Simone Biles

📍Spring, Texas, USA

“Simone Biles was born in Columbus, Ohio, in March 1997. Her birth mother was unable to care for her and her siblings, and after a period in foster care, Simone and her younger sister, Adria, went to live with their maternal grandfather, Ron Biles, and his wife, Nellie, in Spring, Texas, a fast-growing suburb north of Houston. In 2003 Ron and Nellie adopted the two girls, and Simone has always called them Mom and Dad. She was a bouncy, fearless child who loved to tumble and climb. When she was six, on a day-care field trip to a gymnastics centre, Bannon's Gymnastix in Houston, she began copying the gymnasts, and the coaches sent a letter home suggesting she take up the sport. She soon began training with coach Aimee Boorman, and her power and joy were obvious from the start. Her family were devout Catholics, and their faith and steady love gave her security, after the uncertainty of her early years. Nellie, a nurse turned businesswoman, and Ron, a retired air traffic controller, drove her to the gym every day. To train full-time, she was homeschooled from 2012, and in 2013 she won her first world all-around title. Her family later built a gymnastics centre near their home, the World Champions Centre in Spring, where she still trains. She won four Olympic gold medals in Rio in 2016 and three more in Paris in 2024, and has become the most decorated gymnast in history. She has spoken openly about foster care and adoption, and about the family in Spring who gave her a home.”

Sources: sportskeeda.com Wikipedia: Simone Biles