Simone Biles to speak at Pa. Conference for Women

Olympic champion Simone Biles, considered by many to be the greatest gymnast of all time and a role model for mental health, has been booked to speak at the Pennsylvania Conference for Women in November.

The theme is “Stronger. Wiser. Braver” and organizers say it speaks to how women like Biles have overcome pressures in recent years. This year’s 18th annual conference is a virtual event scheduled for Nov. 10.

Going into this year’s Olympics, Biles had won four gymnastics gold medals at the games and 19 at the World Championships.

But at the Tokyo games, Biles withdrew from the team and all-around finals to focus on her mental health. She later pulled out of the finals for the vault, uneven bars and floor exercise.

Biles said she did not feel mentally capable of competing.

She received an outpouring of support from around the world and said it made her realize, “I’m more than my accomplishments and gymnastics, which I never truly believed before.”

USA gymnastics issued a statement at the time.

“We remain in awe of Simone, who continues to handle this situation with courage and grace.”

Biles returned to competition on the balance beam. She went on to win a bronze medal in her last chance to get on the podium for the 2020 Olympics.

The Pennsylvania Conference for Women is billed as the largest conference for women in the state.

The keynote speakers are award-winning actress and mental health advocate Glenn Close, award-winning actress, producer, and equal rights advocate Laverne Cox, and researcher and storyteller Brene Brown.

This year’s event is focusing on issues affecting women as a result of covid-19, including getting back to work, handling work-life balance, and prioritizing mental health.

For ticket and other information go online to the Pennsylvania Conference for Women website.