Sims: Simone Biles – A Champion, But Not for Women

As a former competitive gymnast and a gymnastics coach in Southern New Hampshire, working with young girls and women who admire Simone Biles, I have a few words for you.

Simone Biles, you’re a gymnastics icon, a beacon of brilliance who’s soared to unimaginable heights. But your latest words? They’re a gut-punch, a betrayal of everything you’ve stood for, as you now seem hell-bent on twisting yourself into knots with mental gymnastics that leave us all reeling.

You’ve carved out a legacy in women’s sports, lifted by the fierce, unyielding women who fought for your place on that pedestal. Yet, in one reckless, self-serving rant, you’re ready to yank that ladder away from the wide-eyed girls who idolize you, crushing their dreams of ever standing where you do. How could you?

This isn’t just a misstep—it’s a catastrophic fall, more humiliating than any tumble you’ve ever taken. You, who’ve faced body shaming and even starred in campaigns to fight it, dared to mock another woman’s athletic frame, calling her “manly.” The hypocrisy burns. You know better than anyone why biology matters in sports. Gymnastics thrives on fairness—men on rings, women on beams—because physical differences are real. Your triumphs exist because women’s sports have been fiercely protected. But now you’re waving that away like it’s nothing?

Picture this: a male gymnast, lean and powerful, sidesteps puberty with drugs and storms into women’s events, obliterating records and dreams—yours included. Would you still shrug off the issue? It’s infuriatingly easy to dismiss women’s fears when you’ve never faced that threat. But those girls watching you? They might not be so lucky.

You call yourself a “girls’ girl,” yet where’s your fire for uplifting women? You preach inclusivity, but why is it women’s burden to make room for men who already have their own spaces? Why aren’t failed male athletes demanding trans categories? Because they’re too busy eyeing our podiums, and you’re holding the door open for them!

To call feminism in sports “bullying” is a slap in the face when men are literally stealing women’s titles and dignity. To say women’s rights activists make sports unsafe? That’s a grotesque lie. Women are the ones in danger, forced to face male competitors while so-called allies like you enable this travesty. It’s heartbreaking.

Maybe you’re lost in a fog of fame or chasing clout from the loudest voices. That’s your call. But don’t you dare tear down the women who fight tooth and nail for others—the ones with the courage you lack, sacrificing everything to protect fairness. They’re the real heroes, the ones who value every girl’s shot at glory over their own spotlight. They’re the role models we need, not the ones who bow to mediocrity and betrayal.

Simone, your silence would’ve been bad enough. But to actively fight against the women defending our future? That’s not just disappointing—it’s a disgrace. Wake up. Stand up. Be the champion for women you claim to be, before your legacy becomes a cautionary tale of what happens when greatness turns its back on its own.

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