She won a gold at the Paris Olympics. Then another gold and also a third one. Simone Biles not only changed the face of the sport but also encouraged conversations around mental health and the issues that she believes in. But Paris was personal. It was about proving her naysayers wrong after the Tokyo debacle, but more than that, Biles had to trust herself and her abilities. And that’s exactly what she did!

No wonder she bagged the ‘Sportsperson of the Year’ title by Sports Illustrated on January 2. This was made official by a glamorous event on January 7. Now, her family and friends, including her husband Jonathan Owens, are showering her with heartfelt words, celebrating the superstar that she is.

In a video shared by SI, Owens was heard saying: “Hey baby, I just want to congratulate you on winning your Sports Person of the Year award […] I’m so happy and so proud of you, baby. The determination and all the hard work that you did to get yourself back into this position, to go out there and do what you love again, babe. It’s been so amazing to see you, how much fun you’ve been having. And I just want to say congratulations, baby, and I can’t wait to celebrate with you. I love you so much.”

Biles’ teammate and bestie, Jordan Chiles, couldn’t hold back her excitement: “Congratulations to my big sis, bestie, and teammate […] You are such an incredible human. Everyone should experience the level of support you gave me in their lifetime. You know that saying, ‘if you shoot for the moon, you’ll land on a star’. You are the moon, and chasing your excellence pushed all of us to new levels. Your resilience and dedication inspired not just me, but the entire world. I’m so proud of you, and I can’t wait to see what’s next. Biles and Chiles forever. Love you.”

And, of course, the family had their own sweet words. Simone Biles’ mom, Nellie Biles, kept it simple and sweet: “Simone, congratulations. Very, very proud of you […] Sorry, we didn’t wear makeup for this, but next time!”

Her sister, Adria Biles, added, “Hi sister, we love you. Congratulations, it’s very well deserved.”

Even her former coach, Cecile Landi, couldn’t hold in her excitement: “Hi Simone, I just wanted to send you a huge congratulations for this award. So well deserved […] I’m so glad I get to know you inside, outside the gym. You are truly a gem. Love you and see you soon.”

Even Simone Biles couldn’t contain her excitement over this incredible milestone! Chatting with Good Morning America on January 2, she said:

“Honestly, it is such a huge honor. I know some of the greats that have won it in prior years, so to just keep gymnastics on the map is really exciting… I know a lot of people love the sport of gymnastics during an Olympic year and have followed my career closely, but I was still very shocked.” However, trust us when we tell you Jonathan Owens was over the moon!

Interesting Fact: In 2023, Deion Sanders was SI’s Sportsperson of the Year after he transformed the Colorado Buffaloes!

Jonathan Owens couldn’t stop congratulating Simone Biles!

On January 2, the gymnastics universe came together to celebrate the newly minted Sports Illustrated ‘Sportsperson of the Year,’ Simone Biles. And one of her biggest supporters was, of course, her husband, Jonathan Owens. The Chicago Bears safety was over the moon excited, as he shared the news not just once, but twice on his Instagram story.

One post came with the heartfelt caption, “So proud of you baby,” while the other was simply a string of love-filled heart emojis. Now that’s the husband’s goal right there!

But wait, things don’t end just yet. Simone Biles’s childhood coach, Aimee Boorman, also celebrated her and wrote, “Never Surprised, Always Proud. Congratulations @simonebiles.”

Meanwhile, her sister Adria couldn’t help but gush over the jaw-dropping photoshoot by Shaniqwa Jarvis, featuring Simone Biles in a stunning snake-printed outfit. Adria’s reaction? Pure sister vibes: “ugh she is so prettyyyyyyy.”

And let’s not forget Cecile Landi, who sweetly chimed in, “So well deserved.” From family to coaches and everyone in between, Simone Biles circle of love just keeps expanding, don’t you think?