Taylor Swift has made an earnest tribute to gymnast Simone Biles, calling her a "hero" following her bronze medal win for her balance beam routine at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday (August 3).
The pop singer narrated a video shared by NBC Olympics that aired ahead of the network's broadcast later that evening. Biles promptly responded to the video on Twitter, saying it brought her to tears.
Set to Swift's folklore track, "this is me trying," the tribute begins by Swift asking: "What do we want from our heroes? What do we expect from them? What do we need from them? What happens when they surprise us?"
Swift continues: "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."
The clip shows Biles vault performance and her cheering on her teammates, and discusses the need to put "mental health first because it shows how strong of a competitor, a person that you really are."
Biles withdrew from last week's team final, citing the need to prioritize her mental health, which garnered mixed emotions from the public.
"Throughout the last week, her voice has been as significant as her talents. Her honesty is as beautiful as the perfection that had long been her signature," Swift notes in the clip. "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."
After the video clip was shared on Twitter, Biles responded "I'm crying. how special. I love you [Taylor Swift]."
Very quickly, Swift responded to Biles, and wrote, "I cried watching YOU. 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."
The pop singer narrated a video shared by NBC Olympics that aired ahead of the network's broadcast later that evening. Biles promptly responded to the video on Twitter, saying it brought her to tears.
Set to Swift's folklore track, "this is me trying," the tribute begins by Swift asking: "What do we want from our heroes? What do we expect from them? What do we need from them? What happens when they surprise us?"
Swift continues: "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."
The clip shows Biles vault performance and her cheering on her teammates, and discusses the need to put "mental health first because it shows how strong of a competitor, a person that you really are."
Biles withdrew from last week's team final, citing the need to prioritize her mental health, which garnered mixed emotions from the public.
"Throughout the last week, her voice has been as significant as her talents. Her honesty is as beautiful as the perfection that had long been her signature," Swift notes in the clip. "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."
After the video clip was shared on Twitter, Biles responded "I'm crying. how special. I love you [Taylor Swift]."
Very quickly, Swift responded to Biles, and wrote, "I cried watching YOU. 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."
After her decision not to compete in last week's Olympics events, many celebrities — including Michelle Obama and Justin Bieber — have also spoken in support of Biles.
