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It\u2019s official: Simone Biles<\/a> is returning to the competition floor for the primary time for the reason that Tokyo Olympics\u2014but not without some mental preparation.<\/p>\n In June, a USA Gymnastics press release<\/a> announced that the 26-year-old will compete on the 2023 US Classic in August alongside fellow Olympic gold medalist Suni Lee and 2020 Olympic floor champion Jade Carey, amongst other medalists. Biles confirmed the news on Twitter<\/a>, writing that she\u2019s \u201coverwhelmed\u201d by fans\u2019 support and \u201cexcited to get back.\u201d<\/p>\n In honor of the announcement, Biles recently hosted an Instagram Story Q&A, per People<\/em><\/a>,<\/em> and when a fan asked her how she\u2019s \u201chandling the mental side\u201d of her comeback, she answered truthfully.<\/p>\n \u201cNumerous therapy,\u201d she reportedly wrote. \u201cI’m going once per week for nearly two hours. I\u2019ve had a lot trauma, so having the ability to work on among the traumas<\/a> and work on healing is a blessing.\u201d<\/p>\n On the pandemic-postponed Tokyo games in 2021, Biles withdrew from the US women\u2019s gymnastics team all-around final after making some rare mistakes within the qualifying round. Although she did return to earn bronze<\/a> on the balance beam, she later attributed her errors to a case of the twisties<\/a>, which occurs when an athlete\u2019s mind and body have a disconnect midair, leading to a potentially dangerous lack of muscle memory and spatial awareness, SELF previously reported. She also cited the necessity to concentrate on her mental health.<\/p>\n In a post-games interview with Today<\/a>, Biles connected the severity of her twisties to longtime repression of being sexually abused by former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar<\/a>. \u201cOver time, after suppressing so many emotions and putting up a front on a worldwide scene, I feel really all of that got here to light,\u201d she said. \u201cMy body and my mind allowed me to suppress all of that stuff for thus a few years for so long as it could take. And as soon as we stepped on the Olympics scene, it just decided it couldn\u2019t do it anymore, and it cracked.\u201d<\/p>\n Since then, Biles has continued to talk candidly about her withdrawal and has change into one among skilled sports\u2019 top mental health advocates. \u201cIt\u2019s difficult to speak about the way you\u2019re doing mentally because it\u2019s an invisible injury,\u201d she told Good Housekeeping<\/em><\/a> last yr. \u201cPeople can\u2019t see it, so it\u2019s harder to grasp, but I feel that\u2019s why it\u2019s so necessary we feel empowered to open up about it.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2021, Biles admitted to Today that she was \u201cstill scared\u201d to do certain gymnastics moves, but therapy, time, and the support of family, friends, and fans have fueled her imminent return. In her Q&A, she recalled discovering the game on a day care field trip. \u201cI immediately fell in love,\u201d she wrote. \u201cAnd have done it ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n Related:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n