With 1,039 days still left until the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, Simone Biles fans were already spiraling over what looked like a mysterious dent in the GOAT’s arm.
Biles herself first teased the oddity three weeks ago in a TikTok vlog filmed during a trip to Australia, where the 11 Olympic medal winner casually dropped:
"A mysterious dent showed up in my arm recently, so stay tuned for updates after I visit the doctors."
You can view the vlog below:
Fast forward to September 14, when Biles showed up in a custom chic fit to cheer on her husband, Jonathan Owens, at the Bears vs. Lions game. The 28-year-old dubbed herself “Mrs. 36,” but eagle-eyed fans (and no, not the Philly kind) weren’t clocking the jersey number—they were zooming in on the hollow divot in her upper arm.
You can view the original post here:
Cue the collective internet freak-out: what on earth causes a random dent in muscle? One commenter asked point-blank-period what the doctors said.
And Biles, ever the generous queen, replied with a breezy mic drop:
“Muscle atrophy, but it’s fine! Just from trauma 😂. I hit it on a doornob WEEEEEKS ago. Wild that it just now showed up!”
You can view the fan interaction below:
@simonebiles/Instagram
Yes, folks—the dent wasn’t some sinister sports injury, nor a secret government experiment gone wrong. It was muscle atrophy. From a doorknob. Proof that even the world’s most decorated gymnast can be betrayed by the same household hazard that leaves the rest of us with bruised hips and wounded pride.
And for the non-The Pitt watching crowd (which—seriously, how have you not watched yet?), don’t worry, I got you: muscle atrophy is basically when your muscle fibers shrink or waste away, often after an injury or when a body part hasn’t been used for a while.
In Simone’s case, the trauma of whacking her arm on a doorknob left the muscle weakened, and over time, it carved out that noticeable dent.
Think of it as your body’s way of leaving a lasting reminder from a rough encounter... with a doorknob. Hey Simone Biles, call me: with some scotch tape, a pool noodle, and a prayer, that doorknob is long gone, baby.
And let’s not forget: this is the same iconic athlete who stuck routines with a taped-up calf tear at the Paris 2024 Games, who chose mindfulness over medals during the infamous “twisties” in 2021, and who still walked away with a résumé shinier than her signature leotards.
At the Tokyo Olympics press conference in 2021, Biles explained:
“I had no idea where I was in the air; I could have hurt myself. I just felt like it would be a little bit better to take a back seat, work on my mindfulness. I didn’t want to risk the team a medal for, kind of, my screw ups, because they’ve worked way too hard for that.”
Biles has always prioritized her health, and her transparency only adds to her already legendary status.
But for Instagram fans, the diagnosis was equal parts shocking and relieving:
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So what is Ms. Biles up to these days?
She’s taking a break from the gym to focus on her mind, her body, and her new ventures—including opening Taste of Gold at Houston’s airport in 2025 and even dabbling in horseback riding.
As for 2028? She hasn’t shut the door. And given how she just turned a dent into a masterclass in internet education on muscle atrophy, the world should be on notice: never underestimate Simone Biles, not even against a door hinge.
Meanwhile, I’m three TikToks deep into “how to remove a doorknob” tutorials like I’m training for the Olympic trials in HGTV: Athletes Edition.
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