Simone Biles stunned and shined at the Olympics this summer, taking center stage as the world watched her become the pride and joy of Team USA. Simone, however, is continuing to make headlines for an entirely new reason. Confidential medical records of the gymnast were allegedly leaked by Russian hackers in the midst of the country’s own team having been critically weakened by a large number of players being disqualified for doping. What these records revealed was not a case of illegal drug use, but in fact the use of medication designated to treat ADHD. After the leak, Biles admitted on her Facebook page that she does use the medication for her ADHD, something she has done for years, and taking medication for ADHD is nothing to be ashamed of.
While I think it’s awful she got thrown into this situation where, against her will, she had to publicly admit to taking medication, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Biles used this unfortunate situation to help combat against the stigma of taking medication, in a society where high profile people and potential role models chose to only rarely speak up about learning disabilities and mental illness.
As someone who has ADHD and takes medication for it as well, Biles coming forward about it hit home for me. I remember being terrified that if my high school spontaneously had drug tests, they would discover I took medication for my ADHD, and then ridicule and call me out for something which helps me intensely. All the way from elementary to high school, I remember turning medical forms in with the rest of my classmates during the first weeks, and, unlike my classmates, brainstorming ways to make sure no one even caught a glimpse of the one line on the sheet detailing my taking of Adderall. I too was hit by the stigma of taking medication.
What Simone Biles had to do is unfair, but it is also a blessing to young kids who will now not be as ashamed of something it is not worth being ashamed of. It’s tough, trying, frustrating and not something to be ashamed of, but something you work to accept and live with--something I now see as a part of me. However, I know if this happened when I was young, I would’ve seen Simone Biles addressing her ADHD as a blessing.
