>> SHE HAS MOVES NAMED AFTER
HER.
GET HER HEAD AROUND THAT.
WE HAVE WAITED A LONG TIME TO
SEE HER BACK IN ACTION, AND
WE’RE GOING TO GET OUR CHANCE
VERY SOON.
SIMONE IS JUST OVER A MONTH AWAY
FROM HER FIRST COMPETITION SINCE
2019.
OF COURSE, SHE’S GETTING READY
FOR THE TOKE KWLOEYO GAMES THIS
AS WELL.
SOMEHOW, THE G.O.A.T. FOUND TIME
AT PRACTICE TO TALK TO LITTLE
OLD US.
SO GOOD TO SEE YOU.
GOOD FRIDAY MORNING TO YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
YOU, TOO.
GOOD MORNING.
>> MORNING.
>> WE SHOULD POINT OUT, YOU’RE
LITERALLY AT THE GYM RIGHT NOW.
>> YEAH.
>> WE WANT TO APOLOGIZE FOR
STEALING YOU AWAY FROM PRACTICE.
HOW IS TRAINING GOING SO FAR?
>> TRAINING IS GOING REALLY
WELL.
WE’RE RAMPING UP FOR OUR FIRST
COMPETITION HERE IN A LITTLE
UNDER FOUR WEEKS.
I’M REALLY EXCITED.
JUST HAPPY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
>> YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED
YOU’RE ONE MONTH OUT FROM YOUR
FIRST COMPETITION SINCE THE 2019
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS.
HOW ARE YOU FEELING?
YOU KNOW, THE LAST TIME YOU
COMPETED, YOU HAD A SKILL NAMED
AFTER YOU, AS WE TALKED ABOUT.
ARE YOU TRYING TO COME UP WITH
NEW MOVES?
WHAT’S YOUR GOAL?
>> WE HAVE JUST ONE MORE MOVE ON
THE VAULT THAT I’LL DEBUT BEFORE
THE TOKYO OLYMPICS.
OTHER THAN THAT, JUST TRYING TO
SOLIDIFY ALL OF MY ROUTINES AND
GET PREPARED AND BE CONFIDENT
ONCE WE GET OUT THERE.
>> SIMONE, YOU ARE HERE TO
ANNOUNCE YOUR BRAND-NEW PAID
PARTNERSHIP WITH US ON AN ACTIVE
WEAR LINE.
YOU’RE MOVING ON FROM NIGH CO-TO
BE -- NIKE TO BE ABLE TO DO
THIS.
HOW DO YOU PLAN TO USE THE
COLLABORATION TO EMPOWER GIRLS
AND WOMEN?
>> I’M BLESSED TO HAVE THIS
OPPORTUNITY TO PARTNER WITH
ATHLETA.
I’LL HAVE MY OWN LINE TO INSPIRE
GIRLS BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER
THEIR CAREER.
MAINLY, PARTNERED WITH ATHLETA
BECAUSE THEY SAW CONFIDENCE IN
ME, AND THEY JUST HAVE SUCH A
HUGE PLATFORM.
I LIKE HOW THEY INSPIRE ME IN
THE GYM AND OUT, NOT JUST AS AN
ATHLETE BUT AS A PERSON.
I’M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT IT.
>> SIMONE, YOU HAVE EVOLVED, NOT
JUST AS AN ATHLETE, BUT AS A
PERSON, AS WELL.
USING YOUR VOICE AND YOUR
PLATFORM TO SPEAK OUT ON A
NUMBER OF ISSUES.
>> YEAH.
>> AS THAT HAS COME, THE
JOURNEY, HOW HAS THAT BEEN FOR
YOU?
>> IT’S TAKEN A LOT OF
CONFIDENCE, BUT I LIKE DOING IT.
EVERYBODY LOOKS UP TO ATHLETES
TO SEE IF THEY’RE GOING TO SPEAK
OUT ON THESE DIFFERENCES OR
WHATEVER IS GOING ON AROUND THE
WORLD.
I HAVE THIS PLATFORM THAT I’VE
BEEN BLESSED WITH, SO I
DEFINITELY HAVE NO PROBLEM DOING
IT, AS LONG AS IT IS IN A
POSITIVE MANNER.
YEAH.
>> I LIKE WHAT YOU SAID ON
INSTAGRAM A FEW DAYS AGO, I
BELIEVE, ABOUT OTHER ATHLETES
USING THEIR VOICE TO SPEAK UP,
AS WELL.
LET’S TALK TOKYO FOR A MOMENT,
SIMONE.
THE OLYMPICS OBVIOUSLY GOING TO
LOOK A LOT DIFFERENT IN A LOT OF
WAYS HERE THIS SUMMER.
NO INTERNATIONAL FANS.
NO FAMILY, AS WELL.
>> CORRECT.
>> AS WE UNDERSTAND IT.
>> MM-HMM.
>> HOW IS SIMONE BILES PREPARING
FOR THAT?
>> WE’RE IN THE GYM EVERY DAY
TRAINING FOR THIS.
I’M NOT SURE HOW TO -- I GUESS
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED BECAUSE
I’VE NEVER COMPETED WITHOUT MY
FAMILY OF SOME SORT AT A MEET.
IT’LL BE DIFFERENT.
I’M JUST SUPER EXCITED THAT THE
OLYMPICS WILL TAKE PLACE, AND
WE’LL EVEN HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF
AN AUDIENCE ONCE WE GET OVER
THERE.
OBVIOUSLY, IT WON’T BE HOME
CROWD OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT
THEY’LL BE THERE IN SPIRIT.
THAT’S WHAT I’M HAPPY ABOUT.
>> YOU’RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
GYM.
FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO CONCEPT,
AND I DON’T EITHER, HOW OFTEN
ARE YOU PRACTICING EVERY SINGLE
DAY?
HAS THE GOAL BEEN THAT WHEN THE
OLYMPICS COME, YOU’RE JUST -- IT
IS LIKE ANOTHER DAY AT PRACTICE,
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
YOU DON’T WORRY ABOUT, OH, CAN I
DO THIS OR THAT?
>> YES.
SO MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY,
FRIDAY, I TRAIN SEVEN HOURS A
DAY.
>> GEEZ.
>> THURSDAY AND SATURDAY, I
TRAIN FOUR HOURS.
SUNDAY, WE GET OFF.
>> WOW.
>> RECOVERY.
>> BIBLICAL.
SHE HAS A DAY OF REST.
>> YES.
>> YOU CREATE A UNIVERSE, THEN
YOU REST.
>> YES.
>> AT THIS POINT, ARE YOU
BASICALLY COMPETING AGAINST
YOURSELF, IN A SENSE?
>> I LIKE TO THINK THAT.
I’VE ALWAYS GONE IN WITH AN OPEN
MIND AND TRY NOT TO COMPETE
AGAINST EVERYBODY ELSE.
YOU CAN’T CONTROL WHAT THEY’RE
DOING.
YOU CAN ONLY CONTROL WHAT YOU DO
OUT ON THE FLOOR.
I TRY TO COMPETE MYSELF AND BEAT
MYSELF AND BE BETTER THAN THE
LAST TIME I COMPETED.
I KNOW IT IS GETTING TOUGHER,
BUT I’M JUST TRYING TO DO THAT
STILL.
>> YOU’VE GOT THIS.
>> WE’RE GOING TO LET YOU GET
BACK TO IT, SIMONE.
ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO CATCH UP
WITH YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
>> CONGRATULATIONS ON THE NEW
PROJECT.
>> YOU, TOO.
>> CONGOOD LUCK ON THE TRAINING,