FE: Redefining greatness
Date Published: 7/29/2021
“I’m not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps...I’m the first Simone Biles.†~Simone Biles
This week the world gathered in Tokyo for the Olympics. Headlines were made and a few surprises unfolded within the first few days. I wish to honor and cheer on Simone Biles as an outstanding American athlete and stellar example of what it means to define greatness.
I appreciate this description I read recently on The Atlantic…
“Central to Simone Biles’s appeal as an athlete, even to viewers only flimsily acquainted with the rules and rituals of her sport, is the clarity of her gift. You do not have to know the specs of the original ‘Biles,’ a double layout with a half twist and blind landing that distinguishes her floor routine, to wonder over her straightened limbs blurring and her equilibrium compensating.
By the same token, on those rare occasions when the 24-year-old four-time Olympic gold medalist falters, it is thuddingly obvious. Yesterday evening in Tokyo, attempting a two-and-a-half twist vault in the Olympic women’s team gymnastics final, Biles completed only a twist and a half and stumbled upon landing. “I’m sorry,†she told her teammates minutes later, notifying them that she was withdrawing from the competition. “I love you guys, but you’re gonna be just fine.â€
Shortly after, Biles appeared at a press conference and did something remarkable. One of the world’s top athletes revised the language of greatness, positioning it as something to be tended to and mindfully maintained, not drawn on ad nauseam. Her most telling words rejected the false dichotomy between personal well-being and professional excellence, instead pointing to the former as a precondition of the latter. Biles has spoken in the run-up to the Olympics about the pressures of fame, the isolation of these particular Games, and her experiences in therapy. Yesterday, Biles said she felt “lost in the air…â€
Simone goes on to talk about mindfulness, one of the champion choices we’ve shared with our readers.
ICYMI: https://thewishwallfoundation.org/desideri/champion-choices-mindfulness
She shares some key messages about mental health, self-care and being in tune with our bodies. And we’ve echoed those key messages: https://thewishwallfoundation.org/desideri/pause-our-pursuit-of-happiness
“…I tried to…â€
Read on to hear what Simone had to say:
https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/07/simone-biles-olympics-withdrawal-greatness-language/619595
Thank you Simone and Team USA athletes all the inspo, ups and downs that make us proud!
Thank you to our millions of readers! Best wishes and we welcome your comments below.
Akasha Lin
Akasha Garnier for #TheWishwall
Author, Brand Expert, Filmmaker
http://www.akashagarnier.com
photo: AP
#ShineThroughtheNoise
Read more from:
Future Entrepreneurs - Mentorship up and coming - The Wishwall
https://thewishwallfoundation.org/future-entrepreneurs
This week the world gathered in Tokyo for the Olympics. Headlines were made and a few surprises unfolded within the first few days. I wish to honor and cheer on Simone Biles as an outstanding American athlete and stellar example of what it means to define greatness.
I appreciate this description I read recently on The Atlantic…
“Central to Simone Biles’s appeal as an athlete, even to viewers only flimsily acquainted with the rules and rituals of her sport, is the clarity of her gift. You do not have to know the specs of the original ‘Biles,’ a double layout with a half twist and blind landing that distinguishes her floor routine, to wonder over her straightened limbs blurring and her equilibrium compensating.
By the same token, on those rare occasions when the 24-year-old four-time Olympic gold medalist falters, it is thuddingly obvious. Yesterday evening in Tokyo, attempting a two-and-a-half twist vault in the Olympic women’s team gymnastics final, Biles completed only a twist and a half and stumbled upon landing. “I’m sorry,†she told her teammates minutes later, notifying them that she was withdrawing from the competition. “I love you guys, but you’re gonna be just fine.â€
Shortly after, Biles appeared at a press conference and did something remarkable. One of the world’s top athletes revised the language of greatness, positioning it as something to be tended to and mindfully maintained, not drawn on ad nauseam. Her most telling words rejected the false dichotomy between personal well-being and professional excellence, instead pointing to the former as a precondition of the latter. Biles has spoken in the run-up to the Olympics about the pressures of fame, the isolation of these particular Games, and her experiences in therapy. Yesterday, Biles said she felt “lost in the air…â€
Simone goes on to talk about mindfulness, one of the champion choices we’ve shared with our readers.
ICYMI: https://thewishwallfoundation.org/desideri/champion-choices-mindfulness
She shares some key messages about mental health, self-care and being in tune with our bodies. And we’ve echoed those key messages: https://thewishwallfoundation.org/desideri/pause-our-pursuit-of-happiness
“…I tried to…â€
Read on to hear what Simone had to say:
https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/07/simone-biles-olympics-withdrawal-greatness-language/619595
Thank you Simone and Team USA athletes all the inspo, ups and downs that make us proud!
Thank you to our millions of readers! Best wishes and we welcome your comments below.
Akasha Lin
Akasha Garnier for #TheWishwall
Author, Brand Expert, Filmmaker
http://www.akashagarnier.com
photo: AP
#ShineThroughtheNoise
Read more from:
Future Entrepreneurs - Mentorship up and coming - The Wishwall
https://thewishwallfoundation.org/future-entrepreneurs
