Biles: Mental health advocacy part of post-Olympic tour

The
American
gymnastics
star
has
no
regrets
about
her
decision
to
opt-out
of
five
of
the
six
finals
in
Tokyo
because
of
a
mental
block,
calling
it
a
small
price
to
pay
if
it
lets
others
realize
they
retain
the
right
to
say
“it’s
OK
not
to
be
OK”
no
matter
how
bright
the
spotlight.

“I
wouldn’t
change
anything
for
the
world,”
said
Biles,
who
left
Japan
with
a
silver
medal
from
the
team
competition
and
an
individual
bronze
on
balance
beam.
“I
gave
an
outlet
for
athletes
to
speak
up
about
their
mental
health
and
their
well-being
and
learn
that
you
can
put
yourself
(as
a
person)
first
before
the
athlete.”

It’s
a
message
that
will
be
part
of
the
post-Olympic
Gold
Over
America
Tour
Biles
is
headlining
this
fall.
The
35-city
exhibition,
which
kicks
off
in
Tucson,
Arizona,
on
Sept.
21,
will
incorporate
gymnastics
and
dance
elements
but
also
feature
a
segment
led
by
former
UCLA
gymnast
Katelyn
Ohashi
on
the
importance
of
taking
care
of
yourself
mentally.

“We
wanted
to
make
it
as
relatable
as
possible
and
let
these
kids
know
that
we’ve
been
going
through
these
things,”
Biles
said.
Biles
will
be
joined
on
Tour
by
Olympic
teammates
Jordan
Chiles
and
Grace
McCallum
as
well
as
MyKayla
Skinner
and
Jade
Carey.

Chiles
and
McCallum
earned
a
silver
in
the
team
competition
while
Skinner
won
silver
on
vault
and
Carey
earned
gold
on
floor
exercise.
Biles
qualified
for
the
finals
on
all
four
apparatuses
in
Japan
but
pulled
out
of
three
of
them
to
deal
with
“the
twisties,”
meaning
she
lost
her
air
awareness
and
didn’t
feel
it
was
safe
to
compete.

She
returned
to
capture
a
bronze
on
beam,
tying
her
with
Shannon
Miller
for
the
most
career
Olympic
medals
by
an
American
gymnast
(seven).
Asked
if
she
had
any
clarity
on
what
might
have
brought
on
“the
twisties,”
Biles
thinks
it
may
have
been
the
buildup
of
various
issues
she’s
faced
over
the
last
several
years.

“I
mean,
I’m
in
therapy.
I
go
to
therapy
pretty
religiously,”
she
said.
“And
it’s
just
something
that
took
hold
of
me
(where)
your
body
and
your
mind
tells
you
when
enough
is
enough.”

While
Biles’ decision
received
the
predictable
backlash
on
social
media,
she
called
the
support
she’s
received
since
returning
from
Japan
two
weeks
ago
overwhelming.

“It’s
been
so
supportive,
so
loving,
which
I
really
wasn’t
expecting,”
she
said,
calling
the
response
on
par
with
what
she
received
after
coming
back
from
the
2016
Olympics
with
four
gold
medals,
five
in
all.

It’s
one
of
the
reasons
why
Biles
is
excited
about
the
tour,
one
that
she
believes
will
differ
from
the
post-Olympic
tours
formerly
run
by
USA
Gymnastics.
Biles
signed
on
as
the
headliner
because
she
wanted
to
take
the
sport
in
a
different
direction.
She
pointed
out
the
tour
is
being
run
by
women
–
a
first
–
and
will
be
something
“unique.”

Also
unique?
The
ability
for
college-bound
athletes
like
Chiles,
Carey
and
McCallum
to
be
compensated
for
joining.
New
legislation
allowing
athletes
to
earn
money
for
their
name,
image
and
likeness
mean
all
three
incoming
freshmen
can
participate
in
the
tour
without
losing
their
college
eligibility.

Given
the
tight
tour’s
tight
schedule
–
it
wraps
up
in
Boston
in
early
November
–
neither
Chiles,
Carey
nor
McCallum
anticipate
it
getting
in
the
way
of
preparing
for
college
gymnastics
season
that
begins
in
January.

“I
never
thought
of
going
pro,
I
just
wanted
to
go
to
school,”
said
Chiles,
who
will
attend
UCLA.
“But
now
that
this
is
how
it
is,
I’ve
never
thought
of
redshirting
…
I
think
this
(tour)
is
a
great
experience.
…
We
have
to
be
relevant
and
stay
relevant.
We
have
to
make
sure
we’re
still
out
there
doing
what
made
us
who
we
are.”

Biles
also
extended
a
tour
invitation
to
Olympic
all-around
champion
Sunisa
Lee,
who
began
her
freshman
year
at
Auburn
last
week.
Biles
said
Lee
is
focused
on
starting
college
off
on
the
right
foot
but
is
hopeful
she
can
make
a
cameo
appearance
or
two,
perhaps
at
the
tour
stop
in
Minneapolis
–
Lee
is
from
the
St.
Paul
area
–
in
October.

The
tour
will
also
include
two-time
Olympic
medalist
Laurie
Hernandez,
2017
world
champion
Morgan
Hurd
and
2005
world
champion
and
2008
Olympic
silver
medalist
Chellsie
Memmel,
who
is
in
the
midst
of
a
comeback
in
her
early
30s.
While
Memmel,
a
married
mother
of
two,
is
still
competing,
the
tour
will
be
a
goodbye
to
the
sport
for
the
24-year-old
Skinner,
who
is
ready
to
start
a
family.
There
are
worse
ways
to
go
out.

“I’m
not
going
back
to
college
and
finishing
my
collegiate
career
as
a
gymnast
so
I
think
it’s
going
to
be
fun
to
be
able
to
finish
and
still
be
able
to
do
gym
for
a
little
bit
longer,” she
said.
“I’m
really
excited
for
it.”

(AP)