Simone Biles is one of the greatest gymnasts of all time. With more than two dozen Olympic and World Championship medals, Biles appears as the most decorated gymnast in U.S. history. Despite her tiny size, Biles has since the beginning been smashing records in the world of gymnastics.
Biles had her first go at gymnastics during a trip at the age of six. The gymnastics club sent her home with a letter requesting that she joins the sport, and the energetic child remained there for 11 years under the direction of her coach, Aimee Boorman.
Biles began competing in 2007 at the age of 10 and by 2011 qualified to junior elite level. In 2013, she became the first African American woman to claim the all-around title at the World Championships and in 2015, the first woman to win her third consecutive world all-around title. At the Rio Games, she led the U.S. women’s gymnastics team to win the gold. In August 2018, at the U.S. Championships, she became the first woman to win all five events, including a record-setting fifth all-around title. And, finally, in 2019, she pushed the boundaries of the sport by being the first gymnast to pull off a double-double dismount from the balance beam and the first woman to land a triple-double in the floor exercise.
Had the world not been on hold with COVID-19 pandemic, Biles would be in Tokyo for her last Olympics before her announced retirement. In the meantime, with games now postponed, she is turning her attention to raising funds for coronavirus relief.
Nevertheless, her journey to success has not always been easy. She overcame a difficult childhood, switching between foster homes due to her mother’s drug addition before finally being adopted by her grandparents. Also, in 2018, she revealed having been abused by jailed U.S. Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, speaking out against the unfortunate reality sometimes faced by women athletes.
Her life story, shared in her autobiography Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life In Balance, is a source of inspiration and a testament to her determination. “To any girls listening to me now, I say you can do it. You just have to be the first. The first to share your story, your advice, your words, and people will follow,” Biles once said. “Together, we can inspire every girl to find her voice, to dream big...to imagine a better future. If I can do it, she can do it, too.”