“This is just a moment for her to overcome something that has been scaring her. And I’m rooting for her. I hope she gets a medal. I think that would be great. But, what I’m really rooting for is so she can overcome what’s bothering her,” Kotb adds. “I think that that’s an important moment for her.”
Hoda Kotb and Simone Biles.Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images; Nathan Congleton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images
Just like Kotb, who has been cheering on Team USA from the sidelines, Biles has alsobeen there for her teammates every step of the way.
“You can hear Simone. She’s the loudest person in the room, and she’s rooting her teammates on,” she says.
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Yul Moldauer, Simone Biles and MyKayla Skinner.
Speaking about her time in Tokyo, Kotb says that while she originally only planned on staying for a week, she wanted to be there for Biles and decided to extend her trip. That turned into a teachable moment with her daughter.
“My daughter, Haley, said, ‘Is the gymnast with the booboo okay?’ That’s what she asked me because she knew that something wasn’t quite right with what happened. And I said, ‘Well, that’s why mom’s going to stay. We want to make sure that the gymnast with the booboo’s okay. Her name’s Simone. And she’s okay. And she’s going to be okay,’ " Kotb recalls.
“And it just filled me up to know that my kids understand that booboos don’t only show in bruises or in sprained ankles. They come in different forms. And I think that’s important for our kids to learn that,” she adds.
Simone Biles.
Ultimately, no matter what happens on Tuesday, Kotb says that Biles has already accomplished so much in Tokyo.
To learn more about Team USA, visitTeamUSA.org. Watch the Tokyo Olympics now on NBC.
source: people.com
