Simone Biles Leads Team USA to Victory and Continues Her Legacy

by Nae McNeail, age 13

Simone Biles is one of the most gifted gymnasts in the world. She is an extraordinary athlete with iconic gymnastic moves! Biles can do flips that no one else can do. She has become an inspiration for many, but especially for women of color, as she is the first African American woman to earn multiple medals in national events.

In her first Olympic Games in Ri, in 2016, she won four gold medals and one bronze medal in vault, floor exercise, team segments, and all-around. At the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, she participated in Team USA’s winnings, earning a silver medal. Biles also earned a bronze medal in the balance beam event. Simone’s achievements go beyond the beam, in 2022, Biles was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.

Biles was born on March 14, 1997, in Columbus, Ohio. Her love for gymnastics started at the age of six, and she mastered it very quickly, making her first national debut in 2013 at the young age of 16.

Simone struggled with the “twisties” in 2016 and i019, in which her mind and body were not “aligned,” leading to disorientation and mistakes whenever she practiced her moves. For instance, Biles would think about what flip she was going to do, but her body would do something completely different. The only way to recover from this is by taking time off. Biles took a brief break in 2017, after the 2016 Olympics, but continued to support and inspire her fans. In 2018, Simone Biles made a phenomenal comeback by earning gold medals at the world championships. In 2019, Biles had two new skills named after her, Biles and Biles II. Simone returned to competition at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. She added to the success of the U.S. National Team with a silver medal for the team event and a bronze medal in the balance beam final. Simone collected many awards at national and international competitions. Biles had an outpouring of support from fans, including her husband, NFL athlete Jonathan Owens. The couple married on May 6th, 2023. All of the encouragement Simone received, up lifted her to do more.

Biles prepared with her team before the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. She continued to lead her team to success by earning another gold medal in the 2024 Olympics.

Simone Biles is widely referred to as the “GOAT,” the greatest of all time. She is a record breaker and continues to be a source of inspiration and a testimony of the great achievements of humankind.

[Source: Team USA]