5 Things I Like About this Article on Simone Biles by Katie Baker
Between all of the basketball and the insanely creative opening ceremony, I’m more in on this year’s Olympics than I ever have been in the past. Thanks to Katie Baker’s article “Simone Biles Goes Too Big to Fail—or to Properly Fathom” on The Ringer, I went to another level.
Katie is an exceptional writer who impeccably weaves together big-picture thinking, detailed personal experience, a command of statistics, and emotional weight to tell compelling stories. I have always wanted to write more like her.
Simone Biles is, as her teammates have said, the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) of GOATS when it comes to gymnastics.
Here are 5 things I like about the article:
1. The overall conceit
The metaphor Katie uses to frame the article is based on a quote from researcher Elizabeth Toomarian in this NPR piece: “Our brains are evolutionarily very old, and we are pushing them to do things that we've only just recently conceptualized.” The point Katie is making is that yes, this quote is true for all of us living at this point in human history, and that in addition to being in the same boat as all of us when it comes to her brain, Simone Biles is also pushing to do physical gymnastics moves that until now were never thought possible, and that together this is greatness on a scale that can be tough to fathom.
I love this, and one of the reasons is because Kelly often says a very similar thing to boost self-confidence in the face of our modern world. Whether it’s navigating the infinite maze of text-message login security codes of online banking or, everybody’s favorite, dealing with the DMV, Kel says, “You know, I’m one of the first people in human history to do this, so it’s OK if I get it wrong or its hard for me."
It’s difficult for all of us out here. I think we’d all be better off realizing that, and cutting each other some slack more often.
2. It helped me put Simone’s greatness into perspective very quickly
I am not always an Olympics person, so please forgive me for being a little late to the party on this one. While I know that Simone Biles is great (you can easily tell by watching a few clips) I hadn’t fully grasped the magnitude of that greatness until this article. Katie has an eye on some compelling stats and stories that provided helpful context for me. Consider:
In the article there is a chart of the top 12 most recent best-all around scores put up by gymnasts competing in Paris. Simone has the top 11.
A trick is named after you when you’re the first person to land it in competition. Simone has five named after her now, with possibly another one coming this week.
Katie says that it’s rare for a gymnast to appear in even two Olympics, and that Simone is the fourth U.S. woman to compete in her third Olympics, and she just won a Gold medal Tuesday.
It’s easy to watch Simone and say, “Wow,” but one of the unique things about the Olympics is that the context and coverage and backstories allow you to go from “Wow” to “WOW!!!” pretty quickly, which is fun.
3. It highlights Simone’s mental journey and toughness
Simone has been very candid about working on her mental health since the last Olympics, and oh boy does this article make me feel like she’s a hero for it. I go to therapy because “our brains are evolutionarily very old, and we are pushing them to do things that we've only just recently conceptualized,” and most of the time people are cool when they learn that, but sometimes they aren’t.
I can’t imagine if I were a famous athlete how difficult it would be to talk about needing or getting help. I can’t imagine if I had a case of the “twisties,” a “mind-body torment in which a gymnast loses their grip on where they are while in the air and spirals, mentally and/or physically, beyond control” and I was expected to compete.
Again, we all have it tough out here. It’s OK to need help with it. I think Simone is so cool for showing us that so bravely.
4. This image
This is a combination photograph and illustration, and I am not sure you could capture the theme and spirit of the article any better. Simone is doing physical gymnastic moves that nobody in the history of the world has ever done, at the highest level of competition, after a profound personal journey, with very little margin for error. I feel like she is inspiration personified.
5. It has me ready for Thursday
After a team gold on Tuesday, the U.S. women go for individual all-around gold on Thursday, and I will be rooting for Simone Biles to have so much fun, and to do everything that she wants to do.
Who are some writers you like that I should read? jed@kindandfunny.com.