Top 15 Interesting Facts about Simone Biles

*Updated by Vanessa R in November 2023

With 30 Olympic and World medals, Simone Biles is the most accomplished female gymnast in history. The 24-year-old has won 25 world medals, including 19 golds—the most in gymnastics history. Biles became the first female American gymnast to win four gold medals in a single Olympics at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

She is the first woman to win five world all-around titles, three world balance beam titles, and five world floor exercise titles. She is also a seven-time U.S. overall champion. She plans to increase her haul at the summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Here are 15 more interesting facts about Biles’s life to date.

1. After a field trip at her daycare, Simone Biles began gymnastics

The 4-foot-8-inch-tall Biles now resides close to Houston, Texas. She was born in Columbus, Ohio. When Biles was six years old, she went on a daycare field trip to Bannon’s Gymnastix outside of Houston and mimicked the more experienced athletes.

After recognising her talent, the coaches wrote to Biles’ parents to encourage them to try the sport. Biles trained with Aimee Boorman through the Rio Olympics took a year off, and then started working out with Cecile and Laurent Landi in October 2017.

2. Gymnastics training also pursued by Simone Biles’ sister

Simone and Adria’s parents, Nellie and Ron, who are also their biological grandparents and who adopted the girls when they were very young, raised Simone and Adria. Up until the age of 16, Adria trained with Simone and participated in gymnastics competitions.

Simone used to jump off a second-floor railing onto a couch one floor below when they were young, according to Adria, who describes her sister as “fearless” in a statement to ESPN. Although Adria is about 6 inches taller than Simone, fans frequently confuse the sisters at the Rio Olympics. As a result, Adria gave up trying to correct people and allowed them to take her picture.

3. Simone Biles was diagnosed with ADHD as a child

Russian hackers exposed numerous athletes’ personal medical records in 2016 after breaking into the World Anti-Doping Agency’s website. One of those athletes was Simone Biles.

Biles, who uses the stimulant Ritalin, which is prohibited by the organization, has had ADHD since she was a young child. But USA Gymnastics has given Biles permission to use the drug under a therapeutic-use exemption. In order to spread the message that taking medication for ADHD is nothing to be ashamed of, Biles turned to Twitter.

4. Four gymnastics moves were named after Simone Biles

A gymnast must first successfully land a move at a significant competition before submitting it to a governing body for consideration. The Biles moniker refers to four different moves: two-floor routines, one beam routine, and one vault routine. Additionally, Biles made history in May when she performed the Yurchenko double pike, a vaulting manoeuvre, for the first time in a competition. On the springboard, the athlete does a roundoff back handspring before vaulting upward and performing two flips in the pike position.

The judge’s decision to award it a score of 6.6, which was comparable to other, less dangerous manoeuvres, sparked controversy. The International Gymnastics Federation was criticised by Biles and others for inflating the number of points awarded for the

5. Simone Biles has a unique emoji

A number of cartoon gymnast characters with Biles’ likeness can be seen in the 99-cent “Simoji” programme. In a brief YouTube interview with USA Gymnastics, Biles stated that her all-time favourite emoji is the winking smiling face with its tongue jutting out.

6. Simone Biles was once chased by a bee around the medal podium

Having won gold in the individual all-around at the 2014 World Championships in Nanning, China, 16-year-old Biles was clutching a bouquet of flowers when Romanian silver medalist Lorisa Iordache pointed out a bee. Biles made an attempt to shake the bee out of the bouquet, which naturally made it swarm around in annoyance. While laughing the entire time, Biles dropped the flowers, yelled, dove, and danced away from the insect.

7. When they first started dating, Simone Biles’s boyfriend had no idea who she was

NFL player Jonathan Owens and Biles started dating just before the pandemic. The Houston Texans player Owens claims he was unaware of Biles, which may be difficult to believe. The fact that Biles had 4 million Instagram followers led him to conclude that she must be good at what she does; nevertheless, he quickly discovered how understated that assumption had been.

8. She has 4 German shepherds

Rambo and Lilo are the names of Biles’ two French bulldogs. They post frequently to their @thebilesfrenchies Instagram account, which has more than 47,000 followers. Lilo and Rambo frequently interact with Zeus, Owens’s bulldog who is also active on social media. Biles and her family once owned four German Shepherds.

9. She is the most accomplished female gymnast in America

Simone has dominated since the 2013 P&G Championships. She has collected 25 medals overall, 19 of which are gold, at the World Championships. Notably, she is the first American to take home a medal in each competition event. Simone won five medals—four gold and one bronze—at her maiden Summer Olympic Games in Rio in 2016.

10. Simone Biles rewards herself with pizza after events

Biles is renowned for shattering gender stereotypes regarding the way female gymnasts should behave and perform, and she does this both inside and outside of the gym. She can be seen having fun with her family, friends, and dogs on her Instagram feed, as well as occasionally partaking in a variety of foods and beverages that many non-elite athletes find enjoyable.

She enjoys tequila and margaritas, tweeted about fried pickles, and frequently expressed her love for pizza, even claiming that she rewards herself with pepperoni pizza after each meeting. She indulged in the renowned square slices at Imo’s Pizza while attending the Olympic t

11. She was placed in foster care with her three siblings

Born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1997, Simone Biles’ early life was marked by instability and challenges. Her biological mother, struggling with addiction, was unable to provide a stable home environment, leading to Simone and her three siblings being placed in foster care. Fortunately, Simone’s maternal grandfather, a decorated Air Force veteran named Ron, and his wife, Nellie, a retired nurse, stepped in to provide a loving and supportive home for the children.

Officially adopting Simone and her younger sister Adria at the age of six, Ron and Nellie became the pillars of stability in Simone’s young life. Simone’s older siblings were also adopted by their great-aunt, ensuring that all four children found loving and permanent homes.

12. She was the shortest athlete of all 555 U.S. Olympians

At a mere 4 feet 9 inches, Simone Biles was the shortest athlete among the 555 representing the United States at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Her petite stature was put into stark perspective when she stood next to volleyball player David Lee, who towered over her at an impressive 6 feet 8 inches. Their height difference of two full feet created a striking visual contrast, highlighting the diversity of athleticism and physicality within the Olympic Games.

13. She is afraid of bees

Despite being an incredible athlete, Simone Biles is also human, which means she’s afraid of bees just like many of us. In 2014, at the World Championships, after receiving a gold medal, another medalist pointed out a bee in her bouquet. Simone, then an adorable 16-year-old, giggled and jumped off the podium to escape the tiny pest.

14. She’s realistic about her career

Given the athleticism and agility required for gymnastics, gymnasts tend to have extremely short careers. This is due to the immense physical demands of the sport, which can lead to injuries and burnout. Simone Biles is realistic about this fact, and she has said that she is “having as much fun with it as possible” while she can. She knows that at some point, she will have to retire from gymnastics and find a new career.

However, there is no doubt that Biles will be successful in whatever she chooses to do next. She is a talented and intelligent individual, and she has the drive and determination to succeed in any field. She has already shown her ability to branch out beyond gymnastics, with successful ventures in business, fashion, and philanthropy.

15. She’s the first woman to complete a Yurchenko double pike skill on vault

Simone Biles’ response to why she wanted to perform the Yurchenko double pike and other difficult moves is a powerful statement of self-belief and empowerment. She simply said, “Because I can.” This response challenges the traditional notion of what is possible for women in sports and reminds us that we should never limit ourselves or let others tell us what we are capable of. Biles is a true champion and an inspiration to us all.