Time Magazine ‘100 Most Influential’ names Simone Biles amongst others
Simone Biles was named one of Time Magazine’s most influential people of 2021. She was on the list just weeks after her comeback from the Olympic Games.
Before her return from the Olympics, her name went abuzz. The 24-year-old withdrew from the finals after her first sets of competition went astray. After her withdrawal, there’s an official announcement that she’s out from the competition.
Biles eventually returned to the competition. She won a bronze medal on her balance beam routine.
On the same day that she gained a spot on Time magazine’s list, she was on the hot seat of testifying against injustice. Last Wednesday, Biles spoke out about how the US justice system lacks efforts. As they fail in stopping Larry Nassar from sexually abusing her and the others. He is a former USA Gymnastics doctor.
Simone Biles and Aly Raisman hold hands before testifying against former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar. (AP/Saul Loeb) pic.twitter.com/h47TYbTpPn
— The Recount (@therecount) September 15, 2021
Back in 2018, Biles first came out in public with her story. As one of the young athletes who’s a victim of Nassar before the latter got arrested in 2016. He will now serve decades in prison.
While Time revealed its list of the 100 most influential people on Wednesday, Simone Biles was currently giving out her testimony at the US Senate Judiciary Committee. She’s heartbroken while citing how the officials had failed her and the other girls.
Together with her fellow gymnasts Maggie Nichols, McKayla Maroney, and Aly Railman, they strongly testified about Nassar’s abuse and how the investigation rolled out.
"This is the largest case of sexual abuse in the history of American sport … It truly feels like the FBI turned a blind eye to us."
Simone Biles and other U.S. gymnasts are testifying to Congress about the FBI's investigation of Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics doctor. pic.twitter.com/KOQvh8YWKH
— AJ+ (@ajplus) September 15, 2021
Biles said, “Over the course of my gymnastics career, I have won 25 world championship medals and seven Olympic medals for Team USA. I am also a survivor of sexual abuse.”
Biles and her journey to emotional freedom
She also added, “I believe without a doubt that the circumstance that led to my abuse and allowed it to continue are directly the result of the fact that the organizations created by Congress to oversee and protect me as an athlete, USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committees failed to do their jobs.”
Biles said, “To be clear, I blame Larry Nassar and I also blame an entire system that enabled and perpetrated his abuse.”
Simone Biles secured a cover spot on TIME's 100 most influential people list of 2021.
Serena Williams shares “Simone Biles is a shining example of what success looks like when you let go of what the world thinks & gather your strength from yourself .. from your soul"
(via @TIME) pic.twitter.com/XMt8H91q0k— The Undefeated (@TheUndefeated) September 15, 2021
Simone Biles recalled and told the committee that no one from the FBI ever contacted her or her parents about the investigation. The Justice Department found out that the USA Gymnastics had reported the allegations to the FBI in July 2015. However, Biles didn’t know about the scope of the investigation until after the Olympic Games.
FBI Director Christopher Wray admitted that the investigators made totally unacceptable errors. The FBI agent who neglected to act on the accusations and lied has been fired.
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Simone Biles with her goal in ensuring others won’t suffer as she did say, “I don’t want another young gymnast, Olympic athlete or any individual to experience the horror that I and hundreds of others have endured, before, during and continuing to this day in the wake of the Larry Nassar abuse.”
Her bravery and honesty about what she has experienced entail the strength. This is what Serena Williams focused on in her profile of Simone Biles for Time’s 100 Most Influential People issue.
Williams wrote, “She has cemented herself as one of the most decorated American gymnasts of all time. But when she’s not on the mat or competing in front of the world, Simone strikes the powerful balance between humility and confidence.”
