The 2024 Olympics will be the redemption tour for Simone Biles that her fans have been eagerly waiting for. Ever since the 27-year-old pulled out of the final round at the Tokyo Olympics, her status as one the greatest figures ever to have graced the sport has been challenged numerous times. When Biles retired to action at last year’s US Classic, she made it clear that this isn’t the end of the road for her by any means, but instead, she has much to prove still.

With Simone consistently bagging the top spot on the podium since 2023, it’s evident now that she has a lot of steam left in the system for her to reach for the skies once again on the grandest stage. As she waits to reclaim her throne at the upcoming quadrennial tournament, let’s take a look at the journey that has brought her to the place where she is now.

The birthplace of Simone Biles and early childhood

The nation’s most decorated female gymnast of all time was born in Columbus, Ohio, on March 14, 1997, and is the third child among four siblings. Their biological mother Shannon Biles didn’t have the resources to take care of them, which resulted in all of her children frequenting foster care centers.

Being adopted and subsequent life

Seeing how Shannon was unable to provide for her children, Simone’s grandfather Ron Biles, and his second wife Nellie Cayetano Biles began chipping in for the four kids in 2000 from Spring, Texas. In 2003, Simone and her younger sister Adria were formally adopted by Ron and Nellie while the oldest two of the four were adopted by Ron’s sister Harriet.

In her new family, Simone was brought up following a Christian way of life. Through her adoptive mother, she received Belizean citizenship and has been known to consider the Central American country as her second home.

Education and gymnastics training

Simone attended Benfer Elementary School in Harris County, Texas before switching from public school to homeschooling in 2012 to invest more time in her newfound love for artistic gymnastics. Biles completed the equivalent of high school in the middle of 2015 and was set to join the UCLA Bruins for her collegiate career.

However, the plan didn’t proceed accordingly and Simone chose to turn professional in 2015, resulting in her being unable to compete in NCAA events.

Gymnastics and Simone Biles: A match made on beams and bars

Simone’s first introduction to gymnastics happened when she was 6 years old and went on a daycare field trip. From then on, it became something the sport consumed every moment that she was awake. Soon after, she enrolled at the Bannon’s Gymnastics, an institution that has become a part of her life. Simone has previously noted that her teammates from Bannon are like an extended family to her.

It was at this place where Simone met her coach Aimee Boorman at the age of eight, when Aimee took the latter under her wings noticing Biles’ potential to become an international star. In retrospect, Boorman made the right call and the world could have missed out on the elegance that is Simone Biles had she not chosen to guide the young gymnast during her formative years. As of now, Simone has a total of a staggering 27 Worlds and Olympic gold medals with countless other accolades to her name.

Personal life and current residence

Simone is married to Chicago Bears’ football safety Jonathan Owens. The duo tied the knot in 2023 after three years of dating. The couple are settled in Houston, Texas, and are currently in the process of building their dream home together.

Biles gives regular updates on the construction process and shares her glee now and then as the mansion of her dreams nears its completion.

Previous places where Biles has stayed

Simone’s childhood in Spring home was sold in 2017 for a price of $250,000. After she had grown up, Biles moved into a larger $750,000 house in Houston, Texas which had a long list of amenities including a swimming pool, a theater, and a dog wash station. However, as she waits to move into her new home along with her husband Jonathan, it remains to be seen if an Olympic gold can be the housewarming gift for Simone to bag in the coming weeks.