Simone Biles says she now realizes she is more than her gymnastics career in emotional tweet
CBSN
Superstar gymnast Simone Biles says she had a realization after unexpectedly withdrawing from competition at the Tokyo Olympic Games: "I'm more than my accomplishments."
After removing herself from both the team and individual all-around competitions at the Games to focus on her mental health, Biles received a wave of support from the athletic community, including her teammates, Team USA, mental health advocate Michael Phelps and one of her sponsors, Athleta. The reigning all-around champion sent an emotional thank you tweet to her supporters overnight. "The outpouring love & support I've received has made me realize I'm more than my accomplishments and gymnastics which I never truly believed before," Biles wrote.Ashley White received her earliest combat action badge from the United States Army soon after the first lieutenant arrived in Afghanistan. The silver military award, recognizing soldiers who've been personally engaged by an attacker during conflict, was considered an achievement in and of itself as well as an affirming rite of passage for the newly deployed. White had earned it for using her own body to shield a group of civilian women and children from gunfire that broke out in the midst of her third mission in Kandahar province. All of them survived. She never mentioned the badge to anyone in her battalion.