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By Elaine Lies
TOKYO (Reuters) – In Tokyo for the Olympics, but unable to go anywhere other than her hotel and training sessions, reigning Olympic all-round gymnastics champion Simone Biles sent a call one recent afternoon: ” Tell me a secret – I’m bored. “
Her 4.4 million Instagram followers answered everything from personal issues to how they skipped school, prompting 24-year-old Biles to give life advice and reactions accompanied by heartfelt selfies.
A post saying, “I have one of my closest friends muted on Instagram because she posts the dumbest stuff,” got a serious Biles looking straight at the camera and agreeing, “Me too. ‘is necessary.”
Others said they lost their sense of smell, received a secret inheritance, and received surprise gifts for their mother. One person even confessed that she was pregnant – to which Biles responded with a big smile and “Congratulations!”
But some messages were more serious.
“I still haven’t told my dad I was gay, even though everyone in my family knows that,” one person wrote.
A thoughtful Biles replied, “Tell him, be free, be yourself. I support you,” adding, “For all those who find it difficult to tell their family or friends about it, know that I will welcome you. always with open arms on my page and my platforms. “
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics – postponed for one year – are being held under strict protocols, including daily viral testing for athletes, to prevent further spread in a country where most of people have yet to receive a vaccine and still want the Games canceled or postponed again.
Biles, who has won all all-around competitions she’s entered since 2013, won five medals in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, including all-around gold, and is expected to improve in Tokyo.
(Reporting by Elaine Lies; Editing by Karishma Singh)
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