Every gymnastics legend has a first fall. For Simone Biles, that journey began long before the Olympic podiums and history-making routines. Now, the superstar is looking back at those early days, sharing childhood footage and a heartfelt reminder of where the dream began.
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On National Gymnastics Day, the four-time Olympic champion looked back at some of her earliest moments in the sport, sharing childhood videos that showed a much younger Biles learning, stumbling, and trying again. Alongside the memories came a simple message for the next generation: “kids, don’t ever give up on your dreams ❤️ this is where I started… happy national gymnastics day.”
There was something fitting about Biles choosing to revisit those days. Long before the Olympic medals, world titles, and skills carrying her name, there was simply a young girl finding her way around a gym.
Another clip captured that journey in a much more playful way. Biles captioned it, “*salutes, *picks wedgie, *falls, *pout, *picks wedgie again, *stomps off” – a reminder that even one of the greatest gymnasts ever had plenty of imperfect moments at the beginning.
And perhaps that is what made the post resonate. The Simone Biles the world knows today was not created overnight.
Biles first found gymnastics at just six years old after a daycare field trip to a gym. What started as a childhood interest soon became something much bigger.
She qualified for the Women’s Junior Olympic National Championships in 2010 before breaking into elite competition the following year. By 2013, at only 16, Biles had announced herself on the world stage, winning the all-around title at the World Championships in Antwerp and becoming the first African-American woman to claim that crown.
She was not merely collecting medals, either. Biles was beginning to change what people believed was possible on the floor. The Biles, her double layout with a half twist, became one of the signature skills associated with her extraordinary career.
The medals kept coming. She won four World Championships golds in 2014 and another four in 2015, setting the stage for her Olympic debut in Rio in 2016.
There, Biles delivered a performance that turned a rising star into a global sporting icon. She won gold in the team event, all-around, vault and floor exercise, while taking bronze on balance beam. Her career would eventually produce 11 Olympic medals and make her one of the most decorated gymnasts in history.
Yet Biles has never seemed interested in being defined simply by comparisons with other sporting legends. “I’m not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps. I’m the first Simone Biles.”
That line has become almost as recognizable as the skills that carry her name. But behind the confidence is a journey that began with uncertainty, setbacks, and a childhood far removed from the bright lights of the Olympics.
Biles and her family have previously spoken about her time in foster care before she and her younger sister, Adria, were adopted by their maternal grandparents, Nellie and Ronald Biles. Those experiences shaped the person who eventually walked into Olympic arenas around the world.
Years later, Biles would also become open about another part of her journey: knowing when to step away.
Her decision to withdraw from several events at the Tokyo Olympics after experiencing the “twisties” placed her mental health at the center of the conversation around elite sport. She returned to win bronze on balance beam, before eventually rebuilding toward another Olympic chapter.
Paris 2024 brought another remarkable peak. Biles helped the United States win team gold, reclaimed the individual all-around title, and won vault gold, while also taking silver on floor exercise.
But after Paris, the question changed.
Can we see Simone Biles participating at another Olympics?
Biles has repeatedly made it clear that Los Angeles 2028 remains a possibility, but not a promise.
In April 2025, she said she would be at the Games regardless of whether she was competing. “If I’m gonna compete again, I’m not so sure. But I will be at the Olympics – whether it’s on the floor or in the stands,” she said.
By May 2026, her answer was still somewhere in between. Speaking to El País, Biles described her chances of competing in LA28 as being “about 50 per cent.” She also stressed that the final decision would belong to her.
“I’ve already been to three Olympic Games, and I feel fulfilled. It’s crazy to see how people always want more and more from you. In the end, the decision will always be mine.”
At 29, Biles has also acknowledged the physical sacrifice required to return at 31. She has spent her time away from gymnastics enjoying a mental and physical break, while doing activities such as yoga and Pilates to stay active.
And perhaps that is why her National Gymnastics Day post feels so meaningful.
The videos show a little girl falling, pouting, getting back up, and trying again. The future Olympic champion was already there, but she was still learning.
For now, Biles does not need to decide what comes next. She can simply look back at where it all began and remind the next generation that greatness does not start with perfection.
Sometimes, it starts with a fall, a pout, and one more attempt