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Gymnast Simone Biles is not only smiling at the Olympics again. She is also competing. So is swimmer Caeleb Dressel. Both highly decorated athletes left their sports after the last Olympics in Tokyo to take a mental health break. Both weren’t sure they would be back.
Over the weekend, Ms. Biles pushed through a calf injury and led the U.S. women’s gymnastics team to a first-place finish in the team qualifying round, expertly performing a vault, for example, that is considered the most difficult in the world. Mr. Dressel anchored the last leg of an explosive men’s 4×100 freestyle relay – helping to deliver the country’s first gold medal of the Paris games.
Their crowd-wowing performances demonstrate their resilience and determination. But their comebacks have also broadened the discussion around support for mental health among Olympians – and offer examples of how athletes have sought their own approaches to navigating balanced lives.
