By: Troy MacNeill

ORLANDO, Fla. (2022) – Simone Biles is widely regarded as the greatest gymnast of all time. She changed gymnastics forever when she rose to fame in 2013 and she hasn’t looked back since. She is continuously changing the sport, and more than that, she is changing how we view athletes in today’s world.

Biles began to become a household name in 2013 after winning two World Championship gold medals, including the All-Around gold, at just 16 years old. However, her journey into gymnastics started 10 years prior.
 
At just 6 years old, while on a day-care field trip, Biles got her first taste of the sport. After being encouraged to stick with gymnastics, training officially began with coach Aimee Boorman at 8 years old. Only 3 years later, Biles’ elite career began with the 2011 American Classic and she has been on a rocket to the top ever since.
 
By the time she was selected for her first appearance as an Olympian, Biles was already a superstar in the sport.  After the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Biles became a mega star to both diehard and casual fans. She came into the 2016 Rio Olympics as a 10-time World Championship gold medalist, and she left the Olympics as one of the greatest gymnast to ever compete.

 

“I’m not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps – I’m the first Simone Biles.” This was the statement made by the awe-inspiring gymnast during the Rio Olympics, and at just 24 years old, Biles has lived up to those words.
 
With 7 Olympic medals through just 2 Olympic appearances (4 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze), Biles is tied with Shannon Miller for the most Olympic medals won by an American gymnast. With 32 combined medals from the Olympics and World Championships, Biles is one of the most decorated gymnasts of all time. Biles changed the gymnastic world forever as she rose to prominence.

Biles is re-writing the book on gymnastics. Judges began to ban certain moves or rewrite scoring systems because it became so hard to fairly score other gymnasts who attempt the nearly impossible moves that Biles was landing with ease. The International Gymnastics Federation has named certain skills in the sport after gymnasts that perform a special skill at a major international competition. Biles has 4 skills named after her – 2 on Floor competitions, 1 on Balance Beam and 1 on Vault. With 4 skills already named after her, Biles’ name will live on in the sport’s history forever.

Away from the floor routines, flips, podiums, and medals, Biles has been an inspiring light for young athletes all around the world.

 

After the 2016 Rio Olympics, Biles took a year off from competition. She co-wrote an autobiography entitled, Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance.
 
“I want people to reach for their dreams,” Biles said during the release of the book. “If you’re willing to put in a lot of work, and if you’re focused and determined, you can go really far. There are so many people who have inspired me with their love and encouragement along the way, and I want to pass on that inspiration to readers.”
 
In 2020, Biles took another step towards transforming gymnastics and the way athletes are viewed moving forward. During the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Biles shocked the world when she withdrew from both the individual all-around competition, and the women’s team competition. Biles had to walk away from what she does best to focus on her mental health. Still there to encourage her teammates and coach them from the sidelines, Biles became one of the first athletes to speak out about mental health in today’s world.

 

In front of the world, with all eyes on her and Team USA, Biles put her mental and physical well-being first. She showed courage in acknowledging that her well-being was the most important thing to her. She joins fellow athletes Michael Phelps, Kevin Love, and many more, in speaking out about their mental health and finding ways to win away from competitive sport.
 
People magazine would go on to name Biles as one of its “2021 People of the Year,” as she redefined what it means to win in sports.
 
Also in 2021, Biles was named a co-winner of the Amateur Athletic Union’s (AAU) 91^st James E. Sullivan Award, alongside Caleb Dressel. The AAU Sullivan Award has been presented annually since 1930 to the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States. Biles represents the award perfectly through her leadership, character, and skill.
 
Today Biles is known as the G.O.A.T (Greatest of All Time) in the gymnastics world and continues to speak out on the importance of mental health. She continues to be an advocate and a shining example for the next generation of athletes.
 
”I knew I had more to give to the sport for myself, and I felt like I had a purpose and now I feel like I do and it's to be a voice for the younger generation."