When Simone Biles withdrew from the USA Olympic Women’s Gymnastics Team and the individual all-around, the internet exploded with opinions.
Some saw weakness.
Others cried “failure.”
A few spoke as though Biles had betrayed her country.
But many, including CT writer Hannah Anderson, saw courage.
“Call it what it is: Simone Biles is an athlete competing under the combined effects of mental, emotional, sexual, and physical trauma,” writes Anderson. “That her mind-body connection chose this moment to misfire should not surprise anyone.
“But consummate athlete and mature woman that she is, Biles also understands the danger that a disoriented mind poses. Instead of pushing through, she had the courage to reject a culture that would win at any cost and say, ‘No more.’”
Both Anderson’s article and the latest episode of Quick to Listen center on Biles’ choice to withdraw. As you read and listen, remember: The world will clamor for you to perform time and again. May the shouts for productivity never drown out the whisper that testifies, you were made in the image of God.
