In her early days, Simone Biles wasn’t exactly proud of her height—in fact, she was so self-conscious about it that she often lied. Constantly targeted by trolls for her stature, the U.S. gymnastics queen felt the weight of insecurity. In her candid memoir, Courage to Soar, Biles admitted, “I liked to say I was four feet nine just so I could feel taller.” At the time, the now 27-year-old Olympic gold medalist was still finding her confidence.

However, maturity and experience taught Biles to embrace her height rather than see it as a flaw. Her petite frame, after all, became one of her greatest assets, propelling her to extraordinary feats in gymnastics and cementing her status as the greatest of all time. Overcoming her insecurities, Biles turned her perceived weakness into a source of strength. Not only has she tackled the physical and mental challenges of her sport, including the infamous “twisties” that sidelined her in Tokyo, but she’s also emerged as a fierce advocate for mental wellness.

Biles’ triumphant return to competition, culminating in her dominance at the Paris Games, proved that her resilience is as remarkable as her talent. Now fully comfortable in her skin, Biles often jokes about her height in public. One such lighthearted moment unfolded recently on The Kelly Clarkson Show, where the gymnastics legend and the talk show host shared a festive conversation.

When Clarkson playfully asked whether Biles would rather be one of Santa’s elves or a reindeer, the four-time Olympic champion responded with a witty quip that left Clarkson momentarily speechless, “I’m the perfect height for an elf.” The crowd burst into laughter, a testament to Biles’ charm and ability to turn what once troubled her into something to celebrate.

Such a joke about her height stunned Clarkson and she immediately went off her seat. Later on, collecting herself, the host stated, “I didn’t even go there.” Clarkson then went on to say how she always loved to fly and thus, she would have chosen to be one of Santa’s 9 reindeer. However, this was not the first hilarious story involving Biles’ height. 

Simone Biles was once mistaken for a kid

Back in 2022, Simone Biles became the youngest person to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. However, on her way back to Texas, the legendary Olympian encountered an incident that she would remember forever. Boarding the United Airlines, a flight attendant mistook Biles for a child! As bizarre as it might sound, Biles was offered a children’s coloring book. 

Uploading a picture of herself on Instagram, Biles captioned the post, “Not the flight attendant trying to give me a coloring book when I board…. I said ‘No I’m good I’m 25.'” Thus, with a lot of hilarious stories being told about Biles and her height, the level of success she has attained is truly unbelievable. Now, standing tall amidst her 4’8” frame, Simone Biles remains a live example of how grit and determination can take any individual to the heights of greatness.