When Cecile Landi left France to migrate to the United States, she was told that she’d fail as a coach in America. But she proved her doubters wrong when she successfully helped Simone Biles and many other gymnasts to stand atop the podium. Today, as Landi celebrated her 46th birthday, the 11x Olympic medalist took a moment to express a heartfelt wish to her coach, who mentored her to the highest pedestal in her sport. 

Currently in Chicago with her husband, Jonathan Owens, Simone Biles is supporting the football safety as he navigates the NFL season. In the carousel of her Instagram updates from Chicago, the gymnast also shared a birthday message for Cecile Landi in one of her stories. Biles posted a photo from her wedding in Cabo, where Cecile Landi and Laurent Landi were posing alongside Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens.

Captioning the picture, the 28-year-old proudly expressed her gratitude for having Cecile as her coach. She penned, “Happy Birthday @cecilelandi ❤️❤️❤️ love youuuu, one year hotter ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥” and added, “to be coached by her was an honor!!!”

Biles has consistently acknowledged Cecile and Laurent Landi’s influence, stating, “They’ve been big mentors in like my adulthood (because) they got to see and harness the more mature Simone. They’ve helped me a lot not just in the gym but out of the gym, too.” Cecile Landi has long been a constant presence in Biles’ career. The coach was there from the beginning of the gymnast’s comeback and supported her through challenges such as “twisties” with which the gymnast struggled since the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. 

How Simone Biles’ comeback began over Margaritas with Coach Cecile Landi

Simone Biles’ path back to gymnastics began quietly over margaritas in March 2023, when she told coach Cecile Landi she wanted to return. “She told me she really wanted to give herself a chance to do it,” shared the coach. That simple declaration was enough for the mentor and mentee duo to jump into the preparation for her first competition in two years, the 2023 Core Hydration Classic. 

The comeback began with the Yurchenko double pike in training for the first time since Tokyo. “It’s been good,” Laurent Landi said. While Simone concentrated on just getting her skills right, her coaches also made sure to keep her in a healthy mental space. “We just made the routines to use the new Code of Points and make it as mentally and physically comfortable as she could handle,” Cecile Landi explained. Biles admitted she was initially “petrified” to return. Yet that deep conversation over drinks that night made the coach realize what Biles was actually waiting for. And Cecile made sure to be her rock till the moment she wore the GOAT necklace in Paris after winning it all.

And now, after a successful run at the Paris Olympics, Biles make sure to be by her coach’s side whenever needed. She confirmed she would travel to Buenos Aires following a personal announcement last week, signaling an immediate reunion with her former coach, Cecile Landi. In a brief video, Biles declared, “Hi, I’m Simone Biles. And I’m very excited to announce that starting on October 6, I’ll be in Buenos Aires City for a few days, as it has been chosen as the 2027 World Capital of Sports. I’ll be giving a clinic and also touring the city. I can’t wait to see you all.” Biles attended a talk show at the City Government Headquarters on October 8 and then met Landi at the Olympic Park in Vila Soldati, where the duo led a gymnastics clinic organized by the City Sports Secretariat.