Simone Biles stole the spotlight once again at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. She snatched a gold medal in the gymnastics women’s final, cementing her status as the most decorated American gymnast in history.
Simone Biles celebrates on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Team Final on day four of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, at Bercy Arena on July 30, 2024 in Paris, France. | Source: Getty Images
Despite struggling with a calf injury during the preliminaries, Biles showcased her extraordinary talent across all four gymnastics events, further solidifying her legendary status. With now eight Olympic medals, including four gold, and 30 World Championship medals to her name, Biles has proven herself as the greatest gymnast of all time.
When the announcement came that Team USA gymnastics had struck gold once more, Biles couldn’t contain her excitement. She and her teammates jubilantly paraded through the arena with a giant American flag, celebrating their victory.
During the post-medal press conference, Biles expressed the team’s excitement and pride. “We’re honored to represent the U.S. every time we get on a world’s stage, but accomplishing that gold and that goal was just an amazing feeling,” she said.
Biles also mentioned the team’s motivation to prove themselves after her withdrawal from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to her mental health. Biles withdrew from the games shortly before the finals and did not compete in the uneven bars, floor, and vault individual all-around finals.
Simone Biles of Team United States competes during the Women’s Balance Beam Final on day eleven of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on August 03, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. | Source: Getty Images
Many applauded it as a brave decision, as mental health is just as important as physical health. The athlete said she had the “twisties” during the Games, which meant she could no longer sense her body move in the air, which is dangerous for any athlete.
Since then, Biles has prioritized herself and her mental health. She focused on her personal life, marrying the love of her life in the process.
Simone Biles of the United States poses for photographs after the medal ceremony for the Women’s Individual All Around on Day 6 of the 2016 Rio Olympics at Rio Olympic Arena on August 11, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. | Source: Getty Images
In 2023, USA Gymnastics announced that Biles was ready to return to gymnastics. She was scheduled to compete at the 2023 US Classic in August, and fans were eager to see her in action.
Joining Biles in the competition were 12 Olympic and 16 World Championships roster members. Some notable names included Olympic gold medalist Sunisa Lee and 2020 Olympic floor champion Jade Carey, among others.
Simone Biles’ Difficult Childhood
Before Biles became a successful athlete, she and her siblings experienced a “hungry” childhood, where their mom fed the family cat more than her children.
“Growing up, me and my siblings were so focused on food because we didn’t have a lot of food,” she shared. Because of her experience as a young child, Biles still doesn’t like cats.
Her biological mother struggled with substance abuse. Things got so out of hand that their family neighbors intervened and called social services.
Biles and her siblings were placed under foster care. The gymnast doesn’t remember much about her time in the system but recalled being very fortunate to have lived with her siblings.
After a while, Biles and her sister Adria were adopted by their grandparents, Nellie and Ronald Biles. Their older siblings, Ashley and Tevin, were adopted by their dad’s sister. Biles’ love for gymnastics began on a field trip. They visited a local gymnasium, where she was given a flyer to join the program.
Her mom, Nellie, signed her up for the classes without thinking anything of it. Biles was a natural, but she didn’t see her potential right away. Little did she know, everybody else around her did.
The gymnast felt like a normal kid in love with a sport. She didn’t see anything special in herself, but what she didn’t know was that all the professionals who watched her knew she was a gifted kid.
Her humble beginnings paved the way for Biles to become one of the most successful sportswomen ever to grace the international stage. Her parents gave their 100% support for her to thrive in the environment she was great at.
A New Chapter in Simone Biles’ Life
In April and May 2023, Biles wed NFL player Jonathan Owens in two separate ceremonies. They had a simple civil wedding in the US, which she admittedly only planned on the week it occurred.
In May, the Owens flew to Cabo, San Lucas, with their closest family and friends to get married in a more extravagant destination wedding. The newlyweds planned this wedding more extensively, with Biles having more than one dress for the celebration.
After the wedding festivities, Biles and her new husband moved into her gorgeous Houston home. Rather than a typical American-style home, she opted for a more modern, minimalist look.
People describe the pad as “an LA house, but in Houston,” which doesn’t resonate with her parents, Nellie and Ron. Every time they would visit, they tell their daughter that it wasn’t the type of house they would choose, to which the gymnast would appropriately respond: “But it’s not your house, it’s mine.”
Biles bought the $2 million property in 2019, sharing bits and pieces of the space on social media for her fans to see. Her home features a modest black-and-white interior, a modest-sized kitchen, a spacious and homey living room, a gorgeous L-shaped pool, and a backyard table set featuring swings as its chairs.
Aside from the photos she has posted on Instagram, Biles has also been open to home tours. She’s taken people into her home to film it, which her fans delightedly viewed on YouTube.
Despite her beautiful home, she and her husband revealed weeks before their wedding that they were building a new home together. They announced this by posting photos on Instagram of them standing on the plot of land they were set to build their house on.
