10 Surprising Facts You Didn’t Know About Olympic Hero Simone Biles
27-year-old Simone Biles has once again taken the Olympics by storm. Despite dropping out of the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 (a move she said was her "biggest win"), the Team USA gymnast is back and better than ever for the Paris Games. Fans are loving everything from her eye makeup to her insane moves to choosing a track from Taylor Swift's Reputation for her floor routine. We. Can’t. Get. Enough. If you're in the same boat, then keep reading for 11 facts you didn't know about the Olympian!
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1. Simone Biles was adopted and raised by her grandparents. Simone’s biological mother’s fight with addiction left her unable to properly care for her children. After a stint in foster care, Simone’s maternal grandparents Ron and Nellie officially adopted Simone and another of her siblings. Simone even calls her grandmother Mom!
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2. She taught herself to do backflips off her family’s mailbox, according to NBC (via Good Housekeeping). And this was before she ever enrolled in gymnastics. It was clearly in the stars for this one!
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3. A field trip introduced her to gymnastics. When Simone was six, her daycare took a trip to a local gym. She was a natural alongside the other gymnasts. "While there I imitated the other gymnasts, and Coach Ronnie noticed," she says on her Team USA profile. "The gym sent home a letter requesting that I join tumbling or gymnastics."
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4. She’s so teeny. Like, 4’8″ teeny. But you know what they say: Height doesn’t measure heart.
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5. Simone Biles was homeschooled. Simone was so dedicated to her training that she decided to do homeschooling for high school to allow more hours in the gym a week, from the usual 20 up to 32 hours a week.
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6. G-Eazy is her favorite artist. Simone told ABC News he’s her favorite. Send us all the song recommendations, S!
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7. Pizza is her favorite food. “After every meet I have pizza. Pepperoni pizza,” shetold ABC News in 2016. What did we tell you? She's a HERO.
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8. She “doesn’t do bugs.” At the World Gymnastics Championships in 2014, a bee flew near Simone on the medal podium and she famously threw her bouquet at it. Can’t say we blame her.
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9. She’s an all-around sports fan. Her favorite basketball player is Steph Curry, she announced the Houston Texans’ pick at the 2016 NFL draft, and her husband Jonathan Owens is on the Green Bay Packers.
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10. Simone. Is. A. Hero. Yeah, we know you already know that one. But we can never say it enough.
What’s your favorite Simone Biles moment? Let us know over on Instagram!
Lead image via Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
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