The most decorated gymnast of all time added another title to her collection. Simone Biles was named Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year. This sparked some controversy as she only performed during the 2024 Olympics compared to other athletes who performed for the better part of the year. To this, I would say, her accolades are well deserved. 

Since 1954, Sports Illustrated has awarded the Sportsperson of the Year to “the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement.” Simone Biles is a perfect example of this description as she has not only achieved greatness but has also become an unlikely advocate for mental health. 

Four years ago before the 2020 Olympics, Biles shocked the country by withdrawing from the Olympics and other individual competitions due to what is known as the “twisties”. This did not settle well with Team USA fans as they did not believe that Biles’s mental health was an excuse to drop out of the Olympics. 

“Working five years for a dream and just having to give it up, it was not easy at all,” Biles recalls to NBC reporter Hoda Kotb.

Biles’ mental health struggles, she believes, played a big part in her making it to the Paris Olympics and winning three gold medals. Although she still finds it hard to be consistent in her journey, she is grateful that she has stuck with it. 

“I think the hardest part is logging on to my therapy sessions and convincing myself to go.” 

Not only is Biles an unlikely mental health advocate, but she is also the greatest gymnast of all time. Biles reached 3 gold medals and 1 silver at this year’s Paris Olympics, making her the most decorated American gymnast of all time. This expands her catalog as she now holds 11 Olympic gold medals, 7 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze. These Olympic medals add to her 30 world championship medals, 23 of those being gold. 

With the 4 medals won in Paris, Biles broke Shannon Miller’s record for most medals held by an American Gymnast. “I’ve accomplished way more than my wildest dreams, not just at this Olympics, but in this sport,” Biles stated. 

The only competition in the race for the title of the “G.O.A.T” is retired Team Russia’s Svetlana Khorkina. Though she holds more medals, 47, this is like comparing Wayne Gretzky and Alex Ovechkin. The sport has changed since the 1990s-2000s when Khorkina was considered the greatest gymnast of all time. So, this makes Simone Biles a valid recipient of the title.

Biles isn’t even done yet, as she’s only 27 years old and still running the show. There’s much more to come for Biles and much more to look forward to for Team USA fans. Well, maybe except for the vault, which Biles humbly claims she is getting old for, “This is my last, definitely Yurchenko double pike [vault]. I mean I kind of nailed that one. So never say never.” 

The next Olympics are in 2028 and are at home, so Team USA fans can watch Biles dominate right from Los Angeles. This is why  I believe Simone Biles is beyond worthy of Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year title, despite any criticism that says otherwise.