Simone Biles Refuses To Be A Work Martyr — As Should Her Fans

Jul 29, 2021 by apost team

With four gold medals and a record-breaking career, Simone Biles isn’t only the face of gymnastics. Just as Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt were, she has also become the face of the entire U.S. Olympic team — a star athlete who seems unstoppable and superhuman. Ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Biles demonstrated her superhuman athleticism at the 2021 U.S. Classic in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was there that the 24-year-old gymnast won gold, in part for being the first woman in history to successfully execute a dazzling and difficult Yurchenko double pike in vault.

But as most people now know — from sports fanatics to casual viewers — Biles announced her withdrawal from the all-around competition at the Olympics on July 28, citing her mental health. The athlete’s July 28 decision came a day after Biles opted not to compete in the team final after doing one rotation because of her mental state.

During the team event, Biles’ withdrawal ended with the U.S. women taking silver, losing to the Russian Olympic Committee. It was the first time that the U.S. women haven’t won gold in the team event since 2010.

Despite the obvious disappointment that Biles and some fans likely feel, the athlete’s decision might teach all of us an important lesson about work, specifically when it comes to “work martyrdom.”

While it’s similar to being a workaholic, a work martyr is specifically someone who sacrifices their physical or mental well-being for the company or organization that they work for due to extreme pressure. This goes hand in hand with the harmful belief that only you alone can accomplish a task or carry your team.

“Work martyrs often confuse ambition with numbers of hours on and off the job, and 24/7 availability, as their metrics for accomplishment,” career coach Roy Cohen told Monster.com, an online employment platform.

This is precisely what Biles didn’t do. Instead of running herself into the ground and ignoring her own body, the 24-year-old athlete put her mental health above her career.

“At the end of the day, we’re human, too, so we have to protect our mind and our body rather than just go out there and do what the world wants us to do,” she said of her withdrawal. “With the year that it’s been, I’m really not surprised how it played out.”

Biles elaborated on her decision at a news conference that followed Tuesday’s team event.

“I just felt like it would be a little bit better to take a back seat, work on my mindfulness. And I knew that the girls would do an absolutely great job,” Biles explained at the press conference. “And I didn't want to risk the team a medal for kind of my screwups, because they've worked way too hard for that. So I just decided that those girls need to go and do the rest of our competition.”

The athlete also said that she was “shaking” before the competition, noting at the time that the “mental’s not there.” 

While Biles’ admission might be unheard of at an earlier Olympic Games, the 24-year-old gymnast is one of a growing number of star athletes who are ready to admit their vulnerability and put their mental health first.

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While we aren’t all Olympic gold medalists, all of us can learn something from this trend. Sometimes we need to listen to our minds and bodies, prioritizing our health — one of the most important things in the world — over our work. And it’s important to remember that you’re not alone. Even if you’re overwhelmed, this doesn’t mean you can’t reach out to another co-worker or your manager to help lighten your load.

Biles isn’t the only top athlete at the games who is willing to admit that she’s human and can buckle under pressure like anyone else. Nyjah Huston, an American skateboarder who was an Olympic favorite, posted a heartfelt message on Instagram after he finished in seventh place during the street competition. 

“I feel like I let a lot of people down … I’m human and dealing with all the pressure and expectations really isn’t easy at times,” Huston wrote. 

“Mental health is so important!” the Olympic skateboarder continued.

While there have certainly been some criticisms of Biles and similar athletes’ decisions, athletes, commentators and organizations alike have also praised the move to prioritize mental health.

“Working in elite sports like gymnastics comes with unimaginably high levels of pressure, perfectionism, scrutiny, and comparison,” wrote the English mental health charity the Mind on Twitter. “Simone Biles is incredibly brave for speaking out, and highlighting the importance of looking after your mental health.”

Putting one’s mental health above the spectacle of the Olympic Games — or one’s work — shouldn’t be controversial or shameful. After all, even Biles isn’t an indestructible superhero. She’s human.

What do you think about work martyrdom? Have you ever sacrificed your mental health for your work? Give us your take, and pass this story on to friends to get their opinions.