The most decorated American gymnast, Simone Biles, has been the talk of the town for a long while. She is in the news for her Olympic withdrawal or because of her wedding planning. Whatever she has worked towards, she has done it with great courage and determination. Even when she took a step back at the Olympics, it must’ve taken a great deal of courage to speak up for what’s right.
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Such values don’t come naturally to a person; they need to be taught. And Simone’s parents did a great job of instilling some great qualities in their daughter.
Simone Biles hopes to instill the same values in her children
‘Simone vs Herself’ is a docuseries on Facebook which gives the viewers a raw, behind-the-scenes look at her life. It shows what it takes to be one of the greatest gymnasts of all time; the struggles, the frustration, everything. In the seven-part docuseries, Biles mentioned the importance of values her parents taught her.
Simone said her family has made a lot of sacrifices for her to be where she is. “My parents, growing up, they’ve just always wanted us to be our own person and to not be anyone else. Because at the end of the day, you can only control what you do. And I feel like that’s why all the kids and I have been so successful in what we do.”
Biles further added, “We’ve learned even when you’re at the top, you have to keep going, you have to keep pushing, and you have to push those boundaries. Just their love and the compassion that they’ve had for us. I just hope to have the same for my children when I’m older.” Simone said she wants to teach her this because it is a great lesson.
Notably, Biles is engaged to her long-time boyfriend and NFL safety, Jonathan Owens. He proposed to Simone in February 2022, and the couple will get married in 2023.
Biles’ bet with her mother
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During an interview, the Biles family sat down to talk about a bet between the mother-daughter duo. When Simone was going for her first World Championships, she and her mother placed a bet. Biles said there was no way someone could win the championship in their first attempt.
Her mother, Nellie Biles, told her to go to the championship and give it her all. But she didn’t expect her daughter to win either, much like Simone’s coordinator, who said she had nothing to lose as a challenger. So, they agreed on a bet – If Simone won gold, she could have her belly pierced. And when Biles won the gold, she had permission to get it done.
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Imagine if Biles’ primary motivation behind winning the World Championships was getting her belly pierced!