Simone Biles is officially heading, once again, to the Olympics, proudly stating, "I knew I would be back."
Three years ago in Japan, the four-time gold medalist made the bold choice to put her mental health and safety above her love for the sport. While the move sparked inspiration in some, it also angered many others.
"Trusting the process and [my coaches], I knew I'd be back," Biles said.
Biles isn't coming back on her own, as Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera are also stepping into the spotlight this year.
While their reasons may be deeply personal, their motivations are not.
"I feel like we all have more to give."
"This is definitely our redemption tour," Biles said after sewing up a third trip to the Olympics by winning the US trials on Sunday night.
At 27, Biles is the oldest American woman on an Olympic gymnastics team since the 1950s and is still competing nearly a decade after her breakout 2016 Rio Games.
"Nobody's forcing me to do it," she said, shutting down critics who still flood her comments section on social media, questioning if she'll "quit" again.
"I wake up every day and choose to grind in the gym and come out here and perform for myself. Just to remind myself that I can still do it."
The Olympic gymnast politely sidestepped questions about the future.
She told The Associated Press that her intent lies in trying to enjoy it even while being part of a team that will have "a lot of weight on our shoulders."
Biles truly believes she and her teammates are in a much better position to handle it, lamenting Tokyo's decision to give athletes a platform to be able to open up on mental health.
"And so I think now athletes are a little bit more in tune, and we just trust what our gut is saying."
In the spring of 2023, she married Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens, and the two are building a house in the northern Houston suburbs they hope to move into once Biles returns from Paris.
Biles has put safeguards in place to protect herself this time. She meets with a therapist weekly, even during competition season, something she said she didn't do in preparation for the 2020 Games.
"I feel like success is just what I make it."
