Photo: (Left) Toglenn, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (Right) Secretaría de Deportes, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Last week, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles garnered much attention when she decided to withdraw from several of her scheduled events in the Tokyo 2020 Games due to her mental health. Many people showed overwhelming support for the talented athlete, although others were skeptical and criticized her decision. Ahead of her Tuesday return to compete in the balance beam final, NBC Olympics posted a heartwarming tribute video on Twitter in honor of Biles. The clip was narrated by pop singer Taylor Swift over a backtrack of a song from her recent album Folklore called this is me trying.
“When you have the attention of the world, everything you do takes on a bigger meaning,” Swift says in the video. “It can be a heavy burden. It can be a chance to change everything. Throughout the last week, her voice has been as significant as her talents. Her honesty as beautiful as the perfection that had long been her signature. But don’t you see? It still is. She’s perfectly human, and that’s what makes it so easy to call her a hero.”
Biles responded to Swift’s glowing tribute, tweeting at the artist, “I’m crying, how special.” The Folklore singer tweeted an equally touching response. “I cried watching YOU,” Swift replied. “I feel so lucky to have gotten to watch you all these years, but this week was a lesson in emotional intelligence and resilience. We all learned from you. Thank you.”
It’s not every day that a world-famous musician calls you a hero. And it’s even less common for the honor to be so fitting. Though some may disagree with Biles’ actions during the Tokyo Olympics, the courage and determination it took to prioritize her mental health while still pushing herself to return and compete in her final event are truly inspirational.
Taylor Swift narrated a heartwarming tribute video for Simone Biles ahead of her return to the Tokyo Olympics.
Her voice has been as significant as her talents.
Her honesty as beautiful as the perfection that has long been her signature.@taylorswift13 gets us ready to watch @simone_biles on the beam.
Tonight. 8 p.m. ET. NBC and https://t.co/FmEtvutDRA. pic.twitter.com/80OMD6hI9X
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) August 3, 2021
Following the video, the two shared a touching exchange on Twitter.
I’m crying 🥺🤍 how special. I love you @taylorswift13 https://t.co/px9RXtKHNI
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) August 3, 2021
I cried watching YOU. I feel so lucky to have gotten to watch you all these years, but this week was a lesson in emotional intelligence and resilience. We all learned from you. Thank you. https://t.co/VQxyeEf0mJ
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) August 3, 2021
Taylor Swift: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Simone Biles: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
h/t: [Rolling Stone]
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