Simone Arianne Biles Owens is an American artistic gymnast and the most decorated gymnast in history. She was born on March 14, 1997, in Columbus, Ohio, the third of four siblings. Due to her birth mother’s struggles with substance use, Simone and her siblings spent time in foster care until her maternal grandfather Ron Biles and his wife Nellie took in Simone and her sister Adria in Texas and later adopted them.(Wikipedia)
Growing up in Spring, Texas, Biles discovered gymnastics on a daycare field trip and quickly showed extraordinary talent. She began training seriously at Bannon’s Gymnastix and later at World Champions Centre, a gym founded by her parents. To accommodate her training schedule, she switched from public school to homeschooling in 2012, allowing her to increase training from about 20 to 32 hours a week.(Wikipedia)
Biles burst onto the elite scene in 2013, winning her first all-around world title. Between 2013 and 2016 she accumulated a staggering haul of World Championship medals, particularly in the all-around, floor, and vault, where her power and difficulty set her apart. At the 2016 Rio Olympics she won four gold medals (all-around, team, vault, and floor) and one bronze on balance beam, becoming a breakout global star.(Wikipedia)
Her skills are so difficult that multiple elements in the Code of Points bear her name—the Biles and Biles II on floor, and highly difficult vaults and beam dismounts.(Wikipedia) By 2025 she had amassed 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals, more than any gymnast in history.(Wikipedia)
At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (held in 2021), Biles made headlines by withdrawing from several events due to “the twisties”—a dangerous loss of spatial awareness mid-air—citing mental health and safety concerns. Her decision sparked a global conversation about athlete well-being and the pressure placed on elite performers. She returned later in the Games to win bronze on beam and has spoken candidly about therapy and trauma, including the abuse she survived under former team doctor Larry Nassar.(Wikipedia)
After a brief hiatus, Biles returned to competition in 2023 and dominated again, winning more world titles and then adding four medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics.(Wikipedia) She married NFL safety Jonathan Owens in 2023 and has spoken about balancing family life, training, and a more mature perspective on competition. On her 28th birthday in 2025 she joked about “Twenty ATE” on social media, even as she hinted she may not continue to the 2028 Los Angeles Games, suggesting it might feel “greedy” to keep going.(People.com)
Biles’ legacy extends beyond medals: she represents excellence, resilience, and advocacy for mental health and athlete safety. For many Americans, she stands as a modern example of how it’s possible to be both the greatest of all time and deeply, openly human.