I support both women’s decision to honor their mental health over pleasing America. I saw the derailment coming with Biles who looked so miserable during the Olympics - it was palpable. I feel both are even more of a champion for listening to their own voice, their intuition. Being true to yourself is extremely brave. What courage!

They are living women with interior lives so rich, we would weep if we knew them. Moreover, they are young women, still years away from the greatest adventures of their lives. If stepping away from the stage—and our ever-encroaching spotlight—is what they need to do to live another day, how can we possibly argue for anything else?