A Close Call
Simone Biles revealed on Saturday that she experienced a life-threatening medical emergency earlier this week that required hospitalization. The 29-year-old gymnast posted on Instagram: "I'm not one to normally share things like this because I value privacy in today's age, but almost dying wasn't on my bingo card earlier this week." She accompanied the message with a photo of her wrist encircled by several hospital bracelets.
Biles did not disclose specific details about the incident but described it as one of the scariest experiences of her life. She wrote: "This was one of, if not the scariest experience of my life, especially since Jonathan [Owens, Biles' NFL player husband] was in Indy [Indianapolis] for practices." Owens was away at training camp with the Indianapolis Colts when the emergency occurred.
Recovery and Gratitude
The seven-time Olympic champion spent the week recovering in bed. "I've been in bed resting this week, I'll explain sooner or later but s/o to my close circle who reached out, checked in, visited & or sent flowers. Love y'all," Biles wrote to her 11.8 million Instagram followers.
She promised to provide more information about the health scare at a later date but has not yet shared additional details. Biles said she received support from her inner circle during her recovery.
Strain From Elite Competition
Biles has previously acknowledged the physical toll that elite gymnastics takes on her body. In an interview last year, she recounted a collapse at the 2024 Olympics: "I went back to the [Olympic] village, I took the elevator and my body literally collapsed. I was sick for 10 days." She also described experiencing aches and pains lasting three days after sprinting with friends.
The gymnast is currently on a break from competition and has not yet confirmed whether she will compete in Los Angeles. At 29, she remains one of the all-time greats in her sport, holding the titles of seven-time Olympic champion and 23-time World Champion.
