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U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady (R-The Woodlands) took to Twitter to congratulate Simone Biles after she came back to Olympic competition this week.
"So proud of the #GOAT @Simone_Biles for bringing home a bronze medal! Simone is a leader, both on and off the floor, and her willingness to put her mental health first is inspirational. Thank you for representing #TX08 and @TeamUSA,” he wrote.
Perhaps no Olympian has received as much media attention than local Spring gymnast Simone Biles, who withdrew from several events last week, and came back to win a bronze medal.
Biles withdrew from several gymnastics events last after she said she had case of what gymnasts call the “twisties," where your mind and body aren’t aligning in order to properly execute gymnastic maneuvers.
The 24-year-old Biles did not compete in the women's team final and other individual events in order to focus on her mental health. She recovered in time to compete in the balance beam for Team USA.
She scored a 14.000 on the balance beam to collect the bronze medal, adding to her extremely decorated career.
The medal gave Biles her seventh career Olympic medal, which tied Shannon Miller's record for the most by any athlete in gymnastics in Team USA history, according to ESPN.
Having to withdraw from competition and focus on her mental health wasn’t Biles' only setback as her paternal aunt died unexpectedly during the Tokyo Games.
Biles told CBS News that despite the fanfare that came with being an Olympic athlete, they struggle with everyday issues just like normal people.
There are things going on behind the scenes that people have no idea about, she said.
"At the end of the day, people don't understand what we are going through," she said. "Two days ago, I woke up and my aunt unexpectedly passed, and it wasn't any easier being here at the Olympic Games."
Although she didn’t compete in her scheduled events, Biles was seen on the sidelines of Team USA’s gymnastic events supporting and cheering on her teammates.