Many think of athletes as superhuman people that can battle through anything. The reality is athletes are human beings as well. On July 27, 2021, U.S. gymnast Simone Biles reminded us that athletes are human when she withdrew from the women’s team final at the Tokyo Games citing the need to focus on her mental health.

Of course, there were some who didn’t believe her and couldn’t fathom an athlete having to take care of themselves first. The other lesson learned with her withdrawal is that the mental health of someone should be treated with just as much importance as a person’s physical health.