Coming off a five-medal haul (4 gold, 1 bronze) from Rio 2016, Simone Biles was a favorite at the Tokyo Games. Fans were excited to see her repeat such a performance, only to be concerned about what came next. The women’s team final saw her withdrawal after she lost control mid-air, suffering from a mental block called “twisties.” However, amidst that nightmare, she found someone who came to her as a gesture of hope.

Indeed, it was none other than fellow Olympian Mikaela Shiffrin. The two recently united during a conversation featured on Shiffrin’s YouTube channel, and Biles recalled how the alpine skier helped her through one of the toughest times in her gymnastics career. “I remember being in Tokyo when you reached out. Um, and I knew you could relate automatically, not just because of the success, just because how difficult our sports are,” Biles said.

The brain-to-body disconnect that Biles went through during “twisties” was quite dangerous for the gymnast. Indeed, if this triggered during a move that required the gymnast to be in mid-air, it could have seriously injured her. While suffering from this, Biles also went through a phase of receiving criticism for backing out of the competition, which further deteriorated her mental state.

To Shiffrin’s simple gesture, Biles’ reaction was immense, as she recalled, stating, “And I was  like, ‘Wow, she didn’t have to take the time out of her day to reach out, but she understands what I’m going through.’ Even though you haven’t gone through it physically, you’re like, as an athlete, the respect that you have. I was just like, ‘Wow, she’s such a huge role model.’ And like I appreciated that so much.”

Well, this support story was quite mutual. Later at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, Shiffrin had one of her worst Olympic performances ever. After her epic performances in the 2018 PyeongChang Games, where she secured two medals (1 gold, 1 silver), she was a favorite coming to Beijing. However, not even in a single event was she able to claim a medal, leaving many, even Biles, in tears.

During the same interview, the gymnast recalled watching Shiffrin’s performance, saying, “I’m just watching and I was like, ‘No, it’s happening.’ I just wanted to cry. For you to reach out and now it’s happening to you … I’m like, I see me in her, and I know exactly how she is feeling.” However, this isn’t the first time they talked about their respective Olympic experiences, as both of them also met at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Mikaela Shiffrin united with Simone Biles in Paris

Simone Biles was someone to look out for at the Paris Olympics. Following the disaster that she went through in Tokyo, there were a ton of expectations on the gymnast, and she didn’t disappoint. In Paris, she went on to secure four medals (3 gold, 1 silver), redeeming herself in the eyes of the public and forever etching her name as the G.O.A.T.

However, for Biles, there was more in Paris. She met with Mikaela Shiffrin! “I didn’t know what to expect because obviously she was really busy in Paris right after her events, so I thought maybe we just say hi, a quick hug, congratulations,” Shiffrin said.

Biles was surely busy basking in all the glory in Paris, but she still spent time with someone who was with her during one of the worst phases of her life.

Shiffrin added, “But we sat and talked for quite a while, and talking about everything. Of course, her experience in [Tokyo] and comparing our experiences with the Olympics, but also just competing and the expectations that people have when they anticipate you’re going to win everything – just the sort of similarities in that mentality. So it was really cool, she’s just like… she just loves to laugh, she just giggles and it’s contagious. It was really amazing to meet her.”

The bond between Biles and Shiffrin is quite special. They have been through good and bad times together, and as mature athletes, they respect and understand each other.