One of my favorite quotes declares, “Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape.” Watching the Olympic gymnasts compete in Tokyohas been a stark reminder of how inflexible I am. This year, four-time gold medalist Simone Biles has once again stretched her way into our hearts but for different reasons. Over the past few Olympic seasons Biles has inarguably become the GOAT (greatest of all time) in her sport but due to medical issues was forced to withdraw from the Women’s Gymnastics Team finals proving she is human after all.
If you are unfamiliar with her story, Simone has faced many obstacles throughout her life. At the age of three, Simone’s grandparents adopted her because of her mother’s struggle with addiction and inability to care for her children. Simone quickly settled into her new life just outside of Houston, Texas. At the age of six, Simone’s school went on a field trip to a local gym where girls were practicing their routines. Little Simone Biles immediately began to copy their moves and thus started her gymnastics career.
By the age of 16, Biles was known around U.S. gyms but had yet to make an impact on the world gymnastics scene. In events leading up to the 2013 World Championships, Simone did so poorly that no one, including herself, thought she would ever amount to anything on the world circuit. However, later the same year she had one of the most impressive wins of her career positioning her for Olympic greatness. In an interview on NBC Simone stated,“One of my proudest moments was probably 2013 Worlds, because I proved to myself that I could do things that I didn’t think I could.”
When we face obstacles with a flexible attitude, we too can position ourselves for greatness. We may not influence as many people as Simone Biles but we all lead someone. Try to be more flexible when facing challenges, the next Olympic champion might be watching.
Join us this Sunday morning at First Baptist Church of Dimmitt, 1201 Western Circle Drive. Small groups meet at 9:30am and worship is at 10:30am. See you Sunday!