During the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, artistic gymnast Simone Biles unexpectedly announced that she wouldn’t be competing in the uneven bars or vault individual finals. By late July 2021, a year after the event had been postponed, the gold medalist was struggling with her performance. She described it as a ‘case of the twisties’ in a social media post, saying she needed to put her mental health first and take a step back.
Advertisement
A ‘case of the twisties’ is a well-known challenge in gymnastics, where athletes experience a mental block while in mid-air. On top of that, Biles experienced anxiety and stress, sharing earlier this year that she has been taking Lexapro for anxiety for several years.
However, during that difficult time, Biles had her husband, Jonathan Owens, to lean on—something explored in depth in Netflix’s ‘Simone Biles: Rising,’ out on July 17.
“You’ll get back to where you were,” Biles recalled her husband telling her, appreciating his supportive and level-headed approach. Owens also made sure Biles attended her training and therapy sessions—steps that guided the Olympic medalist in the right direction.
“Post Tokyo, Jonathan was just like, I mean, he always has a good head on his shoulders, and he’s like, ‘You’ll get back to where you were,’ and made sure I was staying on top of my training.”
However, at the same time, Owens was never ‘bossy,’ as Biles recalled. After witnessing her mental struggles following Tokyo, he genuinely tried to be there for her. She continued:
“He was making sure I was going to my therapy sessions and was trying to do as much as he could, without kind of being bossy, but he was really just like a shoulder to lean on because he saw like those dark times after Tokyo.”
The Chicago Bears safety also played his part by attending therapy himself. Initially puzzled when Biles first recommended it, he felt that his perspective was broadened after experiencing it, for which he credited his significant other.
Three years later, Biles is keeping her head straight, recently making her mark in the gymnastics qualification round on Sunday, July 28, at Bercy Arena. And as the supportive husband he is, Owens cheered for arguably the most decorated gymnast in the world from back home.
Jonathan Owens cheers on Biles from home
Owens, 29, who transitioned from Green Bay to Chicago in March, has already arranged time off from training camp to visit Biles in Paris. For now, though, Owens is cheering for the star gymnast from the comfort of his home.
He also took to his Instagram Stories to update his fans, posting a picture of Biles from the introduction with a note that said, ‘We locked in,’ accompanied by a blue heart emoji.
Subsequently, when Biles excelled on the balance beam, the proud hubby posted another picture with the caption, ‘Flawless,’ along with a fire emoji and another blue heart emoji.
“Mmm, you’re looking good, girl!” the star safety wrote in another post after Biles achieved her 14.733 score.
Jonathan Owens is locked in watching Simone Biles before he heads to Paris to watch her in person. pic.twitter.com/8I0ThuThz6
— Bears History (@ChiBearsHistory) July 28, 2024
Owens’ posts continued throughout her performance, which ended with a total score of 59.566 in the qualifying round. Despite facing a lower leg injury before the event, Biles topped the charts from all angles and in every performance.
As Biles makes her way to the top this year, Owens will surely join her in Paris in no time. Likewise, when the 2024 NFL season starts, Biles will undoubtedly be spotted in the stands, just like last year, but this time in navy blue and white.
