Radical New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) told TMZ on Tuesday that U.S.A. gymnast Simone Biles is “brave” and “a role model” for her controversial decision to drop out of the Olympics women’s team final to take care of her mental health.
“I’ve pushed through so much the last five years and the last week while I’ve even been here,” Biles told reporters after Tuesday’s event. “My mental and physical health is above all medals that I could ever win.” Biles won a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, saying it “means more than all of the golds.”
“Her bravery, I think, was a huge example to everybody,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “And her coming back to win another medal, it showed that her taking care of herself helped us… it helps you be better in the end.
“She showed that she is a role model, not just as an athlete, but a leader for just all people,” AOC continued. “Especially women, especially people who say, ‘Listen, we don’t have to choose between our performance and ourselves, and, like, our health.’ And that both of those things are one and the same.”
When the reporter said he expected to see Biles on Capitol Hill in hearings to speak about mental health, AOC replied, “That would be amazing. I hope so. We need her voice.”