Simone Biles, Who Starved During Childhood, Was Scared After Her Biological Mother Made a Comeback in Her Life: “Don’t Think Anyone Noticed How Quiet I Was”

Simone Biles is a name synonymous with outbound success and records. She stunned the world with her staggering performances since her debut at the World Championships. However, Simone’s journey toward greatness was full of obstacles. The star gymnast had to face many struggles since she was a toddler.

Simone had a very unusual childhood. Along with her siblings, she was in and out of foster care frequently. She was placed in foster care when she was just three years old. In the book ‘Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance’ she reveals it all. 

Simone Biles feared change

Simone’s biological mother, Shanon Biles, could not take care of her children. Shanon struggled with alcohol and substance abuse issues ever since Simone’s birth. Due to that reason, Simone was put in foster care along with her sister Adria. In 2003, her maternal grandparents adopted Simone and her sister. The Olympic gold medalist recalled how she starved during her childhood.

Recalling that incident, she said, “Growing up, me and my siblings were so focused on food because we didn’t have a lot of food.” In her book, she revealed how her siblings Ashley and Tevin were excited and joyous when their mother Shanon visited them at their grandparents’ house. However, she was not that excited. At that moment, nobody noticed her. “ Don’t think anyone noticed how quiet I was standing off the side,” she wrote.

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“I was only three years old, but I knew right then that our calm, predictable life in spring was about to change,” she wrote, revealing she was standing off the side. Simone did not live with Shanon as long as her siblings Ashley and Tevin, so she barely remembered her biological mother. On the other hand, her sister Adria did not know Shanon at all.

Simone’s relationship with her grandparents

Simone’s maternal grandparents came to her rescue and adopted both sisters from foster care. Her grandparents, Ron and Nellie Biles, took care of them as their daughters. They supported Simone’s gymnastics career and sacrificed a lot to make her dream come true. Ron worked in the FAA, whereas Nellie owned a couple of nursing homes.

In her book, she gave great detail about her childhood. Due to her rigorous training routine, she was home-schooled. Simone would train twice a day and had a break of 4 hours in between the training sessions. Ron, after retiring from the FAA, would teach Simone during the time she was not training. However, Ron’s teaching did not work for Simone. She failed in multiple subjects, ultimately leading the family to hire a tutor.

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Without a doubt, the sacrifices made by Ron and Nellie have played a significant role in shaping Simone as a star gymnast.