“When she’s not okay, I’m not okay,” rings the haunting words of a sister whose soul howls seeing her sibling struggle. For those who remember how things went down for Simone Biles three years ago in Tokyo, the Paris Olympics felt like a walk on the redemption path. And yet, the Olympian’s run-in with the “twisties” will forever go down as one of the most profound moments of Simone Biles’ illustrious career, and her sister understands the impact such a thing can leave behind.

The gymnast’s sister appeared for an interview with Chris Osmond where Adria talked about how the fans came after the former after she pulled out of the Tokyo Games final. In the interview, uploaded on YouTube on August 28, Adria shed light on how the flak affected her entire family and how Biles traversed an arduous path to bounce back from her fumble in Japan.

“I get sad when she’s not okay,” said Adria about how she felt seeing Simone struggling with the twisties that took the latter out of competition at the last Olympics. But she noted that her sibling is a fighter and she knew Simone would make her triumphant return soon.

In the interview, Adria noted how Biles’ competitive spirit couldn’t keep her away from the action despite experiencing such a harrowing moment at the Tokyo Games. “She actually was the one who called her coaches and was like I think I want to try again,” said Adria on how the 27-year-old wanted to give things another go. Following critics labeling Simone as a “quitter”, the gymnastics star took a brief hiatus. But it was soon evident that the calling of the uneven bars, the balance beams, and the floor was too loud for her to keep ignoring it.

But Adria couldn’t get on board with all the sneers that came flying at Simone after what went down at the Asian metropolitan. “…it’s so crazy to me that like somebody that you’ve never met you can just say these horrible things to them,” groveled the Olympic sensation’s sister. But the family stood firm beside the gymnast: “We were full support,” Adria said. Instead, they gave Simone the space to find her footing once again, and she made the most of it.

Simone Biles kept her eyes on the prize

Simone returned to her natural habitat at the 2023 US Classic. Immediately, she proved her worth by winning the tournament and taking down Leanne Wong and Joscelyn Roberson. Moreover, Biles made it almost clear that she was back to show the world that Tokyo was just one troublesome step on her road to the top of the food chain and she was determined to move ahead. Biles topped the scoreboards in three out of four events at the tournament as she added yet another national title to her resume. And she was only getting started. At the 2023 World Championships, Simone went on to bag four gold medals and one silver and silenced the people who were convinced that the gymnast had lost her touch after the 2020 Olympics.

In 2024, Biles won the US Classic once again and repeated the feat at the Xfinity US Gymnastics Championships. There, she earned over 60 points in a tournament for the first time since 2021. Naturally, expectations were high going into the US Olympic Team Trials, and she didn’t disappoint. Biles won the event with flying colors to secure her spot in Team USA for her third Olympics, and we all know how she reclaimed her high seat in the City of Love.

How much did you enjoy watching Simone Biles soar the skies once again? Share your elation after seeing her Parisian spectacle with us!