Simóne Árianne Biles is an artistic gymnast from the US.
She was born in Columbus, Ohio, on March 14th 1997.
Simone had a tough childhood - her dad abandoned them when she was only 3 years old, and social
services took her and her siblings away from her mom, Shanon Biles, because of her problems
with drugs and alcohol.
She moved to Texas with her grandpa on her mom’s side, Ronald, and his second wife,
Nellie, who also adopted her little sister Adria, a gymnast as well.
Her elder siblings were adopted by another family member.
Even tho this situation was rather traumatic for Biles, nowadays she has a cordial relationship
with her biological mother, and talks openly about the whole thing.
Since she was very little, she has always liked jumping and bouncing, but her begining
in gymnastics was completely by chance.
After the cancellation of a school trip due to bad weather, the school decided to visit,
instead, an artistic gymnastics center.
A 6-year-old Simone showed, spontaneously, some pirouettes and the instructors were SO
amazed that advised her parents to enroll her in a gymnastics center.
This was the begining of her road to stardom.
A little after this, she was discovered by Aimee (amy) Boorman.
Her current coach is Laurent Landi.
Biles officially started in 2011, in the competition “American Classic” in Huntsville, Texas,
where she showed all her potential.
During the following year, she got first position in different disciplines.
In June that same year, she participated for the second time in the USA Gymnastics National
Championship, where she placed third all-around, and sixth on uneven bars, balance beam and
floor exercise.
After this performance, Biles was named to the United States Junior National Team.
Simone was decided to become a great gymnast and, from that moment onwards, she has been
doing everything she can to make it.
When she was 15, she switched from public school to home schooling.
This allowed her to increase her training from 20 hours a week to 32.
A year later, she placed first all-around at a world level.
Since 2013, she has her own flip: The Biles, which has turned into her personal brand.
It is a double flip with a half twist and a blind landing, a very difficult move.
Her track record is AMAZING.
Biles is four-time United States national all-around champion, she is the only gymnast
that has been three-time world all-around champion in a row.
She is a three-time world floor champion and two-time world balance beam champion.
Also, she is the first African-American gymnast to become all-around champion.
Biles, 1’45m tall and 47 kilos weight, is such a winner.
She is characterised by her strenght, power, the high level of difficulty in her exercises,
and her perfect moves.
Her big and spontaneous smile always makes public and judges fall in love with her, and
she makes gymnastics look accessible for everyone.
As any other girl her age, Simone loves Zac Efron, the protagonist of the Disney Channel
saga High School Musical.
The actor does not ignore this, and is always supporting her on social networks.
Her performance in Río 2016, her first Olympic Games, was excellent.
Apart from winning gold in the artistic gymnastics team event, with the Dream team from the US,
she won 3 golds - all-around, vault and floor exercise, and she grabbed bronze in balance
beam.
With her four golds, she has already beaten the Romanian Nadia Comanéch.
2017 was her year for resting and enjoying all the victories achieved.
She participated in Dancing With The Stars, and a tv movie based on her book “Courage
to Soar” was released.
In the begining of 2018, she joined her voice to those of other brave gymnasts, to report
the imprisoned USA Gymnastics national team doctor.
After the break, this year she will go back to competing.
Simone Biles has come to revolutionize the world of artistic gymnastics, becoming a total
celebrity.
We are sure, this is just
the begining!