Simone Biles, currently the most prominent name in gymnastics, tends to avoid dining with her friends and competitors in the Olympic Village.
Biles stands as the most decorated US Olympic gymnast and is tied for the second most-decorated female US Olympic athlete.
At the Paris Olympics, she clinched gold medals in the vault, all-around, and team gymnastics events, bringing her total to seven gold medals, one silver, and two bronze.
With such impressive achievements, you might assume she’d be eager to celebrate with her fellow athletes at the Olympic Village.
However, Biles revealed in a TikTok video before the Olympic all-around final that she usually prefers to eat alone in the cafeteria.
In the video, the 27-year-old gymnast offered her fans a glimpse into her mindset and emotions:
Despite her remarkable success, Biles confessed to feeling ‘really nervous’ about the upcoming gymnastics all-around final. Nevertheless, her nerves didn’t hinder her as she went on to win gold in the event.
Besides discussing her nervousness, Biles mentioned feeling overwhelmed in the cafeteria due to numerous people approaching her for photos.
She recounted an experience that exacerbated her anxiety.
In the video, she said: “I have not done much around the Olympic village. It is because the first day we got here I got to the cafeteria and a lot of people were asking me for photos, non stop.
“Whenever I got sat down to eat my anxiety was so bad I was shaking and I couldn’t stop shaking. I was so overwhelmed.
“So for a little while I went to the cafeteria to meet my friend yesterday but before that I haven’t gone back to the cafeteria in five days.
“I just go to the store, stock up on food and just stay here, because it gets me so anxious.”
On her social media pages, Biles has also been candid about the importance of mental health.
In an Instagram post on August 2, she shared a picture of herself meditating before an event with the caption ‘mental health matters.’
Her fans praised Biles for spreading the message and thanked her for highlighting the significance of mental preparation, not just in sports but in everyday life.
