Simone Biles is the most decorated Olympic gymnast in history. Known as “The GOAT,” she led Team USA to win the 2024 Olympic all-around gold medal, winning her ninth gold medal in the individual all-around competition.
While some might argue that Olympians are simply built differently physically and mentally, Biles has some mental skills she’s honed over the years that help her succeed. It turns out there are some strategies we can all learn from the gymnastics legend.
“It’s all about mental training,” Biles said during her masterclass on gymnastics basics, overcoming fear and goal setting. To those striving for greatness in any field, she cautions: “You can do this. Have faith. Now think back to everything you’ve done in training.”
Here are 10 points to help you emulate Biles’ Olympic mentality:
1. Arrive 10 minutes early
Byers said arriving early not only makes the coach look good, but it’s also a way to showcase yourself and your potential.
“The first thing you can do is make sure you get to practice on time or at least 10 minutes early so that once you get on the gym floor, you’re not running around giving the coach excuses as to why you’re late,” she said. “Give yourself enough time to clear your mind.”
Taking care of your body and mind is crucial to being ready to go.
“Discipline is important, especially in gymnastics, but it means practicing on time, taking every move you make into consideration, getting your body into the best shape possible… Going to bed at a reasonable time, “Biles said in class. “I still make sure I don’t get too crazy on the weekends so that on Monday, I’m ready and fueled to get through the rest of the week.”
2. Count when you are nervous
No matter what skill you’re learning, Byers reminds you to keep it in perspective. Her coach once said she only had to stay on the beam for one minute and thirty seconds. During that time, she needed to give it her all—but only during that time.
“One minute and thirty minutes isn’t a long time, but when you’re up there it feels like forever. Sometimes, if I can’t concentrate on something, I try to count my steps, It distracts me, but I still focus on what I’m doing,” Beyer said in class. When the time is up, “Get off. Breathe, and then do what I want to do again.”
3. turning in ruts
When things don’t go as planned, it’s important to take action.
“I usually just talk to my coach and say, ‘This isn’t working. Can I move on and try to get back to where I was? So I don’t end up in the same predicament over and over again, which makes you more frustrated. ,” Byers said. “I usually try to move on and come back…it’s okay to be stuck.”
If that skill doesn’t work in the second round, Biles asks her coach to break it down or make a discovery in another way.
4. Finding humor in stress
As the saying goes, sometimes it’s just not that deep.
“I’m going to do it 100 more times,” Biles told herself. “I know I can figure this out,” she said. “I try to remind myself, it’s not the end of the world. There’s going to be tomorrow. There’s going to be another practice.” .
Jamie Squire via Getty
5. Some fear is okay
If you’re not nervous about training for hours on end, that’s concerning, Biles said. Some nervous energy is good and can push us. However, calming fears and heightened stress is critical to achieving optimal performance.
“It’s all about mental training, so once you get on the field, you can replicate those routines,” Biles said.
Biles admits to hating fear, and when she feels scared, she counts to three and giggles to herself. “It almost blocks what you want to do,” she said.
Biles also credits her sports psychologist for helping calm her fears by watching videos of her strong performances and asking her coaches to go back to basics for a moment. Also, she listens to hype music before games, which is always the most nerve-wracking part.
“Once I get to the venue, my nerves disappear because I’m finally there. This is the moment I’ve been training for,” she said. “Once I salute, I can control everything that’s going to happen.”
6. Visualize your goals
If you see athletes with a game look on their faces, it makes sense. Biles swore by imagining her daily life before heading out.
“I go through each skill in my head, exactly what I’m going to do, so that I can complete it to the best of my ability,” she said in class.
7. don’t forget to fake it
There is truth to the saying “Fake it till you make it”. Biles recalled a coach a few years ago asking her to smile during daily practice. She had no confidence and it took her 30 minutes to force a smile. From that point on, she realized the power of mimicking the way you want to appear.
“I find that if I smile, I have more fun and feel more confident about my daily life. I don’t think about it as much,” she said.
8. Increase intensity every once in a while
Radical changes can cause panic in anyone. As Biles progressed in her sport, she recalled practicing in the gym from 20 hours to 24 hours a week, to 28 hours a week, and then to 32 hours a week.
“It’s a huge evolution, but you have to move forward little by little. It’s never a huge, advanced change,” Biles recalls, which applies to anyone lifting weights in the gym or increasing their running mileage.
9. write down goals
High-level athletes often write down their goals as a way to solidify their goals and hold themselves accountable. Suni Lee, who won the individual all-around bronze medal in Paris with Biles, vowed to write five pages in her diary before competing.
During the masterclass, Biles said she wrote down all of her short- and long-term goals for the coming season.
“If you look at your overall goal package, it can get stressful and overwhelming, so that’s why I split it into two,” she says. “Keeping a journal at a young age is so important because you can really track your progress and how you’re feeling.”
Biles is also proud to look back at past entries and see her accomplishments and progress.
10. have an intention
It’s unrealistic to ask yourself to give 100% every day. Biles says having a goal is important and can help you get at least 70% of your work done each day and still achieve your goals.
Ask yourself: What is yours? Why?
“When I come in and I don’t have any reason or intention to be there, everything falls apart and you don’t feel very motivated,” said Biles, who loves what she does and says that’s why she motivation and success.
More information about the 2024 Paris Olympics:
