USA Today announced its 2022 Women of the Year on Monday, and the list includes Vice President Kamala Harris and Olympic Gold medalist, Simone Biles.
In recognizing the 64 honorees who “are strong and resilient women who have been champions of change across the country,” USA Today highlighted Biles, her career as the most accomplished gymnast of all time, her impact on mental health and more.
Biles took time away from gymnastics last year to focus on mental health and the 25-year-old says she’s glad she did. “Now with mental health being a huge topic that we talk about basically on the daily now, they’re (people) always telling me, ‘Thank you so much. You’ve done so much for me and my family, my friends. Now I’m going to go get help.’ So it really does mean a lot to me that a lot of people are now trying to get the help that they not only deserve but that they need,” she said.
She says her mom, Nellie Biles, is her biggest role model and on being courageous she says, “…having courage to speak up, speak out, even if you’re the only one doing that.”
Taking on the role as the first-ever woman, woman of color and South Asian American to reach vice president, Kamala Harris passed along a message of resilience and strength for women.
“Know you are not alone. Know that you are supported and know that your voice is strong,” she said. “It’s strong, and don’t let any circumstance diminish that or take your power from you. You are powerful. … You are strong.”
The 2022 list, which notably highlights many women of color, also includes Kizzmekia Corbett, National Institute of Health’s lead scientist for coronavirus vaccine research and Michelle Browder, an activist from Alabama.
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