What Simone Biles said in Miami about body and mind. And Timbaland had a health message

Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles has done gymnastics with broken ribs and shattered toes.

The greatest gymnast of all time says she’s never shied away from a challenge. And in 2021, she made one of the most difficult decisions of her life: withdrawing from the finals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to focus on her mental health.

On Tuesday, the 26-year-old, who has become an advocate for mental health awareness, was honored in Miami on the first day of the 17th annual Global Wellness Summit for being a “trailblazer” and an example of the importance of prioritizing one’s mental health. The invitation-only summit, initially scheduled to be held in Qatar, was relocated to the Hyatt Regency Miami, 400 SE Second Ave., following the unrest in the Middle East.

Biles made “history when she prioritized her own mental health being over her career,” said Dr. Bill Kapp, the founder and CEO of Fountain Life, while presenting the Debra Simon Award for Furthering Mental Wellness to Biles.

“After what happened in Tokyo I was able to join that [mental health] conversation and kind of help people, teach people that it’s OK to not be OK,” said Biles during a panel with Susie Ellis, the summit’s chair and CEO, prior to receiving the award. “But I think the hardest thing after COVID was a lot of people realized that maybe they need to get help and not just help, but that you deserve that help.”

Biles discusses her ‘twisties’ scare

Biles withdrew from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics while suffering from the “twisties.” It’s a mental block that “disconnects” your mind and body, causing you to lose track of your position midair, she said. For Biles, who described herself like a cat with nine lives, nearly always landing on her feet, it was a scary and dangerous situation.

The gymnast at the time was also preparing to testify at a U.S. Senate hearing about the FBI’s mishandling of the Larry Nassar sexual abuse investigation. Biles is one of more than 150 athletes who said the former USA Gymnastics team doctor sexually abused them under the guise of providing medical treatment. More than 100 women, including Biles, are seeking more than $1 billion from the FBI over its mishandling of the investigation. Nassar is serving decades in prison.

Biles is in the midst of a comeback after her two-year mental health break, though she didn’t think she was “going to compete at all this year.” In October, Biles had another gymnastic move — Yurchenko double pike — named for her (Biles II) after becoming the first woman to perform the difficult skill during a world competition.

The most decorated gymnast in history said she’s still working on herself, too. She talks with her therapist every Thursday and is taking anxiety medication. And she’s encouraging people to give themselves “grace” and know it’s “OK to not be OK” and get help.

Timbaland reflects on his wellness journey

Mulit-Grammy award-winning producer Timbaland, who has worked with artists including Beyonce, Missy Elliott, Justin Timberlake, Madonna and Katy Perry also participated in a summit panel. He discussed his journey to wellness, including how he overcame his addiction to Oxycontin and Percocet, and lost 130 pounds with the help of a Miami trainer.

The producer, whose real name is Timothy Mosley, was initially prescribed painkillers following a root canal and began to depend on them. Pain from an old wound in his arm — he was accidentally shot while working at Red Lobster as a teen — led to more pills. The pills were an “escape” from the problems in his life, he said. The pills also caused him to gain weight, up to 350 pounds and led to prediabetes. It wasn’t until he had a dream one night where he saw himself dead, that he realized he needed to make a change, for himself and for his kids, he said.

God, he said, helped him through the withdrawals, which were “one of the worst pains” he’s ever experienced. He began boxing and eating healthier.

“When I stopped focusing on the belly part, it just disappeared,” Timbaland said when talking about his weight loss. He tends to focus more on the “pant size” rather then the scale because “your clothes don’t lie,” he quipped. He said it’s more important to be at a weight that helps him feel healthy and good, rather then focus on the pounds.

“Let me worry about how I feel, because a person could look great and not feel good,” he said.

Timbaland is also focusing on a new venture: wellness music. He’s partnering with Myndstream, a company that specializes in wellness music, to create tunes that will impact the health and well-being of listeners.

Timbaland said his music is already played at clubs. Now, he wants you to hear it in spas, too.

To learn more

▪ To learn more about the summit, visit globalwellnesssummit.com