GREEN BAY, Wis. (NBC 26) -- Striving to one day compete for an Olympic gold medal, Ruthee Hill has learned even the greatest athletes need a break.
BACKGROUND
- Biles says she decided to withdraw from team event to focus on mental health
- USA gymnasts Lee, Chiles, McCallum dedicate silver to Biles
"I was sad to see her go," Hill said. "Simone Biles I think is the best of the best in the entire world. I want to be like her. She's really cool."
Mentioning mental health reasons, Biles, an American Olympic star, dropped out of a gymnastics team event on Tuesday.
"I think we're just too stressed out," Biles said in a press conference. "We should be out here having fun but that's not the case."
At just 12 years old on Green Bay's KROC Gymnastic Team, Hill understands. She says fighting to get her mind right can be exhausting.
"I kind of get really mad because I know I can get there, but I'm just not doing the thing I'm supposed to be doing and it just frustrates me," she said about certain moves she attempts to perfect. "Sometimes I'll be like thinking about it all day, the next day until the next practice."
Her coach, Kathy Wilger has been teaching gymnastics for over 35 years. She believes it's pivotal for athletes to stay positive.
"When it comes to mental health, that's important, just like spiritual health," Wilger said. "So you've gotta take care of yourself before you can help your team."
But in a sport without a season, Wilger says those efforts can be draining.
It's definitely hard," the coach said. "You're going home sore. Every muscle in your body hurts. ... The things they're doing, no football, baseball [player] or any other person can do. They're defying gravity."
So whether she's competing in Northeast Wisconsin or in the Olympics, Hill handles the pressure with a little encouragement.
"Everyone knows I do gymnastics," Hill said. "And they're always telling me 'when you get to the Olympics, you gotta get a gold. You gotta get gold.'"
