Simone Biles isn’t a stranger to competition. The Olympic champion has 22 medals under her belt, making her the most decorated gymnast of all time, and the youngest to earn the distinction.
At 22-years-old, one could say the four-foot-eight force is just getting started—but today, Biles shared that she will no longer be competing.
The powerhouse isn’t done going for the gold just yet. She is, however, finished with going up against beauty standards. She says it’s a competition that she didn’t sign up for.
“Beauty, when did it become a competition,” Biles posed for her 4 million Instagram followers. “Specifically, the competition I didn’t sign up for,” reads the post. “In gymnastics, as in many other professions, there is a competition that has nothing to do with performance itself. I’m talking about beauty.”
“I don’t Know why but others feel as though they can define your own beauty based on their standards” she shared admitting that those ideologies have made her feel down at times. Today, she’s taking a stand.
“I’m tired of everything being turned into a competition, so I’m standing up for myself and everyone else that has gone through the same. Today I am done competing VS beauty standards… Beauty is #NOCOMPETION.”
Biles also announced today that she is partnering with SK-II, to dismantle rigid standards of beauty.
“I’m proud to partner with @SKII and these amazing athletes to stand up to toxic competitions in beauty,” she captioned the post announcing her partnership with the beauty brand. “Let’s not make beauty a competition that dictates how we look, act, feel. We are better than this.”
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“Beauty can be many things. But one thing it should never be, is a competition.,” shared YoeGin Chang, Brand Director, SK-II Japan. As the world directs its attention towards and celebrates the greatest competition for humanity, the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, we want to take this opportunity and call out the toxic competition in beauty that women face every day that dictates how they look, feel and act. SK-II is, at our core, a human brand. We want to use our voice as a force for good to create positive change in the world today. We would like everyone to join us by lending your voice to #NOCOMPETITION.”
To learn more about the SK-II #NoCompetition campaign, visit the brand’s website and follow @SKII on Instagram.