We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle - Simone Biles & Laurie Hernandez on Medals, Mental Health and Self-Trust

Episode Date: July 24, 2024

In anticipation of the Olympic games, today is a special encore episode of Glennon and Abby’s conversation with Simone Biles and Laurie Hernandez. Originally titled: HOW TO SAY NO with Simone Biles and Laurie Hernandez.  Discover:  1. What we can learn from Simone’s revolutionary decision at the Tokyo Olympics to choose her physical and mental health over the world’s expectations of her. 2. The tiny decisions that helped Laurie practice trusting herself again after surviving a toxic coach. 3. Why Simone, Laurie, and Abby believe their talent is both a blessing and a curse. 4. The places and times Simone and Laurie create where they have nothing to prove—to remind themselves they are human beings, not performance machines. 5. How Simone and Laurie are a big part of one of Abby and Glennon’s favorite family stories. About Simone: Simone Biles, one of the greatest gymnasts of all-time, is the first woman to capture five All-Around World Championship titles. She is the most decorated gymnast in World Championships history—male or female—with 25 medals overall (19 gold), and is a seven-time Olympic medalist (4 gold). A three-time Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year, she earned the rare distinction of having four skills named in her honor—called The Biles. Simone’s autobiography Courage to Soar is a New York Times bestseller. Simone advocates for change and supports initiatives that provide education and assistance for children and young adults associated with adoption and childcare. Instagram: @simonebiles Twitter: @Simone_Biles To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All right, welcome back to We Can Do Hard Things. And with the Olympics opening ceremonies this Friday and the US Women's National Soccer Team kicking off with their first group stage game tomorrow against Zambia, we are revisiting our 2021 conversation with Simone Biles and Laurie Hernandez. Simone is representing our country again in France. And at 27, she will be the oldest female American gymnast to compete at the Olympics in 72 years.

Did you watch her incredible performance in the Olympic qualifiers, finishing first in the all-around? I mean, she's just so good. In this episode, we talked to Simone about her revolutionary decision at the Tokyo Olympics to choose her physical and mental health over the world's expectations of her. I didn't know you could do that.

I didn't know. She taught me something in the last go-around, in the last Olympics. Thank you so much for that, Simone. And something in the last go-around in the last Olympics. Thank you so much for that, Simone. And Lori shared the tiny decisions that helped her practice trusting herself again after surviving a toxic coach. Simone Biles and Lori Hernandez are a public revolution

doing the ultimate hard thing, modeling what it looks like for women to say, world, I am worth more than what I can do for you. I am more than your experience of me. I am mine. And I will say when enough is enough, I will abandon the entire world's expectation of me before I will abandon myself.

This conversation had us asking, who do I need to disappoint so that I can finally stop disappointing myself? And I really loved when Simone said, at the end of the day, I was worth more than gold medals. I was worth more than gymnastics at the end of the day. I'm not just an athlete. I'm a human and you guys have to realize that.

God, we look forward to cheering on Simone. Join us next week when we recap the US Women's National Team's group stage games with some special guests, PS, and everything else we're looking forward to during the Olympic Games. Let's go, Simone. And because I'm mine, I walk the line.

Okay, everybody, welcome back to We Can Do Hard Things. It's happening. I just had to remind myself that I actually do not have to pee. That's just nervousness happening, but in. We have today, Lori Hernandez and Simone Biles. Oh my God!

Okay, so we are calling this show Three Goats and Also Glennon. Four goats. Four goats. Okay, so I mean, Four goats. Four goats. Okay. So, I mean, joining us today are two of the world's heroes and two of Abby and I's personal heroes. It's true.

Lori Hernandez and Simone Biles. Lori Hernandez is a second generation American as her grandparents are from Puerto Rico, making her the first US-born Latina to make the US team since 1984. Lori is an Olympic gymnast winning both gold and silver medals at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Her book, I Got This to Gold and Beyond and her children's book, She's Got This, are both New York Times bestsellers. Lori is a fierce advocate for the importance of mental health and travels the country speaking to the next generation about following their dreams because of course she does.

We love you Lori so much. And I have the great pleasure and honor to introduce Simone Biles. One of the greatest gymnasts of all time and is the first woman to capture five, count them, five all-around world championship titles. She is the most decorated gymnast in world championship history, male or female. By the way, she's got 25 medals overall and 19 of them are gold and is a seven time Olympic medalist with four gold medals. That's like a lot more than you. Oh, yeah, that's right.

Let me continue. She earned the rare distinction of having four skills named in her honor called the Biles. That's so cool. And then Simone's autobiography, Courage to Soar, is a New York Times bestseller. Simone advocates for change and supports initiatives that provide education and assistance for children and young adults associated with adoption and childcare. And so these two women, Simone and Lori, and an all-star team ofnasts are on the road this fall for the 35 City Gold Over America Tour,

showcasing their fierce talent and athletic brilliance in ways you've never seen before, their own way. Love this. The show emerges from their personal values of empowerment, friendship, positive body image, mental health awareness, and self-confidence. So before we get started and actually, you know, let Simone and Lori speak. I am going to tell a little story that you two probably don't

even know. No, they do not know. There's no way. They don't remember. But you two are the integral part of one of our favorite family stories. So here's the story. All right. When Abby was still trying to impress our children, she invited us all to go to the ESPYs with her. OK.

So for our listeners who are listening, the ESPYs are like the Oscars for Sporty Spices. OK. They give each other awards. They do all the things. Our children did not want to come until they found out that Simone Biles and Laurie Hernandez might be going. That's right.

Then it became their, the Holy grail to go to this place. They are absolutely and utterly obsessed with you too. Okay. So they came, they got so excited. They saw you from afar at the ESPYs, they died. Then the ESPYs put us in a car. A van together. I remember.

Oh! I also remember this. Yeah. You do car. A van. I remember. I also remember this. You do? Oh my gosh, our kids are gonna die. Okay, so we're sitting in the van waiting to go home and then the door opens and the fancy people put Simone Biles and Lori Hernandez in our van. Now, my girls actually can't handle their shit.

They can't breathe, they can't speak. I'm scared. Sweet Lori Hernandez turns to Tish and says, oh, hi, how are you? And Tish can't speak. She just stares at Lori Hernandez. She ghosted you. She was just like, turned away.

She says no words. So then, Lori Hernandez. She ghosted you. She was just like, turned away. She says no words. So then Lori Hernandez is so sweet that she then tries to high five Tish and Tish cannot move and leaves Lori Hernandez hanging. Hanging. Okay. But then our night is redeemed because Simone Biles turns to Chase and says, I love your shoes. Can I love your shoes. Can I have your Snapchat so I can post them?

And to this day, that's the most exciting thing that has ever happened to our family. Oh, my heart is sweet. Lori, I'm gonna start by asking you a question. I know that you are speaking about the importance of mental health on your gold over American tour right now. And I'd like to start there. You took a two year break from gymnastics after winning gold to recover for an

emotionally and verbally abusive coach and to rebuild a healthy relationship with your body. When you told your story in order to have that coach suspended so she didn't harm other athletes, you wrote about how you were constantly told that you were too sensitive and overreacting, that you were crazy for having the feelings you had. You said, for years I was taught not to listen to my body or my mind, but now I've learned to trust my gut and I know that my experience and feelings are valid. No one gets to decide those things for me. Here's to speaking up. So that, Lori, when I read that a

long time ago, is when I became your secret best friend and have been your fan ever since. So what I want our audience to know is that you are a hero of this work, the untamed work of reversing the universal gaslighting of women to keep us in our place and keep us performing. To say, nope, I'm not crazy. I know. So what does that look for you? What does that look like for you these days? To just practice trusting yourself in the world? Yeah, I think there's probably two things that has made a really big difference

over the last couple of years. One of them is just making small decisions. Making big decisions was already a big no. It was like, I'm gonna need my agent, my mom, my sister, whoever to do that for me. Like it's, I will not make a decision and God forbid, if it's wrong, I cannot handle that. I will crumble and disintegrate,

then you will never see me again. And so it just, it became making small decisions, literally like going to Target and picking out a candle or like going somewhere and picking out a shirt and going and picking out what outfit I'm going to wear for the day because those things would take me hours just because the idea of making a decision and not being able to trust myself was so heavy. And over the years, you know, kind of now realizing like then it turned into me saying, is there a way that we can make this event shorter? Is there a way that we can talk about something

else? I actually don't like this event or this day doesn't work for me and being able to say those things. It took years to get there, but that is also making a decision and trusting your gut. And it was hard to, to know that about me because I also didn't know who I was. I didn't know that I wanted that day off. I didn't know that that was an option that I could ask for. Or I didn't know that, I don't know, maybe I wanted to talk about certain things for a really long time and there are other things

that I'm just not interested in and I can tell somebody that. And so it took a lot of time to get there, but overall just making little decisions, I think is what kickstarted that. And so it took a lot of time to get there, but overall just making little decisions, I think, is what kickstarted that. Oh, I love that so much. So Simone, you also famously chose your physical and mental health over the world's expectations of you and your performance from when you withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics. So a little

story, my wife, she immediately understood, she often does, that it was the bravest and most revolutionary thing on earth. And she started talking about it and how you had just begun this revolution of women finally speaking up for themselves. And I really wanted to feel what Glennon was feeling, but I couldn't. And I felt weird. So what ended up happening is I went on a run and on that run I realized that what I felt when I watched you do that was jealousy. And I don't know if many people would relate or could relate, but to watch you and women like Lori and Naomi Osaka who are brave and wise enough

to look right at the world and the powers that be inside your sport and say, no, enough. I'd rather disappoint you than myself. My body and soul are more important than your experience of me. I am more than what I can do for you. I never did that in my career. I just followed directions and kept performing

even when my body and soul were screaming no. I let doctors keep prescribing me pills and just so I can keep performing by the way. And that actually almost killed me. So I felt jealous because I was watching women, you at the highest level do what I wasn't brave enough to do. How did you do that?

You know, in that moment, I had no choice but to do it because selfishly, if I weren't having the twisties, me having my mental like, well, being so down in the gutter, I would have kept going. But there was a point where my mind and my body had had enough and it literally was telling me to stop or else I was going to end something that I started years ago and not be able to walk again. So I meant, thankfully my body,

I mean, it does sync up to your mental and your wellbeing. So thankfully mine was intact and unfortunately it was on the biggest stage of my career. But at the end of the day, it's like I was worth more than gold medals. I was worth more than gymnastics. At the end of the day, I'm not just an athlete, I'm a human and you guys have to realize that.

And I knew I was gonna get a lot of backlash and I did, but most of it was a lot of support, love, strength, courage, and that's something that I never felt before in the sport because people always put me on a pedestal when all I wanted to be was normal. I wanted to be human. I wanted to be looked at as the same as you. I go to the grocery store, I have bills, I have dogs,

I have these things. It's just, I do something and I'm incredibly well at it. So why put me on a pedestal and I always wanted to be seen as normal. So unfortunately it took all of that for people to see me as normal, but it's also really hard for people to understand because they can see physical injury.

But whenever it's a mental injury, it's like you can't see it, they can't understand, therefore it's no longer valid. And I think America and just the world has a hard time with dealing with that because it's something they physically can't touch, see, or relate to. But now we have these amazing athletes speaking up and I think it brings the talk to the forefront and I think that's a really amazing thing. Yes, to all of that. You know those big games that happen in the summer, the ones that happen every four years?

I've been lucky enough to compete in those a couple of times. And this year we are partnering with Airbnb on a special episode on July 30th about these games. As an athlete, I was with the team so much that when I had some downtime, I would plan some of these big trips for me and my friends. And this one time I got this Airbnb in Seattle, we went to Seattle Seahawks game. There was like 15 of us staying in this Airbnb. So it's a great way to get a lot of people and not have to get 15,000 hotel rooms, a

lot less expensive. I also think it's really important because now that Emma is traveling for her soccer team to do her stinky laundry, it's just so much nicer in an Airbnb. And then for me and my sports science perspective, I think just making food for Emma gives her that added benefit. Glennon loves that there's coffee when she first rolls out of bed, and we both love having multiple rooms for when we have different bedtimes. If you're like us, you'll choose Airbnb

for your next adventure. No matter what you're going through, you are never alone. Join me on my podcast, From the Heart with Rachel Braitham every Friday. Each episode is like sitting down with your best friend for a cup of coffee. From self-care tips to inspiration for healing, this podcast offers the chance to return to nature, return to community, and return to who you are at your core. Straight from my heart to yours.

Listen to and follow From the Heart with Rachel Braitham on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. Laurie, I need to ask you, I feel a little bit of a kinship with you because I know that you injured your leg and it forced you to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics. And you may not know this, but I broke my leg on the field five days before our plane was leaving for the 2008 Olympics. So what I want to know is how did you, how did you get through that? How did you survive that? Yeah, you know, time, I don't think there's anything you can actively do besides just give yourself time.

Cause it was like going through everything that I had been through, taking two years off only to realize that I didn't hate the sport, I hated the environment and I wanted to try it again. But I knew I had such a short timeframe and I knew a lot of people weren't going to understand it. I just wanted to try again and I didn't know what was going to happen. I just wanted things to be different. So it's like I moved across the country, trained as hard as possible because I came back really late. So it was like we had a lot of hustling and making up to do. I also hit puberty pretty heavily and had like some disordered eating habits. And a lot of it was like binge eating when I was

17. And so having to get back into training after a completely different body change was really difficult. And all of these things were happening and then training for two years, we hit 2020. And then in February of 2020, I did a hearing with my old coach and that happened. They scheduled it on an Olympic year, even though we had reported it four years earlier.

And I did this hearing and I remember we had a camp that years earlier. And I did this hearing. And I remember we had a camp that was that February. And I pulled out just because I couldn't train. And my coach was really understanding about that. She was like, listen, you can come in, you can walk around the gym. And like, that's your cardio. If you want a condition, like you don't have to do anything. I'm not going to force you to do anything. I know this is hard. And that was really what I needed with someone to not push me. Cause that was the last thing that I wanted or could have handled. Um, and then COVID happened.

So we had another year of training. Um, and then it almost like benefited me just because not having to rush the comeback and to get more skills. And I actually got to play around a little bit, which was not something I got to do a lot right now. And I think I really just fell in love with the sport all over again. And then meet season came and it was like, we started getting closer and closer and then made championships and landed on a straight leg, hypoxic in my knee, got a bone bruise, a torn meniscus. And then that was it. And the whole journey was just

kind of done. Like there's no resolve for that. And, you know, of course, going into it, you know, that's a possibility. But when it happens, it's like, I had one experience where everything worked out perfectly and I made the team and like, we got a gold and I got an individual silver. And then there's the complete opposite of being right there and then getting hurt and not getting able, not being able to even try at all. Like, so that was- Was it like the worst case of FOMO ever? Like when the whole team leaves and you're like, I guess I'll just watch Netflix.

Like how- So actually it gets worse. Because there was an opportunity and I wanted to do entertainment and be on screen and to do acting and different things like that. And so Peacock had mentioned like, hey, we would love for you to commentate just the Olympic Games, specifically gymnastics. And I said yes to it because I was like, future me like this could be really good

for the future. Is it good for me right now? No. But it could set up the future really well. And I remember getting there and watching the team compete and wanting everybody to do so, but also wanting to be out there and then having to break it down for the world. And that was really hard. That sucked. Oh my God. Wow.

But you did such a great job, Lori. Your reviews were literally, they were like, replace anybody like Lori needs to commentate all of this. You were getting really good reviews. You did a great job. Thank you. I mean, it's gotta be so hard talking and kind of criticizing or critiquing some of

what your teammates are actually doing, knowing that you kind of in some ways wanted to be out there. Simone, I wanna ask you, what has it been like to be on tour with some of your former teammates and current teammates? Like, how is this tour going? And how are you hoping to get out to the audience? Like what is your, what are your messages?

Yeah, for our show, I feel like there's a lot of realness and rawness to it. The storyline is absolutely amazing. We're having fun, but we also go through those anxiety, depressions, and it's how we get out of that. And I think that's what's so special about the show that we portray, but it was really nice seeing Loria. Hadn't seen her in a really long time. We see each other at camps, but it's like more business. We're competing against each other. It's like not the most serious environment. Yeah. So

it's kind of have that rekindled friendship. Like in 2016 when we were having so much fun, kind of like sisterly love has been amazing. It's a really fun environment. There's no competition. We're just trying to provide and shed like a golden light in such a hard time. COVID, whatever else is going through and just have fun. You created a whole new environment for it, which is so awesome because, Lori, you said that it took you a while to figure out, I don't hate the sport. I just hate the environment, which is, by the way, what I figured out in every area of my life. I wanna ask both Lori and Simone,

like when I was younger, I wanted to quit soccer. I think I was like 14 years old. And I missed my friends and I wanted to have like a normal life and someone I loved and who is dear to me looked at me once and said, Abby, you can't quit. You've been given a gift and others is dear to me, looked at me once and said, Abby, you can't quit. You've been given a gift and others would kill to have. So you need to do this for all of us.

And I remember feeling like, oh, what a burden this is. And that sentiment that my talent meant that I owed something to the world was, it was a beautiful blessing because it kept me going when I wanted to quit, but it was also a heavy curse because it took away my choice in life. It made me feel like my life wasn't, was chosen for me. And it didn't matter whether I love soccer or not.

It was like my destiny and responsibility. So do either of you feel like your talent and your greatness is both a curse and a blessing? Very much. So I feel the exact same. If you want to quit, people kind of push that on you. Like you've been given this God given talent. Don't waste it, blah, blah, blah. But it's like if I'm not enjoying it, then it's a burden. Like it's hard. So I do feel in a way, it's been the biggest blessing in my life, because look what it's given us and the opportunities

that it's brought. But on the down end, it's like, people don't get that we go through these depression modes and this and that. And it's from our sports because sometimes we're not enjoying it. But then on the other hand, they're like, well, look at the life you've been given. And it's like, but I worked my ass off for it's like it wasn't handed to me. I had to work extremely hard. And so there is definitely both of those sides that I see that it's, it's hard and it's a blessing, but sometimes it can be a curse. I think people see us do incredible things and they think, wow, I would never be able to do that. I have to let them know how crazy this is or like that's inhuman.

Like this is nothing like I've seen before. And then it's like immediate. You are now here and I am here. I have created this disconnect between you and I. You and I are not human. I am human. What you do crazy could never touch it. But the fact of the matter is we are human. And when the expectation is put on us

to do something superhuman essentially, which is what we do in gymnastics and in every sport, we train hard as hell. And there's this idea that, oh, you're a different breed. Oh, you're a different thing. And it's like, no, I'm a human. I work my ass off to get here. I am you, but a different font. Like, yeah.

And I think that's where the burden comes from, because then we have this expectation, not only if we want to quit, essentially, then we have other people blaming us for not giving them what they want, which is entertainment, or this that the other. So it is really hard to find the happy medium. Well, I mean, yes. But what you need to know is regardless of what the circumstances are, we're surrounding Tokyo, all of that. I mean, I have threads with friends who after that,

were just like, wait, no, no, thank you. No to that. And also that. And additionally, no, again, and no, no. I mean, a lot of us didn't know we could quit. Well, yeah, there's this idea that if you, I don't like the word quitting. Cause I feel like it has such a negative connotation to it. Like if you don't want to do something anymore, you can choose to stop doing said thing

and then do something that makes you happy. You're not a quitter, you are choosing your own happiness. And I hate when people are like, oh, you quit or, oh, I just quit. She's a quitter, he's a quitter, they're a quitter, whatever it is. Like that is not it. You chose to stop.

It wasn't an accident, it was an intention. And I hate that shit. Okay, here's why you hate that word, Laurie. The origin of that word is quietus and it means to set yourself free. Right. It always had a positive connotation. It only had a negative connotation during the, when the industrial revolution happened, when everyone decided that we should be machines. Yep.

So you are correct. Quit is a choice. Like I know thank you. I value my humanity. The part I think that irritates me the most is when like the haters call me quitters. It's like you guys have wanted to see me fail for seven years and I finally did failure in your eyes and you're still mad at me. I don't get it. How are you going to go and judge her for choosing an option? I'm like, you fuckers didn't even try and you're going to go ahead and bash on her career and be like, oh, she's a quitter. Did you try? No, no. Sit down. You guys wanted to see me fail. I failed in

your eyes and then you're still mad that I failed. Like what else do you want? That's the unfortunate problem that I just don't understand. Successful women only have a certain length of runway, right? Yes. Unfortunately, don't go away because they're telling you to go away because that's your choice, right? Right.

Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right.

Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right.

Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right.

Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. We're completely obsessed with the pictures, Simone, that you post of you and your boyfriend. So there's something about your relationship. It just feels beautiful and triumphant and just feels like a way of you publicly claiming your own humanity. Like, this is for me. This love is mine. I get to be human too. So tell us about Jonathan and how do you keep that love protected from the world?

Because it feels like you do. And what I also want to know from you too is what are the other things in your life that you feel like are just yours and yours alone? I feel like first of all, he's absolutely amazing. Loves me through thick thin. Um, he just loves me for me and who I am and not what I do, um, or who the world perceives me as. So I think that's really special. But I also think we keep our love protected,

not only because I feel like you could put your relationship out there and I feel like we don't do that as much because that's something sacred to us, but it's also because we're so busy. So whenever we're at the house, because we do live together, we're just like either watching Netflix or a movie or outside in the pool or playing with the dogs.

So a lot of that stuff doesn't get documented, but it's also, it's like, we don't have to prove to anybody how much we love each other because we know home is home and that's us and our dogs. And so I think that's very special, the kind of relationship that we have. And we are always cooking dinner for each other together. And our schedules are kind of hectic, but it works.

And we make time for each other. And so I think that's also the beauty of love. It is. Not on Instagram less. Look at Simone having good boundaries. No, I think we do, but I also feel like we're in a point in our lives and an age in our lives where we have nothing to prove to anybody.

Like we live with each other, we're doing great, we don't really argue. And if it is, it's about like who took which charger from the kitchen. I feel like that's literally the biggest arguments that we have. He was running around the house before I left for tour, claiming a charger was his. And I'm chasing him. I'm screaming like, that's my charger. And he's just cracking up. And I'm like, I swear, like, I'll order you a new one on Amazon. And we're just like fighting about that stuff.

And I think it's people. People don't realize that. But we're at an age. People are like, why are you even dating him? He doesn't post you on his Instagram. And it's like, I'm sitting next to him right now. I've been sitting next to him for four hours. We stare at each other.

We have nothing to prove to anybody. And Instagram is beautiful and it can be beautiful, but we have nothing to really prove to anybody. Oh, so good. Amen. What about you, Lori? What keeps you human? What are your things that remind you that you are a human being

and not just a gymnastics machine? Yeah, I think everybody in my inner circle between my person and my friends and my family, like those moments when we're at home and same thing, we're watching Netflix and we're doing absolutely nothing and we're making tea and everything is very quiet and mellow. It is quite the opposite of a gymnastics world

or a gymnastics me. It is loud, you have your hair and makeup done, you're walking around in leotards like my cheeks are out because it has to be that way. Like, just there's a lot of performance that's happening before you can get into the arena. It's so forceful. I'm like, I have to braid my hair because everybody braids their hair.

There's just a lot of performance happening. And it's like when we're home, I look like I just crawl down out of all fours from under the bed. And I have like one sleeve out and my leggings, one leg is pulled up and one is down. And I plopped down with the bowl of popcorn. I'm like, all right, what are we watching next? And they're like, you get to pick today. And it's just that is something that gymnastics could never touch.

And that is something that is sustainable. And it lasts as long as we want it to. And gymnastics cannot give me that. And it feels really good. You have nothing to prove there. Those are your pets. I love my dogs. My dogs are the people who the less I do, the more they love me. Don't you have a dog named Honey, Lori? We actually switched her name into Chewbacca because she got a little crazy. And when her hair grows out, she looks like a little Ewok. So if we go Chewie, she listens and responds a little bit better to that.

But yes. Oh my God. The dog previously known as Honey is now Chewbacca. That's amazing. Okay. So both of you, we are raising three kids and most people who are raising kids have them in some kind of institution, church, school, team, something, right? So one of your teammates recently said of the abuse inside gymnastics, all we needed was one adult to do the right thing. Yeah. Okay. Every conscious adult heard that loud and clear from all of you. So how do we make our institutions safer for our children? Like what is it that you needed one adult to do? Speak up, not break a law.

Like, even if it costs you your job, at least you can go home, sit down on your couch and be like, I did the right thing and I protected hundreds of girls. But instead you kept that inside and hundreds of us were abused. That I don't think I'll ever live with. And I don't get how,

they have to be sociopaths to sit down at home and think they did the right thing. I would never, if I see anything, it's like I go to Cecile, I go to my parents. Like I speak up, even if it's little, like that just blows my mind. But my parents, like I speak up even if it's little, like that just blows my mind. But I totally have done. My parents actually do own a gym.

They built it kind of after all of that a little bit before, but they wanted it to be completely transparent. So all of our viewing windows can see the whole entire gym to stop that abuse of any sort. And so you'll think like the coaches are like joking with the athletes. But from upstairs, maybe the parents look like it's yelling. So they'll call down to the coach. And so they're like, are you yelling at my are you yelling at my daughter?

They're like, no, no, we're joking. So now then the coaches aren't allowed to have phones on the floor, this and that. But there are different ways in doing it. But if you just have one adult that speaks up, especially if they have kids, that's what worries me the most is some of these parents had kids. And I mean, you should do the right thing

because I know Lori and I had spent the majority of our lives in the time of our days with our coaches. So we kind of become daughter-like to them because we're with them more than our parents. So it's just, it's a crazy world out there. Yeah, it was just one person who's witnessing it, like completely different situation, but being at the gym and hearing my coach scream at the top of her lungs that we would get noise complaints from the parking lot because they could hear her and another coach being in the gym and coming to me afterwards because I was crying because I hated that because I was a child and what child wants to be yelled

at that loudly and her saying, I remember it like it was yesterday, her saying, you know, she just wants the best for you. Oh. And it's like, she cannot yell at you that way. Yeah. Yeah. And it's like, she just wants, oh, like she pushes you this hard because like she wants you to be great and da da da. And I'm like, did you hear the words she said as she, I'm like, it's not even like she said

anything nice and then yelled it with quote, quote, passion. Like she said something really messed up and then proceeded to yell it. And you're telling me that she's doing this because she wants the best for me. It's the equivalent of like when little kids are at school and they're like, oh, he's being mean to you because he likes you. Like, no, no, that's not how it goes. And I just had that person looked and said, you know what? Seeing an adult yell at a kid is not the way to go. And then telling somebody about it or coming to me and saying, are you okay? That seemed really scary because I now have to do that for little me when she was right

there and she could have done that. But I read that you said that Lori and that like what you're doing right now is for little Lori and for all the little Lori's. I mean, that you have become what you needed when you were younger, both of you and what the hell better thing can we do? What better thing can we do? It's just, well, and it gets really confusing as an athlete because I know in my experience being pushed requires or so I thought in my experience, being pushed requires, or so I thought. Like we rationalize all of this stuff.

And one day Glennon, I said, well, it just made me stronger. That's what I said. Well, it made me stronger, made me who I was. And she said, could you imagine not having experienced some of that, how much more strong you probably could have been.

Yeah. I think about that a lot because it made you stronger as an athlete, but weak as a person. And I think people take advantage of that. Oh, that's what I mean. Retweet. I think also some people like some people probably look at the experience and they feel bad and they don't know what to say. And they're like, well, it made you stronger.

And I'm like, actually, no, it just really made things a lot worse. Like not much came from that except for the fact that now I have time to work on myself and it is so painful to have to become the thing that you needed at that time. It is a process. And so I think people are like, oh, but that makes you stronger. I'm like, that actually didn't have to happen, but thank you for the attempt kind words.

That's right. Maybe we stop that though. Maybe we stop just assigning that to, it's just another form of like, women have to be grateful all the time. Well, I was abused, but I guess it made me stronger. No, it didn't. Yeah, right.

We don't have to suffer. People can treat us well and that can make us strong. That's right. So I have to ask, cause I know we don't have a ton of time left and I have to know this because we are people who have been training for a whole lifetime. I didn't understand how weird that life is

until I retired and experienced how weird that life is until I retired and experienced how other people live. And I spent my entire career desperate for more freedom. And then when I got it, I felt literally paralyzed. You lost your mind. I'm terrified of that freedom. So, I mean, literally for decades, I had a daily itinerary slipped under my hotel door

back when they used paper for folks told me what to eat, what to do every hour, right? I literally didn't know how to create a day for myself. Lori just lifted hers up. She has her itinerary in front of her. Right. So do you think about life after gymnastics and what are your hopes and dreams for the next phase?

What do you wanna be and do? I'm so curious, like if you even have started that process. I feel like it's hard because like you said, we have our daily schedules. And if it's not in the gym, it's by our agencies. And, but it's also things that we love and we chose to do. But at the end of the day, life without a schedule, even on my Sundays and stuff,

I give myself a schedule because I don't know how to work without one. I feel lazy, useless, but then other days it's like, no, I'm going to take this day to rot and do nothing. And I have to appreciate that. So I do think it is hard, but if I have a hope for my future would definitely be to help foster kids and the foster care system. Because that's something that I feel really passionate about. But other than that, I feel like I've dedicated my whole life to gymnastics. So it's time to give myself some me time before I figure out the next thing. Yes, please. What about you, Lori? Yeah, I think just following curiosity, I, you know, me and my person made a vow that like, we would never do anything that we thought we would, we were stuck in.

Like as soon as you hit the point where you feel like you're trapped and like, you don't want to be there and that you wish you were doing something else, like you desperately wish you were somewhere else. That's it. We're going to do something different or something's got to change. But I would love to go to college and hopefully study acting and screenwriting and animation and stuff like that just because I think it's so much fun and I find a lot of joy in it. But I've also kept in mind, okay, if one day you wake up and you hate it, we're going to do something else.

And there's, I'm sure there's something that I'm curious about and I'll just follow it and see where it goes. And then if I hate that thing, there's more. So I love it. We were at this place recently. We saw this rock that said bloom where you are planted. We're like, but we're not plants. People have like, we can move.

That's a good philosophy for plants and that's it. We can change our circumstances. I love that. But I think in today's age, we're so kind of brainwashed of that and it's almost forced upon us and we think that's the only way to live life is you have to hate it because you're either making money or this and that. But it's like, no, we can find other things just because you have a degree in this. Doesn't mean that's what you have to follow through at.

There are a lot of different avenues for us as a person, and that's how we actually grow. Mm hmm. That's right. And that's what you're doing right now with this tour. I mean, it's so wonderful because there's nothing I like to see. Keeping that love that you have of gymnastics, but then doing it your way with your people is so- Creating the world in which you need,

in which you needed in order to be safe, to be free and to be free, and to be happy. Like that's what you all are doing. You're trying to show the world what you need, right? They don't have it. If there is nothing out there, go ahead and make it. And that's what y'all are doing. The goat tour is.

The goat tour. I love that. And also our friend Cameron Esposito told us this story the other day that she was working with this personal trainer who was really young, like 25 or something. She said, well, what are you going to do? You know, where are you going to work next? And he said, I think I'm going to quit personal training because I just feel like I've helped

enough people. And I was like, that's the most revolutionary thing I've ever heard. I've done it. You two have helped enough effing people. And if you want to just dance off into the sunset and follow your curiosities forever, that's what you freaking should do. Okay. So we need to get into some rapid fire questions because I love the rapid fire.

So sorry if you don't love them. Also, we just want to know what you guys like consume because we just want to be more like you. We want to have what you're having. So tell us what does your perfect day look like right now? Your perfect day, morning, tonight, what would you do? Oh, if I could have a perfect day, it's definitely at the beach. That's where I most feel free.

Oh, most feel free, love it. I love that for you. My perfect day would be sleeping in, having morning coffee, doing some kind of podcast, binge watching movies, and then eventually having to go outside just because that feels right and then coming back inside. I love it. I used to get grounded outside, Lori, when I was little because I hated the outside so

much. Okay. What's your favorite movie? Both of you. Oh, minus any comedy movie. I love to laugh. I like you know which one I like by. Oh, wait, wait, you go first, Lori.

OK, I have three. Well, technically four all time favorites that they all tie together. It's tangled. The spy who dumped me, forgetting Sarah Marshall and Silver Linings playbook. It's amazing. She knows. And I was good. I heard right now. I know. Love it. Good picks. I can't even remember what it is, but it's on Netflix.

She was in. She went to New Orleans with the girls. Something something great. No, no, no, no. She took like there was like four girls. They went to New Orleans and they went on. They were like partying in New Orleans. I know what you're talking about. We're going to figure it out.

We're going to find out the title. We'll put it in the show. I love that when we say we're going to put it in the show. I know we actually don't even know what the hell that is. Girl strip. It, girl strip. Girl strip, it's girl strip. Yes, very good. What about your most favorite book you've ever read?

Or just what you're reading now, because that's stressful. I just finished a book that was 835 pages. It's called, Prior to the Orange Tree. And it is incredible. I love fiction books. It was the most mind blowing thing I have ever read. I will now be disappointed with every other book I read.

Oh my God. Can you just say the title one more time? Well, good job for you, Lori. Can you say the title again? What was that? What was the title? Priory of the Orange Tree. Oh, okay. I'll be getting it next. It's good. It's good.

What about you, Sam? I don't really read really weird. That's okay. Guess what I do. I never really read. That's okay, guess what I do? I never really read a lot, but now in my retirement, I have to run so that I stay fit and healthy. And so I listen to books on tape. That's how I consume books.

Oh, that's so smart. That's how I consume books. But one of my favorite ones that I did read would be The Sub to R of not giving a fuck. Oh, that's a good book. That was a great book. Simone, you could write that book. Do you guys have any favorite podcasts you're listening to?

Okay, so the girls got me hooked on. Go ahead. Oh no, I was just saying like this one. I love listening to you guys chat. And so I'm just like, oh my God, it's happening. The crossover is happening. So this one and then Armchair Expert. expert just feels like a flat wall. Yep. So fun.

You guys have so much time. I guess since I was so still training, I just slept or ate or I was at the gym. Yeah. Simone, everyone else on earth has a lot more time than you do. That's I know. I really do feel like that right now, but the girls kind of are getting me hooked on a podcast called serial. And it's like, there's like murder crime mysteries. So look at them. Okay. So listen to me. Like when podcasts, this is before podcasts were a thing. This is back when I was still playing serial came out and it was like, it blew our whole team away. Right.

I ended up sitting next to the creator of that podcast and it was like, that was like my, that was my claim to fame moment. I was like, I love that podcast so much. She loves murders. I just feel like life is scary enough and we don't need to add more murders. It is, but it's so interesting.

Yeah, it is. I love those. I like reading the murder mysteries. Okay, music and then we're gonna let you go. Music, what kind. I like reading the murder mysteries. OK, music. And then we're going to we're going to let you go. Music. What kind of music do you listen to? Right now, my favorites would probably be Dogecat, Meg the Stallion. Yeah, those are our sons, maybe two favorite people.

OK, and Laurie? I like anything that could be played on a road trip in the early morning. There's a song called Little Giant that I have been nonstop listening to and the lyrics are adorable and it feels like an ear hug. Okay, so your next right thing people is to follow every single thing that Lori Hernandez

and Simone Biles do. Find their tour. Additionally, go to the Goat Tour. Bring your kids, this is the good stuff. Is it called the gold tour? No, the goat tour. Is it for real called the goat tour? Yes your kids, this is the good stuff. Is it called the gold tour? No, the goat tour. Is it for real called the goat tour? Yes, because G-O-A-T.

That's a gold over America tour. That's right. Okay, and Simone and Lori, I would like to end with this. When Abby retired, Barack Obama tweeted out, congrats to the goat. And Abby called her agent so sad and upset because she didn't know what a goat was and she thought that Barack Obama was making fun of her.

I was like, what does that mean? And he's like, greatest of all time. How would I leave? What? I'm dying. Oh, so that's good. That's a good thing. He's like, yes, it's a good thing.

I'm like, oh my gosh. We love you. We believe so strongly in you. We just want to be your aunts or your big sisters. And we want you to know that we will be in both of your corners forever. And please let us know if you need anything in the world. We will be in your corner forever. Thank you so much.

Thank you guys so much. This is wonderful. We love you both. We love you too. Thank you so much. Have a great both. Yes. We love you too. Thank you so much. Have a great day. Go see the tour everybody.

I give you Tish Melton and Brandy Carlisle. I walked through fire. I came out the other side. I chased desire, I made sure I got what's mine And I continue to believe that I'm the one for me. And because I'm mine, I walk the line. Cause we're adventurers and heartbreaks on map. A final destination we lack. We've stopped asking directions To places they've never been And to be loved we need to be known We'll finally find our way back home and through the joy and pain that our lives bring

we can do our thing I hit rock bottom, it felt like a brand new start I'm not the problem, sometimes things fall apart And I continue to believe The best people are free And it took some time But I'm finally fine We're adventurers and heartbreaks on that Our final destination we lack We've stopped asking directions To places they've never been And to be loved we need to Finally find our way back

That our life spring we can do hard today We're adventurers and heartbreaks on map We might get lost but we're okay now We've stopped asking directions To places they've never been And to be loved we need to be wrong We'll finally find our way back home And through the joy and pain That our lives bring We can do hard things. Yeah, we can do hard things. Yeah, we can do hard things.

We Can Do Hard Things is produced in partnership with Cadence 13 Studios. Be sure to rate, review, and follow the show on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Odyssey, or wherever you get your podcasts. Especially be sure to rate and review the podcast if you really liked it. If you didn't, don't worry about it, it's fine. you