Simone Biles: What an Olympic comeback!

Simone Biles (27) is only 1.42 meters tall, but no matter where she appears, she cannot be overlooked. She is not only a great of artistic gymnastics, she is a giant. In the USA she is often referred to as the “GOAT”, the “Greatest of all time”. And this is probably not only because of her countless sporting successes, but also because of the experiences that the 27-year-old has faced. Biles has fought her inner demons – and she has apparently emerged victorious from this battle.

A girl left behind finds her passion

Biles was born in 1997 in Columbus, Ohio, as one of four siblings. Her father left the family and her mother struggled with alcohol and drug problems, which is why the girl ended up in the foster care system before she was adopted by her grandparents with a sister at the age of three. The other two siblings were adopted by their aunt.

Around three years later, young Simone discovered her passion for gymnastics during a daycare outing, as she told . She saw girls doing gymnastics and Biles thought, “I think I can do that too.” She simply copied the others’ movements and a coach noticed her. The first step towards an unparalleled career that began in 2011.

Gold, gold and more gold

Although Biles was destined for greatness, her debut as a professional athlete did not attract much attention. However, just one year later, after her first victories, she was accepted into the junior national team. In 2013, she secured her first international title at the World Championships in Antwerp. From then on, there was no stopping her.

Biles made gymnastics history in 2015. At the national level, she was able to draw level with Kim Zmeskal (48) with her third title in a row, who had achieved this in the 1990s. At just 18 years of age, she also won her third all-around title in a row at the World Championships in the same year. No other woman had ever achieved this before. In 2016, there was no getting past the exceptional athlete at the Summer Olympics in Rio – four golds, one bronze and the final confirmation that she is a star.

In the same year, the athlete published her autobiography in collaboration with Michelle Burford: “Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance”. In 2017, Biles took a well-deserved break. She returned to competition the following year – and of course numerous more medals were to follow. In 2019, she became the gymnast with the most medals overall at the World Championships – a success that she has recently been able to expand on. By 2023, the athlete had won 23 gold, 4 silver and 3 bronze medals in this context. In 2022, Biles even received the USA’s highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, from US President Joe Biden (81).

Sexual assault and mental health

During her first years in the spotlight, Simone Biles often appeared lively and positive in public, but in the background the athlete was battling the worst. At the beginning of 2018, today X, she publicly revealed that she was one of the many victims of Larry Nassar (60). The former gymnasts’ team doctor, who was convicted of sexual abuse, was accused of having abused at least 265 girls and women – including Biles.

“Most of you know me as a happy, silly and energetic girl. But lately I’ve been feeling a bit broken and the more I try to shut off the voice in my head, the louder it screams. […] “I am one of the many survivors who were sexually abused by Larry Nassar,” Biles wrote at the time. After hearing the stories of others, she knows “that this horrific experience does not define me. I am much more than that. I am unique, smart, talented, motivated and passionate. I promised myself that my story will be much bigger than this, and I promise you all that I will never give up.”

Biles didn’t do that either, even though the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which were postponed until 2021 due to the corona pandemic, did not go as well for her as fans and the media had imagined. The four-time Olympic champion abandoned the team final. Although she still won silver in the team and bronze on the balance beam, she canceled further starts due to orientation difficulties and mental problems. “I’m fighting demons right now,” she told her team at the time, Biles recalled of Tokyo. She “literally felt like I was fighting my body and my mind to do these tricks.”

Biles believed at the time that America would hate her from then on, but she received support for dealing openly with her mental health. Former First Lady Michelle Obama (60) and pop star Justin Bieber (30), among others, said they were proud of Biles, that she received a lot of love and encouragement and that she had realized that she was “more than my achievements and gymnastics”. She had not believed that before.

Simone Biles is unbroken

It is a life story straight out of a dream factory. The story of a woman who fought back against all adversities and is now possibly on the verge of another triumph. Hollywood is also not missing out on the exceptional athlete’s Olympic comeback. Biles’ qualification in the Bercy Arena in Paris became a hotspot for stars and starlets. The 27-year-old was greeted with cheers in the hall, where action star Tom Cruise (62), singer Ariana Grande (31), her colleague Lady Gaga (38), who performed at the opening ceremony, and rapper and torchbearer Snoop Dogg (52) had also gathered to marvel at the gymnast’s achievements.

And she delivered. She shone brighter than her glittery suit, which was covered in thousands of Swarovski crystals. Despite an injury to her left leg, Biles is considered the absolute favorite to win gold.

“Unimaginable strength and talent. Will never forget today. I am so grateful to have been so close and to have been able to experience these incredible women,” Lady Gaga commented in an Instagram story. She also said that it was a great honor to be able to see Biles’ performance up close. In the comments, the athlete thanked her with three hearts.

Biles not only shows that her fighting spirit is undiminished and that she has apparently conquered her inner demons. After the games, she is also returning to a home where, no matter what happens, she can count on a lot of support – from the public and from her husband. , having married her partner Jonathan Owens (29). He can probably understand the pressure of being a professional football player only too well. So how many medals Simone Biles ultimately takes home from France doesn’t really matter.