• Latest
  • All
Simone Biles: the “twisties” on abortion

Simone Biles: the “twisties” on abortion

August 12, 2021
Texas arrests eight people in connection to illegal abortion activities

Texas arrests eight people in connection to illegal abortion activities

October 9, 2025
This image was originally posted to Flickr by mroach at https://flickr.com/photos/73569497@N00/247710031 (archive). It was reviewed on 20 April 2018 by FlickreviewR 2 and was confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-sa-2.0.

This Day in Conservative History: Fox News launches

October 8, 2025
Documentary exposes leftist takeover of schools

Documentary exposes leftist takeover of schools

October 8, 2025
Bishop Thomas delivers strong rebuke of FDA approval of abortion drug

Bishop Thomas delivers strong rebuke of FDA approval of abortion drug

October 8, 2025
Radical leftist arrested for attempted bombing of Catholic mass

Radical leftist arrested for attempted bombing of Catholic mass

October 8, 2025
Nigerian Angelican Church announces break with Canterbury over liberal female bishop

Nigerian Angelican Church announces break with Canterbury over liberal female bishop

October 8, 2025
This Day in Conservative History: The Battle of Lepanto

This Day in Conservative History: The Battle of Lepanto

October 7, 2025
Spanish socialists push for constitutional “right” to abortion

Spanish socialists push for constitutional “right” to abortion

October 7, 2025
Report reveals sinister trans-activist network in European Union

Report reveals sinister trans-activist network in European Union

October 7, 2025
Vienna March for Life terrorized with fake bomb threat

Vienna March for Life terrorized with fake bomb threat

October 7, 2025
  • About iFamNews
  • Contact

Navigation Button Subscribe

  • Subscribe
October 9, 2025
  • Login
  • Register
No Result
View All Result
  • English
    • Italiano
    • Español
    • Français
    • Deutsch
    • Polski
    • српски
    • Русский
    • Hrvatski

Navigation Button Donate

  • Donate
International Family News Network (IFN)
  • Home
  • Opinion
  • Life
  • Family
  • Culture
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Science
  • Shows
  • Petitions
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
International Family News Network (IFN)
  • Home
  • Opinion
  • Life
  • Family
  • Culture
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Science
  • Shows
  • Petitions
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
International Family News Network (IFN)
No Result
View All Result

Simone Biles: the “twisties” on abortion

Damian Goddard by Damian Goddard
August 12, 2021
in Foreground, Life, Opinion
2.9k
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0
Simone Biles: the “twisties” on abortion
Share on FacebookShare on WhatsAppShare on TelegramShare on TwitterShare on WeChat

In baseball, it’s called the “yips”.

Steve Sax had it. The Dodgers second baseman, one season, simply could not throw the ball to first base. Later, Rick Ankiel and Jarrod Saltalamacchia went next level “yip”.

For the average-joe ball fan, it’s just plain weird. How can athletes–least of all professional ones–just… lose it?

But for the pro athlete whose livelihood depends on sound body and mind, it’s not weird. It’s scary. It’s a real psychological dilemma that has been known to hit athletes of all stripes and colours. All-star hockey goaltenders one day find themselves “fighting the puck”. A basketball player can spin off two defenders and swish 18-foot fadeaways, but then goes Cindy Brady when setting up for a comparatively simply free throw.

Baseball has “yips”. Gymnastics has “twisties”.

And I’ll admit, I was immediately suspicious of Simone Biles’ pulling out of the team competition at the Tokyo Olympics. I had younger sisters do high-level gymnastics. I have a sister-in-law who was an Olympic broadcaster in gymnastics. My wife is a former national team rhythmic gymnast who coaches recreational gymnastics. I’m a former network tv sports broadcaster. But I had never heard of the “twisties” until a couple of weeks ago.

Listen, I’m not here to pile on a culture that seems dead-set on pinning ‘mental health survivor’ badges on lapels. Nor will I ever argue that the “yips” are akin to the Yurchenko double-pike “twisties”. I will, however, underline that pressure to perform can certainly cause stress on one’s mental state. But then heck, that is the very essence of sport, isn’t it?

Biles pulled out of the biggest competition in the world to tend to her “mindfulness“. Okay. Fine. But how about Jordan Chiles’ mindfulness? Imagine the mental gymnastics she had to pull off when one minute she’s a cheerleader, and the next she’s being called on–in a minute’s notice, mind you!–that she’ll have to fill in for the greatest gymnast of all time. On uneven bars and beam. On the biggest stage she’ll ever compete in. And in front of a worldwide audience.

But nary a peep was made by anyone of the heroic mental toughness Chiles displayed (and teammate Sunisa Lee who stepped in for Biles on floor in the team event) in helping the USA earn silver in the team competition.

And how about Chinese diver Quan Hongchan? Lots was made about the gold medallist scoring perfect 10s by all seven judges in her second and fourth dives of the five-round competition. But tell me about this 14-year old’s mental state, climbing up the ladder, walking out on the 10-meter high platform, and processing what a gold medal would mean to her family. Oh, did I mention her family was mired in poverty, surviving on the meagre salary of her orange-farming father?… and that Quan’s mother has been ill for years, following a serious car accident in 2017?

But there’s something worse than fighting the “twisties” or “yips”. And that is supporting objective, intrinsic, moral evil. And Biles backflipped into precisely that, this week.

“I already know this is going to start the biggest argument & may even lose followers BUT I’m very much pro-choice”, boasted Biles in an Instagram post August 10th which has not been deleted. Now that’s conviction.

“Your body, your choice”, she says. That old, worn-out canard.

Biles says she’s Catholic. Biles proclaims prayer is a part of her life. And somewhere deep in her heart, I have to believe that Biles truly is thankful to God for all the blessings that have come her way. Those blessings would include adoptive parents who were actually her biological grandfather and his wife who cared for Simone and her younger sister as foster parents. You see, tragically, mother Nellie was too strung out on drugs and alcohol to care for her own children.

But Simone says her grandparents gave her “a second shot at life”.

The irony.

Nay, the utter tragedy.

Sadly, we simple–and oft-times stupid–human beings take way too much for granted. Watching our kids play at the park. Having a friend over for coffee. Relaxing with a good book. Or just gazing at a magnificent sunset.

But Simone Biles stands as a reminder to all of us–”And unto whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required: and to whom they have committed much, of him they will demand the more.” And if Simone has even a shred of true Catholicism lurking in that heart of hers, she will wake up to the realization that you cannot serve social media followers. You must serve the God you profess to love and honor. There is simply too much at stake: your soul, and the souls of countless others who see you for the magnificent athletic specimen you are.

The Instagram post should also serve as a reminder to all of us fighting for truth that we must stand strong in the face of rampant Godlessness.

And when you’re down with that, also take a moment to be thankful that one Quan Hongchan wasn’t–like millions upon millions of other Chinese children–an abortion statistic.

Tags: AbortionCatholicChristianityOlympicsprolifeQuan HongchanSimone BilesTokyo 2020
Damian Goddard

Damian Goddard

Damian Goddard is a veteran television, radio, and internet broadcaster who garnered international headlines in May 2011 after taking to Twitter in defence of "the traditional and TRUE meaning of marriage".  Not twenty four hours after delivering the tweet, he was fired from his job as anchor for Rogers Sportsnet; one of Canada's two network sports broadcasters.  Damian's extensive broadcast experience also includes work as a news anchor at Sun News Network, a talkshow host at NewsTalk 1010 CFRB in Toronto, and ample experience in the sports realm working for the CBC, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (lead host at Raptors NBA TV and LeafsTV), and The Fan 590 in Toronto.  A history major with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario and a devout Roman Catholic, Damian is passionate about world and cultural affairs, the history and future of the Catholic Church, and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Discussion about this post

Popular News

  • Homosexual throple allowed to adopt child in Canada

    Homosexual throple allowed to adopt child in Canada

    0 shares 504 VIEWS
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • 75-year-old woman arrested again outside of abortion clinic in Scotland

    0 shares 282 VIEWS
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Jimmy Kimmel’s crocodile tears aren’t fooling anyone

    0 shares 238 VIEWS
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Slovakia enshrines gender as male and female in constitution

    0 shares 196 VIEWS
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Former Soros fund manager indicted on sex trafficking charges

    0 shares 193 VIEWS
    Share 0 Tweet 0

IFN – International Family News Network

© 2022 IFN – International Family News - All Rights Reserved.

Quick Links

  • About iFamNews
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
Subscribe

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Opinion
  • Life
  • Family
  • Culture
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Science
  • Shows
  • Petitions
  • Subscribe
  • Donate

  • en English
  • it Italiano
  • es Español
  • fr Français
  • de Deutsch
  • pl Polski
  • sr српски
  • ru Русский
  • hr Hrvatski
  • Login
  • Sign Up

© 2022 IFN – International Family News - All Rights Reserved.