Oh, to love something so much, you say, “Maybe the day I stop doing gymnastics is the day I die.” They say age is just a number, but has anyone ever embodied that as well as 98-year-old Johanna Quaas has? Quaas is breaking all age barriers as the world’s oldest gymnast, and in doing so, the German legend has gone viral, captivating audiences worldwide! But long before this happened, Simone Biles showed her admiration for the 98-year-old with a heartfelt gesture.

Johanna Quaas has gone viral several times, but the most recent occurrence was after a Reddit user posted a video of the 98-year-old on the r/toptalent subreddit. It showcased Quaas performing a stunning routine on the parallel bars to Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud. She effortlessly executed a full split atop the bars, wowed the crowd with flawless planks and a head plank while gripping the bars, and wrapped it all up with a perfect landing that sent the audience wild.

While the video continues to make the rounds on the internet, we can’t help but recall what happened seven years ago. In 2017, Simone Biles had already shown her respect and admiration for Johanna Quaas on NBC’s Little Big Shots: Forever Young. Back then, at 91 years old, Johanna Quaas dazzled the audience with her parallel bars routine, leaving Biles “speechless.”

According to TODAY, host Steve Harvey even invited Biles on stage to surprise and honor Quaas. By 2012, videos of Quaas’ routines had gone viral on YouTube, racking millions of views. Biles mentioned that the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team often found inspiration in Quaas’ performances. Even at 98 years old, the German remains a strong competitor. Often competing in age groups where she stands alone, one such instance was when she dominated the 70-75 age category at 84 years old, claiming first place.

Reflecting on her achievement, she told The Strait Times, “My proudest moment so far was when I was 84 years old, and there was no one in my age group competing in the championships. So they put me with the others in the 70-75 age group, and I still won by one point.” Despite her age, Johanna stays active, training daily for an hour and maintaining a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Maybe she’s the inspiration behind Simone Biles pushing the limits and setting new standards as well!

Simone Biles, 27, has been pushing the age barrier in gymnastics for a while now – a sport where athletes typically retire early. With her 8th U.S. all-around title at the 2023 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Biles made history by becoming the oldest woman to achieve this feat, following it up with a 9th title in 2024. As she puts it, “I use the phrase, ‘aging like fine wine.’” That said, she’s chasing more records at the Paris Olympics this year.

With just one gold, Biles could become the oldest American woman to win Olympic gold in gymnastics and the oldest woman in the sport since the Soviet Union’s Polina Astakhova did at age 27 in 1964. With a love for gymnastics that is just as intense as that of Johanna Quaas’, it looks like Simone Biles will continue making history, too, further solidifying her position as the most decorated gymnast in history. That said, reflecting on the heartwarming moment where two gymnastics legends connected in 2017, let’s look at Johanna Quaas’ journey and how she has continually set the world record as the oldest gymnast.

Johanna Quaas: a gymnastics journey spanning decades, inspiring Simone Biles

Johanna Quaas started her gymnastics journey at 10 and has never looked back. Her journey spans back to 1934, and despite taking breaks to raise a family, she returned to gymnastics in 1982. Quaas achieved global recognition when, on March 26, 2012, YouTube user LieveDaffy shared two videos showcasing the 86-year-old’s training at the Tournament of Masters in Cottbus. One video captured her performance on the parallel bars, while the other showcased her floor exercise routine.

These clips quickly went viral, each garnering over 1.1 million views within 6 days of posting. That year, in 2012, Johanna Quaas secured the Guinness World Record as the world’s oldest gymnast at 86 years old. Now, almost at the century mark, Johanna continues her rigorous gymnastics routines not just for competition but also as a safeguard against falls in her old age.

Her spirit is as vibrant as ever, as captured in her famous quote: “My face is old, but my heart is young. Maybe the day I stop doing gymnastics is the day I die.” In a sport like gymnastics, where most elite female gymnasts retire in their mid-twenties, Johanna Quaas continues to defy barriers, proving that age is truly just a number. As Simone Biles continues to rewrite the record books herself in 2024, their meeting in 2017 holds profound significance. What are your thoughts on their journeys? Share your thoughts in the comments!