Simone Biles Fan

Biles is Best, But Don’t Sleep on the Rest

It was no surprise to see Simone Biles top the all-around standings on the first day of competition at this year’s U.S. Championships.

Biles, the five-time Olympic medalist and ten-time world champion who returned to competition less than a month ago at the U.S. Classic in Columbus, had a commanding 3.1-point lead coming out of the first day of competition, becoming the first gymnast this quad to…

After being diagnosed with a fractured sternum, muscle strains and other subsequent back and neck irritation from the trauma, she needed time off to heal.

“I thought that was a sign for me to retire. I had a meeting with Donna Strauss (Parkettes owner and Frazier’s coach) and we talked it over,” Frazier said. “I said that I don’t think my body can take it anymore, and I wanted to go to college. She was disappointed, but I was, too. I cried and was just so emotional. I wrote her this twelve page note about how much I appreciated everything she did for me. I knew she wanted to take me through to Worlds, so that was just so hard. We spent four years together. She made me who I am today, and you can’t say thanks enough for that.”

She still went to the gym, but everything hurt. She couldn’t do handstands, and she could barely run. Even punching hurt. Daily tasks like lifting her arms over her head to do her hair was intolerable.

“Every time I tried something, the next day would just be worse, but I couldn’t just sit around… my mind wouldn’t let me,” Frazier said.

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Word traveled to the new Women’s High Performance Team Coordinator, Tom Forster, about Frazier’s elite retirement plans. A phone call came soon thereafter.

“Tom called and said, ‘Hi Marz. I heard about your plan to retire, but we really need some seniors for 2018-2019.’  I said, ‘Tom, I already retired.’ Forster said, ‘Well, I talked to your college coaches already, and they are on board.’”

Frazier’s next question was one of respect… “Do the Strausses and other Parkettes coaches know? ”