Simone Biles

               My hero is Simone Biles. Until the age of three, Biles was in foster care. Then she got adopted by her grandparents and spent the rest of her childhood with them. Her mom was a drug and alcohol abuser and couldn’t take care of her. Throughout her life, she struggled with mental health due to the trauma she faced as a little girl. Biles has won multiple awards in the Olympics, but during the Tokyo Olympics she decided to drop out and focus on her mental health. She withdrew during the team final, the all-around final, and individual events of vault, uneven bars, and floor exercise. Biles says she has many ways to help treat her mental struggles, including therapy and taking walks outside. Biles responded to the injustice of being criticized for putting her mental health first as a professional athlete. She chose to take the bigger route and choose her well-being over her sport. This is very inspiring for younger athletes like me because it taught me that it is okay to choose myself no matter the expectations that are put on you.