Ever since Simone Biles pulled out of the team gymnastics competition at the Olympics, everyone has been rolling out their own theories and narratives regarding the entire situation.
Some were quick to blast the American star for “quitting on her team,” while others took a more sensible approach and refused to ignore the complex battles that many athletes often wage in their minds.
As for Joe Rogan, he has an interesting take — one that he appears to have adopted from American director Chris “Boar” Bell. Known for producing documentaries like “Bigger, Stronger, Faster” and “Prescription Thugs,” Bell took to Twitter on Wednesday to point out two interesting facts:
- In 2016, Simone Biles said she had ADHD and was legally using Ritalin when she won her four Olympic medals in Rio that year.
- ADHD drugs like Ritalin Focalin (the ones Biles was taking for her ADHD) are banned in the Tokyo Games, because they are illegal in Japan.
During his show on Thursday, Joe Rogan brought attention to these details, which many seem to be ignoring at the moment.
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It should be pointed out that Rogan was not being critical of Biles. Rather, he was sympathizing with her. He pointed out the difficulties Biles may have been facing when trying to cope with her ADHD without being able to take her typical medication. And he also made note of the “disgusting” comments that people have been making online towards Simone since her announcement.
“So many people are shitting on her online, calling her a ‘coward.’ It’s disgusting. Like, you have no idea what’s going on in her head. Is she supposed to play when she’s suicidal? Is she supposed to play when she’s freaking out? Is she supposed to do gymnastics when she’s literally losing her mind?…
“I don’t know what it’s like to get off Ritalin, but I would imagine it’s not fun.”
Here’s the entire conversation. Perhaps this is something we should be paying a lot more attention to?
