American artistic gymnast Simone Biles competes worldwide. With Shannon Miller, she shared the record for the most Olympic medals earned by an American gymnast with seven. She is regarded as one of history’s best and most powerful gymnasts. Biles received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Joe Biden in 2022.
By earning her 24th and 25th medals, both gold, during the 2019 tournament in Stuttgart, Biles broke Vitaly Scherbo’s record of 23 World medals. She now holds the record for both the most World medals (25) and the most World gold medals (19).
She holds the record for most World all-around titles among female gymnasts (5). She is the first gymnast since Lilia Podkopayeva in 1996 to hold both titles concurrently. She is the sixth woman to win an individual all-around title at the World Championships and the Olympics.
She achieved this accomplishment in the 2018 World Championships in Doha, becoming the eleventh female gymnast and the first American female gymnast to win a medal in every event at a single Olympic Games or World Championships, as well as the first female gymnast since Daniela Silivaș in 1988 to do so.
Table of Contents
Early Life
On March 14, 1997, Simone Biles was born in Columbus, Ohio. Throughout her childhood, Simone and her three siblings were frequently in and out of foster care. Biles’ grandmother began to actively participate in her development in 2000, and during this time she was living in the Houston, Texas, suburbs. Given that her mother is Belizean, Simone, who was raised in a Catholic environment, retained strong ties to Belize throughout her childhood. She continues to be a citizen of Belize.
Early on, it was obvious that Simone would pursue a career as a professional gymnast. After being removed from class, she spent the remainder of her secondary schooling being homeschooled. Simone was able to train over 33% more as a result, and she was able to compete at the top level in the Olympics before starting college.
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Career
Biles started her gymnastics career very young; by the time she was 8 years old, she was working with Aimee Boorman as a coach. She participated in the American Classic in Houston at the age of 14. She came in third. She won the American Classic in Huntsville in 2012, taking first place. She was selected for the US Junior National Team that year.
She competed in the City of Jesolo Trophy in 2013 after making her senior international debut in the American Cup, where she helped the American team win a gold medal.
Simone was invited to a private camp by Márta Károlyi after a bad showing at the 2013 US Classic, and the young gymnast also began training with a sports psychologist. Simone then received better performances, which led to her selection for the World Championships team.
She achieved yet another first-place result at the 2013 Artistic Gymnastics Championships because of another flawless effort. The 16-year-old was already displaying extraordinary potential at this stage, outperforming far more seasoned international gymnasts.
Due to a shoulder injury, 2014 got off to a rough start, but Biles recovered with the US Classic in Chicago, taking first place by a significant margin. The United States won another victory and a gold medal thanks to her participation at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
She won the AT&T American Cup in Arlington, Texas, in 2015. Her James E. Sullivan Award nomination was aided by this performance. The City of Jesolo Trophy, the US Classic, and the US National Championships brought about additional successes.
At the 2014 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, Biles and other well-known American gymnasts represented their country, and she won the event for the third time in a row. She had obtained a total of 14 medals from the World Championships by this time. In 2016, Biles continued to produce great performances, which made her selection to represent the United States in the Summer Olympics that year in Brazil probable.
In addition to helping the US team qualify for the 2016 Olympics in first place, Simone qualified as the top gymnast overall in four of the five individual finals. She quickly took home her first Olympic gold medal in the team competition, and she then earned another gold in the individual all-around competition.
For a total of four Olympic gold medals, she also won the bronze in the balance beam final and another gold in the women’s floor exercise final. Following a temporary break from competition, she resumed her gymnastics career in 2018 with improved routines.
Awards and Achievements
Simone Biles became the fourth gymnast to get the award when she was awarded Team USA Female Olympic Athlete of the Year in December 2015. Alongside swimmer Katie Ledecky, Biles was selected as one of the sponsors of the US Navy’s aircraft carrier USS Enterprise in December 2016. The first Olympians to get this recognition, are they?
Simone Biles was the 2016 recipient of the Glamour Award for the Record Breaker. After the global championships, she was named one of ESPNW’s Impact 25 and selected as Sportswoman of the Year by the Women’s Sports Foundation. In 2016, she was chosen as one of BBC’s 100 Women.
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Simone Biles was also a finalist for Time’s Person of the Year 2016 award. Along with Elena Delle Donne, Katie Ledecky, and Breanna Stewart, Biles was also nominated for a 2016 ESPY award for Best Female Athlete; Stewart took home the prize.
Simone Biles won the ESPY Award for Best Female Athlete in July 2017. After Nastia Liukin in 2009, she is the second gymnast to win this honor. The Shorty Awards for the best in sports were won by Simone in 2017. Simone won the title of the favorite female athlete at the 2017 Teen Choice Awards and the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year in the same year.
The American Academy of Achievement’s Golden Plate Award was given to Biles in 2017. Biles and the other survivors were declared winners of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award in May 2018. Biles was crowned the most dominant athlete of 2018 by ESPN The Magazine in December, it was revealed.
Simone Biles won the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year award for the second time in February 2019, defeating Mikaela Shiffrin, Ester Ledecká, Simona Halep, and Angelique Kerber in tennis, snowboarding, and triathlon. Biles lost to Alex Morgan, a soccer player, in the 2019 ESPY Award competition for Best Female Athlete. Biles earned the People’s Choice Award for The Game Changer of 2019 in November 2019.
For the second consecutive year and the third time overall, in February 2020, Biles won the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year, defeating Allyson Felix, Megan Rapinoe, Mikaela Shiffrin, Naomi Osaka, and Shelly-Ann Fraser.
Simone Biles attacked ESPN’s SportsCenter in February 2021 for not including female athletes in their “Greatest of All Time” compilation. She was listed on the Time 100 in September 2021 for “championing mental health,” an annual ranking of the 100 most influential people in the world.
In a ceremony held at the White House on July 7, 2022, President Joe Biden awarded Biles the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor; she was one of 17 recipients, along with Megan Rapinoe. She is the youngest recipient of this honor.
Sponsors and Endorsements
In July 2015, Simone Biles joined the Octagon sports agency, which also represents Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps and fellow American gymnast Aly Raisman. She tweeted about her Nike partnership in November 2015. She agreed to a deal on November 23, 2015, allowing GK Elite Sportswear to market a line of leotards with her name on it. Later in 2015, Biles agreed to join Core Power’s Everyday Awesome squad of athletes as a spokeswoman.
The image of the Final Five was featured on the Gold Medal Edition of Special Berries from Kellogg’s in August 2016, and Biles was seen on the back of the box with one of her gold medals from Rio. Biles received contracts to sponsor Procter & Gamble, The Hershey Company, and United Airlines following the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. Biles started serving as a spokesperson for Mattress Firm’s initiative to support foster homes in September 2016.
In 2016, Simone Biles agreed to design a line of gymnastics equipment with Spieth America and to serve as a spokeswoman for Beats By Dr. Dre. She collaborated with Caboodles in 2018 to develop and promote items for women who lead active lifestyles. Biles confirmed her departure from Nike for a new gear sponsorship with the Gap’s Athleta brand in April 2021.
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Relationships
A fellow gymnast named Stacey Ervin Jr. and Simone Biles started dating in 2017. In 2020, after three years of dating, the couple makes a mistake. In that same year, Simone declared her relationship with NFL player Jonathan Owens.
Larry Nassar Assault
On January 18, 2018, Simone Biles posted a statement on Twitter revealing that she had been sexually assaulted by Larry Nassar, D.O., a former doctor for USA Gymnastics. She also claimed that USA Gymnastics was complicit in the assault and its subsequent cover-up. She excused herself from the January 16–January 24 court hearings by saying that she “wasn’t emotionally ready to face Larry Nassar again.”
Simone Biles and the other survivors were declared winners of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award in May 2018. Biles created and competed in a teal leotard at the 2018 U.S. National Championships as a gesture of solidarity for the victims of Nassar’s abuse.
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and USA Gymnastics “failed to do their duties,” according to Biles, who criticized “the entire system” in her testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee on September 15, 2021. She testified alongside McKayla Maroney, Maggie Nichols, and Aly Raisman, three of her teammates from the national team.
Simone Biles missed three weeks of the competition after undergoing surgery in October 2013 to remove bone spurs from her right tibia. Because of a shoulder issue in 2014, Biles was forced to withdraw from the American Cup in March.
Following the online release of her medical records in September 2016, in which it was discovered that Biles had been using Ritalin (methylphenidate), a medication used to treat ADHD, during the Olympics, Biles opened up about having the illness. She had previously declared her ailment to the World Anti-Doping Agency after receiving a diagnosis as a child.
As a result, she was granted a medical exemption that allowed her to take the medicine while competing. ADHD is “nothing to be ashamed of and nothing that I’m afraid to let people know,” according to Biles’ statement. Biles sustained a broken toe in 2018. She had a kidney stone as well.
Real Estate
Simone Biles revealed on social media in 2020 that she had bought a new house and shared a few images of it. Although images of her new home showed tile flooring and other decorations, there were few details published about it even though it was large and opulent. Despite her well-known penchant for saving money, it appears that Simone was willing to make a wise investment in real estate.
Simone Biles decided to sell her childhood home in Houston, Texas, back in 2017. The house, which has a total square footage of 3,711 feet, went on the market for 289,000 dollars.
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Simone Biles Net Worth
American artistic gymnast Simone Biles has a fortune of $16 million. With 32 gold to her name, Simone Biles is the most decorated American gymnast of all time (both Olympic and World Championship medals). One of the gymnasts with the most awards in gymnastics history is Simone. Simone Biles is regarded by many as the best gymnast of all time.
Simone Biles achieved some of her most illustrious feats during the 2016 Summer Olympics. She participated in those competitions as a member of the “Final Five” American team. Simone earned individual gold medals on the floor, vault, and all-around at these competitions. She took home two gold medals for the US team in addition to bronze on the balancing beam.
Due to a COVID delay, the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo were delayed to 2021, and Simone battled there, winning a bronze on the balance beam and silver with the team. After experiencing “the twisties,” which is when a gymnast momentarily loses awareness of their air balance, she withdrew to some extent from the competition.
Simone Biles was undoubtedly the US athlete that received the most endorsements in the years leading up to the 2020 Olympics (both before and after the postponement). In the years leading up to the games and through contracts that extend into the future, she earned an estimated $20 million.
