MUMBAI: Taylor Swift knows firsthand that “It’s Nice to Have a Friend.”
And this week, she was just that for Simone Biles, who proved she’s just as human as the rest of us by prioritizing her mental health and stepping away from numerous gymnastics finals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
On Aug. 3, Simone made her return to the Olympic stage for the balance beam competition. To celebrate, the Lover artist recorded a special message that hyped up both Simone and her fans at home.
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Set to Taylor’s 2020 song “This is Me Trying,” the dramatic NBC clip saw the four-time gold medalist preparing for her turn on the balance beam. Taylor narrated, “When you have the attention of the world, everything you do takes on a bigger meaning. It can be a heavy burden. It can be a chance to change everything.”
It cut to a video of Simone at a press conference, explaining that she’s “putting mental health first, because it shows how strong of a competitor and person that you really are.”
Taylor reflected, “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. Simone Biles. Back on the beam. In Tokyo.”
Simone herself was incredibly moved by the message. “I’m crying,” she tweeted after watching the video, which was titled “Trying.” The 24-year-old athlete wrote, “how special. I love you @taylorswift13.”
Miss Swift responded to Simone’s tweet less than 30 minutes later—fangirling right back at her. “I cried watching YOU,” the Grammy winner told the gymnastics champ. “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.”
Annddd now we’re all crying.
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
