Simone Biles is in the business of making history: on June 6 at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Fort Worth, Texas, she won her seventh national women's all-around title, the most in history (opens in new tab). She successfully performs feats that no one has ever attempted or seen before. She is a 19-time world champion and four-time Olympic gold medalist. And at next month's Tokyo Olympics, she could win gold in the overall Olympic Games for the first time in more than 50 years.

While Biles' G.O.A.T. ways are hard to fathom, a new original documentary from Facebook Watch offers a glimpse into how she accomplished the unthinkable, produced by Religion of Sports and directed by Gotham Chopra, directed by Gotham Chopra, the seven-episode series, called "Simone vs Herself," offers an intimate and exclusive look inside the athlete's life and training from last year's Olympic postponement to the present. (The first five episodes will air before this summer's Olympics, and the last two episodes will air after the Games.) The documentary explores not only her rigorous pursuit of excellence, but also how Biles overcame the ordeal of Olympic postponement, both physically and mentally, and how she is living up to the immense expectations of one of the world's greatest athletes.

We caught up with Biles to talk about mental health, her preparation for Tokyo 2021, and that fabulous new leotard.

Marie Claire: I'm obsessed with the new leotard with the goat (aka Goldie) on it. How did you come up with the idea?

Simone Biles: The idea was to fight back against the haters. It didn't necessarily seem fair that they could keep saying whatever they wanted, but it wasn't fair if I said something. [The haters joked, "If she puts a goat on Leo, absolutely, a goat, a goat, a goat." So they got very angry. So I said, "Oh, this is a great idea. Let's make the haters hate us and the fans love us. And that's exactly what we did and that's why we did it.

I just hope that the kids who grow up watching this are not ashamed or embarrassed to be good at whatever they do. And that's my problem with it. Anybody can say they are better, but once you admit that, it's not cool anymore. I want my kids to learn that it's okay to admit that you're better or great.

MC: You won your seventh overall national championship, the most in history, with your floor routine and a new move named "The Biles." How do you feel now?

SB: It's a great honor and I'm excited to finally be back out there, to have a crowd, to compete, to do what I love to do. It was like a return to some sort of normalcy.

MC: In "Simon vs. Herself," you talk about how hard it was to go to the gym and work during a pandemic, which many of us can relate to. If so, how do you adjust your thinking?

SB: In the beginning it was really hard because there were so many emotions swirling around about the postponement. But at the end of the day, I was like, "Okay, I get it. I'm not the only one who feels this way. I know it's going to be postponed, and it sucks. But what am I going to do now? Do we sit here and mope around, or do we gear up, get ready, and try to change our mindset? So that's exactly what I did.

MC: In the show, you and your coach talk about how adjusting mentally can be just as tough, if not tougher, aspect of getting in shape physically. Recently, I have heard other athletes, like Naomi Osaka (opens in new tab), talking about mental health. Do you think mental health is a stigma for professional athletes, especially women and women of color?

SB: I think so. But obviously now the conversation has opened up and people are talking about it a little bit more. Because at the end of the day, people think we are just athletes and entertainers. So I'm glad that we've started a dialogue with the public and that they now understand that we are more than just athletes.

MC: How do you take care of your mental health during times of upheaval and uncertainty like the past year?

SB: In my case, I saw a therapist frequently and she helped me a lot. I was also prescribed medication for my anxiety. Whether it's meditation, medication, or therapy, everyone has their own way of doing it. I feel like there are many avenues you can try, but this worked for me. [MC: When you heard that the Olympics were going to be postponed, did you decide to call it quits?

SB: I did. But obviously there were a lot of emotions swirling around. So my first reaction was, "I don't want to do this." But you have to let yourself feel all the emotions and let them pass. But at the end of the day, I said, "Okay, I didn't come this far to get here. I'm not giving up." I don't think anyone looked at that and thought, "Oh, another year, this is going to be great." Another year, mentally and physically, is a huge burden for any elite athlete.

MC: I assume you were in the middle of your tapering period at the time, meaning you were already at the peak of your training, and you had to back off, but then you had to start training again. Yes, that's right. [SB: Yes. I was training for the World Cup, and I was very ready. I had never been so ready at that time of the year. I thought I was finally ready, and then this happened. But obviously, it was for the best. But everything happens for a reason. That's what it comes down to.

MC: The title of the documentary is "Simone vs. Myself." Since you are in a league of your own, I imagine that surpassing your own past performances must be a major goal. But does "Simone vs. Myself" also have another meaning: overcoming self-doubt?

SB: Well, for me, it's like fighting myself inside and outside the gym, but there are other things going on in my life. You have to stay focused, you have to stay calm.

MC: You are the winningest gymnast of all time. How do you manage the huge pressure and expectations at this level?

SB: I feel that most of the expectations placed on me come from myself. I have never let anyone's expectations affect my approach to competitions and my mindset. I continue to play this sport because it gives me joy and I love it. I love to entertain, I love to compete, I love to train. Some days are harder than others, but I've been doing it long enough to know what to expect when I go to the gym every day and what to expect. But I think what brings me joy is being surrounded by a great team, and they motivate me and push me to be a better gymnast.

MC: How do you feel about Tokyo?

SB: I feel like it is just a stepping stone to what is to come. There are still things to do and trials await us. And after that, if I am selected for the Olympic team, I will prepare for the Olympics. So I can't give up now, I have to maintain my peak and continue on the same path. So when the time comes, we'll be ready

Pump Up Playlist Oh, great. Anything that's a hit today.

Pandemic Three Riverdale, Outer Banks, and Tiger King. But sitting there for long periods of time was distracting. So all of them took quite a bit of time.

Three words to describe myself. Fun, noisy, tired.

Where do you keep your hardware? In a safe.

Post-Olympics plans After the Olympics, I will go on tour. Then relax and spend the vacations with my family.

Interviews have been lightly edited for length and clarity.