Simone Biles is renowned for her love of summer vibes—getting married near the beach and always opting for beach vacations whenever she can. The phenom was moments away from possibly securing her spot on Team USA at the Paris Olympics and becoming a three-time Olympian. Her excitement was evident with numerous updates on Instagram with behind-the-scenes glimpses of her time in Minneapolis.

However, ahead of her iconic Olympic comeback, she went into complaint mode—for a good reason. Simone Biles, the summer lover, was facing a familiar challenge as she was practicing for the showdown: the cold.

Hours before Women’s Day 2 of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials at the Target Center in Minneapolis, she posted on Instagram Threads, saying, “I’m tired of these cold a** arenas.” Simone Biles isn’t a fan of cold weather, and she’s made that pretty clear. But it’s not just a matter of preference.

When it’s cold, the body has to work harder to stay warm, which can make exercising tougher and riskier. The drop in temperature can also mess with muscles, making them weaker, less flexible, and slower to react. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, “Cold injury can result from exercising at low temperatures and can impair exercise performance or cause lifelong debility or death.”

This concern is real, especially with several gymnasts, like Shilese Jones, Kayla DiCello, and Skye Blakely, already withdrawing from the 2024 US Olympic Gymnastics Trials due to injuries. So, it’s no wonder Biles is worried about the cold potentially causing her harm too. Reflecting on the gymnastics phenom’s concerns, let’s look back at the many times Simone Biles has voiced her disdain for low temperatures.

Simone Biles and the Cold: A hate story

Last year, when her NFL husband Jonathan Owens played for the Green Bay Packers, the seven-time Olympic medalist Simone Biles was asked in an Instagram Q&A, “How many Packers games will you be at?” in snowy Wisconsin. She explained the difficulties in their schedules and added, “We were actually trying to figure this out yesterday. Green Bay is tough because there are no direct flights for us. I’m also afraid of the open dome/cold weather.”

During peak NFL season, Simone even went to watch a game between Owens’ Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings, where Wisconsin was seeing single-digit temperatures. She ended up shivering in the near-blizzard conditions at Lambeau Field. In an open confession on X, she wrote, “I’m NOT built for cold weather.”

On the flight back home to Houston, Simone shared a relatable and funny update on Instagram. She posted a picture of herself in a car, clutching a packet of Sport Temp hand warmers, with the caption, “I’m the psycho that brings hand warmers on the plane… because I can’t stand being cold.” Considering her recent comments about the cold and her fiery performance at Night 2 of the 2024 US Gymnastics Trials, it’s evident she won’t let the chilly weather get in her way as she aims for the Paris Olympics. What do you think about Simone Biles’ aversion to cold weather? Share your thoughts in the comments below!