“You are exactly where you should be, so stand in that and own it”: Simone Biles’ Kelly Lecture
By Alexandriana Davis
“The GOAT is in the house!”
President Evans' words rang throughout the O’Shaughnessy building as she welcomed this year’s Bonnie Jean Kelly and Joan Kelly Distinguished Visiting Scholar, Simone Biles, onto the stage. The entire room of over 1,700 people erupted into applause, and before taking her seat, Biles stood to take in the standing ovation. The entire room was filled with a buzzing, chattering excitement. Hundreds of people across Minnesota had made their way to St. Catherine University to hear what the most decorated gymnast in history had to say.
Biles is widely regarded as the greatest athlete of all time, with 41 medals across World Championships and the Olympic Games. A three-time Olympian, Biles has 11 Olympic medals and seven Olympic gold medals, the most by any U.S. gymnast. She holds 30 World Championship medals and 23 gold medals, the most in gymnastics history. Biles has earned the rare distinction of having five skills named in her honor on the beam, floor (two), and vault (two), all known as “The Biles.” “Courage to Soar,” Biles’ autobiography, is a New York Times bestseller and was developed into an award-winning TV special on Lifetime. Her Snap Originals series, Daring Simone Biles, received an NAACP Image Award. Biles is an ambassador for Friends of the Children and uses her platform to advocate for change and support initiatives benefiting children and young adults involved in adoption and foster care. Her accomplishments and influence have received widespread recognition, including being the youngest recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Forbes’ 30 Under 30, TIME’s 100 Most Influential People, People’s Women Changing the World, and USA Today’s 100 Women of the Century. As a historically women’s college with the mission to “Lead and Influence,” St. Catherine University aligns with Biles’s leadership, influence, and values, which is what brought Biles to the O’Shaughnessy stage as this year’s Kelly Lecture.
After the audience settled down, President Evans, moderator for the Kelly Lecture, sat down across from Simone Biles to ask Biles questions relevant to the St. Catherine University community. Throughout the Kelly Lecture, one of the primary topics Biles touched upon was relatability. She explained that all of her accomplishments originally made her unrelatable to her audience, and she struggled with how others defined her success. One moment that changed this narrative for her was at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. At the Tokyo Olympics, she withdrew from the team final and four individual events after experiencing “the twisties” (a mental block in which gymnasts lose spatial awareness while in the air).
“After Tokyo, I was walking around, and I felt really ashamed,” Biles said. Biles felt as if she had let down not just herself, but her team, and the millions of people who were watching and cheering her on. What she didn’t realize was that by prioritizing her mental and physical health, she had started a global conversation. “People were coming up to me on the streets, thanking me for the global conversation I had started,” she said. “It was the first time I felt I was worth more than gold.”
This change altered not only how Simone Biles was viewed by the world, but also how she viewed herself. She began to prioritize taking breaks, giving herself grace, and saying “no.” This changed how she engaged with the gym and gymnastics as a whole. Biles also spoke about how this influenced her approach to social media platforms. In a world where everyone is trying to “sculpt their image on social media,” Biles tries to remain authentic and true to herself: “who you see is who you get.” Biles felt relatability was especially important to avoid being placed on a pedestal and to show the world that everyone needs to prioritize and take care of themselves.
Beyond relatability, Biles discussed how her identity shaped her into who she is today. She reflected on her gratitude, as “Women who look exactly like me have paved the way for me.” While, in many senses, Biles is a trailblazer, she wanted to make it clear that many Black women before her made what she did possible. One of the moments she recalled from her childhood was “watching Gabby Douglas on the TV.” Gabby Douglas made history in 2012 by becoming the first Black gymnast to win an Olympic title. Seeing someone who looked like her making successful waves in gymnastics made sure she never doubted that she could do it, too. Biles said watching Douglas “shaped me immensely and gave me the power to believe.”
Biles continued in the lecture to say that her identity has shaped her advocacy work, too. Biles asserted that “There is a stigma around Black and Brown communities seeking help,” and so she wanted to make it known that “It’s okay to not be okay.” This message influences her work in foster care with Friends of the Children, a national nonprofit pairing children facing systemic obstacles with professional mentors. Specifically, at the chapter in Houston, Texas, Biles advocates for expanding educational and support initiatives for people involved in foster care and adoption. She said her own experience in foster care taught her the importance of access to support, which led her to help expand Friends of the Children from 7 to 41 chapters. Her advocacy work has influenced not just Friends of the Children but also made waves in her personal life, where her husband felt encouraged enough to go to therapy. Biles' identity work and advocacy have broken barriers for marginalized communities, and it was clear in the Kelly Lecture that she hopes to continue alleviating obstacles and stigma surrounding access to support.
As Biles closed the Kelly lecture, she highlighted many lessons for the audience to take away. She pointed out that college is an uncertain time for many students; they are facing questions about who they are, what they are meant to do in life, and whether they are in the right place. To everyone facing a situation like this, Biles said, “You are exactly where you should be, so stand in that and own it.” It is important for each person to ground themselves, be present in the moment, and cherish where they are now. In that same vein, Biles noted how challenging it was for her to ground herself and find moments to celebrate where she was throughout her gymnastics journey. Especially for women who are taught to be humble and quiet, it can feel selfish to revel in success. Biles noticed this issue and told the audience, “I think we should celebrate our successes a little bit more and a little bit louder.” Biles said she has been trying to learn how to do that herself and hopes everyone can find the same commitment to celebrating themselves and each other in the moment. When each person takes care of themselves, cherishes where they are, and uplifts everyone around them, only then can true community be found. As Biles closed out her conversation with President Evans and exited the stage, her words rang throughout the auditorium. Biles serves as a reminder that success is not determined by medals won or accomplishments achieved; it is determined by how a person shows up for themselves and others and how they use their influence to make the world a better place.
