There is no sign of the early wake-up in Simone Biles’ sharp gaze (Columbus, Ohio, United States; 29 years old). It is still early, but the American, one of the best gymnasts in history —11 Olympic medals and 30 world medals, 23 of them gold, an absolute record for men and women and more than double what her two closest pursuers, Russian Svetlana Khorkina (9) and Romanian Gina Gogean (9), have combined— poses and smiles shyly under the glass ceilings of Madrid City Hall. She is the star of the Future Health event, organized by Sanitas in the capital. And everyone looks at her, muscles intact, makeup flawless. Around her neck jingles a chain with her husband’s surname, fellow athlete Jonathan Owens, player for the NFL’s Colts. In the air, the mystery is dense. No one dares to guess Biles’ intentions, who has already been out of competition for two years, the same time remaining until the Los Angeles Olympic Games, where, if she continues active, she would arrive at 31 years old.
Question. It has been 662 days, almost 22 months since your last night on the mat, the floor final in Paris. Do you miss it?
Answer. It’s not unusual to miss something you have done for so many years throughout your life, so yes, you could say I miss it. I especially miss the camaraderie, living with my teammates, and even the good vibes day to day with the coaches. But at the same time, it’s very nice to have this freedom. It’s a mental and physical break.
Q. You are doing yoga and pilates, but not gymnastics. That is, you move to enjoy, not to perform.
A. Not to perform, no. In fact, I think it’s just to be able to say I’m moving a bit, because I actually hate exercise. I feel that after having done it for so long, I deserve a break. And I’m giving myself that privilege. That said, my husband takes me to do pilates, and honestly, it’s not fun at all. It’s very hard, pure pain and effort. But he loves it. And I do it because I love sharing it with him.
Q. Listening to you, the question arises: should we still refer to you as an active gymnast?
A. Yes, totally. In fact, if you asked me to do a backflip, I would do it right here without problems. It wouldn’t be hard. It’s true that to compete you have to train, but I still have the physical shape to do whatever I want. The other day, in fact, I was on the trampoline in my garden and started doing flips with my former coach Zoe Miller. We had a great time.
Q. What is the difference between being retired and your current situation?
A. Well… Surely I would have to train to get back in my best shape. My daily life has changed now, that’s true. It’s very different to be fit to compete and to be fit for day-to-day life.
Q. Many people want to see you at Los Angeles 2028. Is it feasible?
A. I would say we are still at fifty percent. Although I also take the opportunity to say one thing: I feel that you have to know how to admire athletes while they are active, competing. I have already been to three Olympic Games and I feel fulfilled. It’s crazy to see how people always want more and more from you. In the end, the decision will always be mine.
Q. What would Los Angeles have to offer you for it to be worth competing again?
A. I think an Olympic Games at home is already enough motivation, but at the same time I feel that our bodies are a bit like an hourglass that is running out. Right now I am 29 years old, and although longevity has advanced by leaps and bounds at the elite level, it would be a big sacrifice to try to be in Los Angeles [at 31]. We’ll have to see.
Q. How do you handle always being expected to be perfect?
A. Sometimes I just ignore it. I feel like I’m used to it now, so I just try to be the best version of myself every day.
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Q. Your body has been analyzed, admired, and questioned since you were very young. Have you ever felt that it belonged more to other people than to yourself?
A. No, no. Even when I was very young and everyone analyzed my movements and my body type, I saw it as something normal. You get used to it. It’s as if God gave me this body and I have done incredible things with it. I love the body I have.
Q. How long did it take you to accept that you could also be unwell?
A. It took me a while to accept it, and above all, a lot of help and therapy to finally understand it. But you know, everyone has their own path. I am very proud to be able to walk mine surrounded by all the people around me.
Q. For years you have been the global image of mental health in sports. Does that responsibility weigh on you?
A. I don’t mind, honestly, because I don’t see it as a burden. What I have done so far I will continue doing: being vulnerable, being open and honest, talking about it and sharing what I live with people. It comes naturally to me. I have always been like that. And if along the way I can help just one person, I will be more than happy.
Q. Do you feel more fulfilled now than at your best moment as an athlete?
A. I think today other things fulfill me, yes. I am proud to be married, to spend time with my husband, to go watch his football [American] games. These are plans that before, when I was training, I couldn’t do. My life has changed.
Q. When you look to the future, what keeps you awake beyond sports?
A. Honestly, nothing. I think nothing I do in my life will be as hard as competing in the Olympic Games. So I sleep pretty well at night.
Q. What is your biggest fear then?
A. Looking back and regretting certain things. At 29 years old I can say I have no major regrets in my life. I can look back and live peacefully. And I want to keep that. I want to be able to keep saying I regret nothing.
Q. And in all these years at the top, what have you lost for being Simone Biles and will never be able to recover?
A. I would say the only thing I have lost is privacy. And believe me, it can be very hard, especially when you want to be a normal person again. In any case, more than a loss, I try to see it as just another reality of my daily life. I am very grateful to be in the position I am in.
Q. Do you learn to live without privacy?
A. You don’t learn, it just happens. When you are in the spotlight and everyone looks at you, your privacy vanishes, disappears. Everyone starts photographing you at every step you take. And it’s not something you ask for. It just happens. I was very good at gymnastics and the rest came with it. I wish I could recover the privacy I had before.
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Q. What dream do you still have to fulfill?
A. To have children and build a big family with my husband.