Charlotte, NC — Wednesday morning, Americans awoke to the news that US Olympic gymnast Simone Biles had once again withdrawn from Olympic competition. On Tuesday, she withdrew from the team events. On Wednesday morning, we were told she had withdrawn from individual events.
Across social media and mainstream media, the move was celebrated. She was being called a hero for recognizing the need to address her mental health. She was celebrated as a role model for young women. Are we really celebrating a quitter as a role model for young women?
Do not take me wrong. I realize that mental health is a real issue and it must be addressed. But this is not mental health in the traditional sense that we would consider it. Mental health has become an excuse that is used and abused by those who may not want to do something.
I wonder how many Americans woke up this morning and really did not feel like going into work. I wonder how many would still have jobs if they called their boss and said, “I do not feel mentally there today and I am just going to stay home.” Chances are it would not end very well.
But we will celebrate these events on the world stage. Why? Because this is what the radical left wants America to become. We want America to be full of quitters that are willing to sidestep greatness and glory.
We have the radical left conditioning our society that it is perfectly acceptable to be a quitter. Life is challenging and competition is challenging, but that does not mean you simply get to quit and walk away. That’s not what a role model does.
One opinion writer wrote that such a move would make us all better. That does not make us all better, but sets an example that you can quit and still be celebrated.
Biles said the move was influenced by another quitter, Naomi Osaka. You can certainly research more about the Osaka story, but Biles said that the experience should be fun and that it was not as much fun as she would like. Really?
So on the national stage, you are going to quit because the situation was challenging and tough mentally. Perhaps Joe Biden should borrow that excuse.
What’s even more bothersome is statements by Biles teammates. Her teammate Suni Lee said, “we are all winners in our hearts.” That certainly brings about thoughts about how everyone gets a trophy now, regardless of how they perform.
Yes, Biles was still on the medal stand with her teammates with the silver medal, even though she quit on them. She was rewarded for quitting.
Life is not full of trophy’s just for competing and as Americans, we have always risen to the challenge when facing difficulty in front of us.
Hundreds of athletes competed for the chance to represent the United States at the Olympic Games. Of those, Biles was determined to be one of the best and an appropriate representative of our great nation.
And then Biles quit on the big stage.
She had the opportunity to withdraw before the games began. She had the opportunity to recognize she was not prepared long before she made the trip to Tokyo. There were many other athletes ready and capable to step in.
No doubt some of them never made the trip to Tokyo. I wonder how many of them would have risen to the occasion? I’m reminded of many other gymnasts that have risen to the occasion on the biggest stage, amid doubt and uncertainty if they were ready.
They didn’t quit because they were put under pressure. They had something to prove. They had a nation to represent. They rose to the challenge and did their best.
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