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Black History Month in Ohio: Simone Biles

The Columbus native soared to the very top of her sport, and now uses her influence to promote the importance of mental health.

CLEVELAND — Every sport has the greatest of all time or "GOAT." And in gymnastics many people consider that person to be Simone Biles.

Born in Columbus in 1997, Biles has earned seven Olympic medals, four of them gold, which ties for the most Olympic medals won by an American gymnast. 

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Biles is credited with the creation of four new gymnastic skills. She is a role model for upcoming generations of professional gymnasts as the most decorated athlete in the history of the sport. Recognized for her powerful and gravity-defying movements, she has redefined our expectation of what's possible.

However, it has been moments of courageous vulnerability that have catapulted Biles into the spotlight last year.

During the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she withdrew from the individual all-around finals due to her temporary loss of air balance awareness, known as the "twisties."

This move shined a brighter light on athletes dealing with stress and mental health problems. 

Her stance even furthered Biles standing as a hero in the gym and to many others for showing the world that athletes are humans too. 

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