In the rarefied air inhabited by world-class athletes, perfection is the presumed currency. We, the public, often project onto them an image of flawless physicality and unwavering mental fortitude. Simone Biles, the undisputed greatest gymnast of all time, has spent a career defying gravity and expectations. Yet, her most profound and perhaps most impactful performance is happening far from the mat. It’s a masterclass in radical honesty, as she openly discusses her decision to undergo three distinct plastic surgery procedures.
This isn't a quiet admission whispered in the pages of a tell-all memoir years from now. This is a deliberate, real-time reframing of the narrative around beauty, choice, and what it means to be a public figure in the 21st century. Biles is not just revealing a personal choice; she is dismantling a taboo with the same precision and power she brings to a triple-double dismount.
Beyond the Podium: The Pursuit of Relatability
For an athlete whose accomplishments are, by definition, unrelatable to 99.9% of the population, Biles has made a stunning calculation. She understands that her seven Olympic medals create a pedestal, but her personal insecurities build a bridge. Her motivation for speaking out is rooted in a desire for genuine connection, a goal she believes is better served by discussing her body image journey than her athletic dominance.
“It's just who I am and I feel like I've always tried to be open, honest and relatable,” Biles stated, articulating a core tenet of her public persona. In a moment of profound self-awareness, she posits that discussing cosmetic surgery is, in fact, more relatable than her historic achievements. While few will ever experience the pressure of an Olympic final, countless individuals grapple with insecurities, consider cosmetic enhancements, or simply desire to feel more at home in their own skin. Biles is trading the mythology of the untouchable champion for the power of shared human experience.
This strategic vulnerability is a game-changer. It challenges the long-held notion that elite athletes, particularly female athletes, must present an image of natural, effortless perfection. Biles suggests that strength is not the absence of insecurity, but the courage to address it on one's own terms.
The Anatomy of a Choice: A Procedural Breakdown
Biles’s candor extends to the specifics of her procedures, each telling a unique story about her motivations. She has been open about undergoing a breast augmentation, a lower blepharoplasty, and earlobe surgery. By detailing each one, she demystifies the process and asserts that these choices were not a monolithic response to a single insecurity, but rather a series of considered decisions.
- Lower Blepharoplasty: Biles approached this topic with a characteristic blend of frankness and humor, explaining she wanted to address hereditary "eye bags." She playfully dubbed them the "Biles eye bags," a small but significant act of owning her narrative. She clarified that this was not a result of exhaustion from her grueling training schedule, but a genetic trait she personally chose to alter. This detail is crucial—it separates the decision from the demands of her profession and places it squarely in the realm of personal aesthetic choice.
- -
- Earlobe Surgery: This procedure, she revealed, was corrective rather than purely cosmetic. An earring was torn from her earlobe during her youth, necessitating a surgical repair. Including this detail is a savvy move, as it illustrates the broad spectrum of procedures that fall under the "plastic surgery" umbrella. It’s not always about augmentation or anti-aging; sometimes, it's about restoration and repair.
- -
-
Breast Augmentation: Acknowledging what is perhaps the most culturally scrutinized of the three procedures, Biles has grown more comfortable discussing it over time. She understands the public's focus, noting, “Okay, obviously you can notice the breasts.” Yet, she quickly pivots to the internal impact. “But other than that, it's just feeling good about yourself and loving yourself, and I've always been very vocal about that.” This statement is a powerful reclamation, shifting the focus from the external gaze to her internal sense of well-being
A Philosophy of Self-Improvement, Not Self-Hate
Perhaps the most critical element of Biles’s message is her clear distinction between self-improvement and body dissatisfaction. In a culture that often conflates cosmetic surgery with self-loathing, Biles offers a more nuanced and empowering perspective. Her choices were not born from a place of hating what she saw in the mirror.
“And not that I didn't like the way I looked or the way I felt,” she explained. “It's just something that I notice obviously a little bit more because I live in this body, I'm just so used to it.” This is a subtle but revolutionary idea. She suggests that one can be content with oneself and still choose to make a change. It reframes cosmetic procedures as a form of personal optimization rather than a desperate remedy for perceived flaws.
This perspective is a direct challenge to the often-punitive narrative surrounding women who choose surgery. Biles is arguing for a world where these decisions are seen as morally neutral—simply a choice available to individuals as they see fit. It’s an extension of the self-care conversation, positioning surgery as one of many tools a person might use to feel their best, alongside fitness, nutrition, and mental health practices.
A Role Model's Mandate: The Right to Choose
As one of the most visible athletes on the planet, Biles is acutely aware of her influence, particularly on young women. She doesn't shy away from the implications of her openness, instead framing it as an essential part of her responsibility as a role model. Her goal is not to encourage plastic surgery, but to champion the fundamental right to bodily autonomy.
“I also think it shows young girls that they have the right to their own choices, whatever they are, and that's no shame added as well,” she affirmed. This is the crux of her argument. In a world that relentlessly scrutinizes and legislates female bodies, Biles’s stance is a powerful declaration of agency. She is teaching a generation that their bodies are their own to define, adorn, and alter as they see fit, free from external judgment.
This message is perfectly aligned with her broader advocacy. The same courage that allowed her to prioritize her mental health at the Tokyo Olympics is at play here. In both instances, she has asserted her right to make decisions about her own body and well-being, regardless of public expectation. Her ultimate message is one of profound self-acceptance: “As long as you love yourself, that's really all that matters.”
Ultimately, Simone Biles’s revelations are about far more than surgery. They are about ownership. By candidly sharing her journey, she is taking control of her own story, destigmatizing personal choice, and redefining what it means to be a powerful, authentic woman in the public eye. She has proven, once again, that her greatest strength lies not just in how high she can fly, but in how deeply she can connect with the world when her feet are firmly on the ground.
