Gymnastics champion Simone Biles has a complicated family structure. Her maternal grandparents, Ronald and Nellie Biles, adopted the gymnast at age six, along with her little sister Adria. Meanwhile, their elder two siblings began living with Ron’s sister.

Biles’ birth mother, Shanon, struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, while their birth father was never really part of the picture in the first place. As she could not take care of her four kids, social services placed them in foster care when Simone was three.

Shanon’s presence at the competition caught Biles off-guard

When Simone Biles competed at the 2013 Secret US Classic held outside Chicago, she saw an unfamiliar face in the crowd. Nellie had invited her birth mother to watch from the stands, but her presence confused Biles.

“Because her biological mother lived that close, I thought it was important for her to come and see Simone compete,” Nellie said. Not everyone in the family supported Nellie’s decision. Ultimately, Shanon’s presence ended up distracting Biles. The constant questions from people about the woman who kept calling herself Biles’ mother left her off-kilter, and she fell during the competition. Since then, Shanon watches Biles’ tales of glory on the television.

Despite their estrangement, Biles reconnected with her birth mother in some capacity. Shanon claims they talk briefly every few months “when I call her, when she calls.” Initially, she had struggled with their parting and felt betrayed by her father when he asked her to give her daughters some space.

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“It was hard to give up my kids, but I had to do what I had to. I wasn’t able to care for them. I was still using, and he didn’t want me coming in and out of their lives when I wasn’t right,” she told the Daily Mail. 

Simone Biles feels lucky to be adopted 

The most decorated gymnast in World Championships history narrated some instances of what she remembered about living with her birth mother. She recalled going hungry as a child, as her mother often forgot to feed her.

In 2017, Biles appeared on the reality TV series Dancing with the Stars, where she opened up onstage about her adoption. “My parents saved me,” Biles said. “They’ve set huge examples of how to treat other people, and they’ve been there to support me since day one. There’s nothing I could say to them to thank them enough.”

The Olympic champion has also stated that she never felt like she lost out by not knowing her birth parents. Her curiosity remained, but she felt fulfilled with the life she lived with her parents and was grateful that they raised her with so much love and care.

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