Olympics, and the pedestal society has placed her on despite all her requests to be treated as the fallible human being she is.
I was surprised by how much I took from it and I think it does a great job of humanising this elite performer while at the same time shining a spotlight on what a healthy and unhealthy high performance environment looks like.
On the outside looking in, you’d think she has it all.
Fame, wealth, adoring fans and an incredible haul of gold medals. Why would you have mental health issues? But there is always more going on behind the curtains of someone’s life and especially that of high performers.
The series also shows that what matters most is what’s going on inside you.
You can be winning gold medals despite not feeling right. But if there are problems there, no matter how much you push them away, they will eventually surface. The series goes a great job of showing this through a very honest lens. It also highlights the ‘Money & Medals’ culture above all else, of the US gymnastic organisation.
Athletes were deliberately pushed to breaking point – mentally and physically. Rest was seen as weakness. There was all round negligence in athlete care, which culminated with the former team doctor to the US Olympic team being sent to prison in 2021 for sexually abusing many of the gymnasts, including Biles. Responsible people turned a blind-eye all in the pursuit of success.
As a long-time advocate for mental health being at the centre of holistic high performance, this series does a brilliant job at expanding the conversation around what mental health really is, and also what it’s really like to live with being the best in the world at something.
As the documentary shows, you can be the best of the best and still be wayyyyy off. And the cause for that is usually inner. Business leaders in particular should watch this show because there are definite parallels in organisations.
Biles’s story is a powerful reminder that true strength lies not just in prowess what what you do, but in the ability to recognise when you need to step back and take care of your inner world.
This week, I encourage you to reflect on your own mental health, in the broadest sense of the phrase:
Taking care of your mental health is not a sign of weakness, but a crucial component of true high performance and lasting success.
Best,
Shane
The Inner Edge Podcast – The Two Most Recent Episodes:
Ep 189: Engaged Vs. Involved
Ep 188: Living With Authenticity, Nurturing Your Soul & Lighting Up Your Spirit – A Conversation With Susan Taylor (Longer form interview)
Listen on my website here or on all major podcasting platforms.
Up Your Game: Have you checked out my online academy? It has a range of products that will help you raise your game in all areas. More details here.
