PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — "You can't win at all costs if you're not healthy."
The words of Dr. Monique Howard, a vocal advocate for women's health, reflect the stories coming out of the Tokyo Olympics that transcend gold medal counts.
Athletes on the world stage are increasingly standing up for women, their mental health, and their right to compete without being sexually objectified.
"They're not our personal performers," said Howard.
She explains there were many factors at play when American gymnast and four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles chose to prioritize her mental health over going after her next prize.
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"The COVID-19 years, or the racial injustice and the political and social unrest that we've seen have, also supported setting a stage for people to voice this dissatisfaction," Dr. Howard explained.
Biles has joined a growing chorus of Olympic athletes, overwhelmingly women, who are saying it's OK not to be OK. Howard said she commends Biles because of the example she set for others in all walks of life.
"If anyone wants to set boundaries at their job around being mistreated and taking care of themselves, you can do so," said Howard.
Dr. Erica Wilkins, program director of the couple and family therapy program at Thomas Jefferson University, said it's particularly significant that Biles is a Black woman.
"Specifically in this country, there's such a legacy of Black women carrying work for many people to their own neglect. And this is dating back to slavery," Wilkins said.
"When I think about these athletes and the fact that they trained during the pandemic, during a time when there was heightened awareness of racial injustice, I imagine that [the strain on] their mental health was exacerbated even more!"
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"I think what's new is that it's happening on such a large world stage," Wilkins added.
As a result, Howard said, some people are no longer willing to sacrifice themselves for their achievements, neither at the Olympics nor at other jobs.
"This isn't about quitting. This is about being able to continue, and continue longer," she said.
"One of the impacts will be that you can say no, and the aftermath of no is not a bad thing."
Wilkins said these acts of defiance in the face of racism and sexism aren't likely to totally end injustice in sports, but these examples could help the discussion move beyond the athletic arena.
"I do think that this moves the needle, and even if it moves it just a little bit, that's positive and hopeful," she said.
"It's pushing the conversation forward. I'm hoping it pushes the conversation forward in really healthy ways. Change rarely happens in broad, sweeping strokes, and so I think that this is another trickle of movement, hopefully in the right way."