Simone Biles, America’s most decorated gymnast recently made the cover of Vogue’s August issue. Photographed by Annie Liebovitz, Simone strikes powerful yet graceful poses on the cover.

On the inside, she shares how she coped with depression during the s*xual abuse scandal. She also spoke of the depression she fell into. She had blocked it out at some point, but decided to open up about it in January 2018,

 

“For me, it was a weight that I carried so heavily on my chest, so I felt like, if I shared it with people, then it would be a relief for me,” Biles told the magazine “And I knew that by sharing my story, I would help other survivors feel comfortable and safe in coming forward.”

In 2016, over 368 athletes alleged the they’ve been s*xually abused “by gym owners, coaches, and staff working for gymnastics programs across the country”

Particularly, longtime USA Gymnastics (USAG)  doctor was in over 100 legal suits for s*xual abusing athletes under the guise of providing medical assistance.

“I was very depressed,” the 23-year-old said.

“At one point I slept so much because, for me, it was the closest thing to death without harming myself. It was an escape from all of my thoughts, from the world, from what I was dealing with. It was a really dark time.”

Nassar was sentenced to 175 years in jail.

In January, USAG offered Nassar’s victims, including Simone Biles, a $215 million settlement. But Biles says it won’t address the wrongs they have been done

“We need to figure out why it happened, when it happened, and who knew what, when,” Biles said. “We can’t feel comfortable promoting our sport if we fear that something might happen like this again because they’re not doing their part,” she continued, referring to USAG and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

She also spoke up about some racist experiences she faced as a young black athlete.

 

“They focused on my hair. They focused on how big my legs were,” she said speaking of the girls she encountered at an all-white gym in Manhattan.

 

“But God made me this way. And I feel like if I didn’t have these legs or these calves, I wouldn’t be able to tumble as high as I can and have all of these moves named after me.”

 

Simone Biles also discussed the serious ‘need for change’ in society. She said she didn’t see a lot of black gymnasts while growing up and this inspired her to do more.

 

“Growing up, I didn’t see very many Black gymnasts. So whenever I did, I felt really inspired to go out there and want to be as good as them,’ she explained.  ” I remember watching Gabby Douglas win the 2012 Olympics, and I was like, If she can do it, I can do it.”

Speaking on the Black Lives Matter protests, Simone says it’s been a long time coming. “We need change. We need justice for the Black community,'” she said.

 

‘With the peaceful protests it’s the start of change, but it’s sad that it took all of this for people to listen. Racism and injustice have existed for years with the Black community. How many times has this happened before we had cell phones?‘

 

She also revealed the end of her first serious relationship with fellow gymnast Stacey Ervin Jr. Speaking of the breakup of the three-year-long relationship, Simone Biles said it was “for the best”.