Simone Biles Reveals Her Aunt Died Unexpectedly During Olympics
As we previously reported, Simone Biles returned to the Olympics after a week off due to mental health concerns; taking home a bronze medal on the balance beam on Tuesday.
During a press conference afterward, the 24-year-old superstar opened up to reporters and talked about the loss of her aunt on her father’s side: “At the end of the day, people don’t understand what we are going through,” said Biles. “Two days ago, I woke up and my aunt unexpectedly passed, and it wasn’t any easier being here at the Olympic Games.”
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She went on to say, “People have to realize that, at the end of the day, we’re humans, we’re not just entertainment,” she added. “There are things going on behind the scenes that people have no idea about.”
“I was like, ‘Oh my God. This week needs to be over,'” Biles’ coach Cecile Canqueteau-Landi told reporters, referring to when they learned the news of Biles’ aunt. “I asked her, ‘What do you need?’ And she said, ‘I just need some time.’ I said, ‘You call me, text me if you need anything I’ll be here. Whatever that is.’ She called her parents. She said, ‘There’s nothing I can do from over here. So I’m just going to finish my week and when I get home we’ll deal with it,’” CBS News quotes.
From there, Biles decided it was best to step back from the games. However, she still attended each one to cheer on her teammates.
Biles eventually returned for the last game, the beam, and pushed through and earned a bronze medal. The 7-time Olympic medalist wrote on Instagram Stories that she is “leaving Tokyo with a full heart.”
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