Before the world knew her name, Simone Biles was just a six-year-old in a gymnastics class in Texas, where she met another little girl, Rachel Roettger. They trained together as kids. Years later, life took them in different directions, with Simone becoming one of the greatest gymnasts in history with 11 Olympic medals and Rachel working as a Procurement Buyer at Baker Hughes. Biles had a trip down memory lane as she shared a special picture on her friend’s special day.

Recently, Biles shared a throwback Instagram photo of her and Roettger from their gymnastics days in leotards at a training gym. Interestingly, the post resurfaced around the same time as Roettger is celebrating a baby shower with close friends.

Simone Biles also shared moments from the baby shower on Instagram stories. She was seen in a bright red sleeveless mini dress with a light, flowy skirt, standing next to the mom-to-be, who wore a light beige fitted dress. The backdrop showed the name “Raven Skye.” Even Biles added a caption saying, “Baby R is so lucky to have you as her mom.”

Their friendship has also shown up in small but meaningful ways over the years. Earlier in 2026, when Roettger announced her pregnancy, Biles surprised her with a brand-new Hyundai Palisade. She posted a video from the dealership signing the papers and later shared photos of the car wrapped with a big pink bow, writing, “Buying my best friend a car.”

Roettger felt overwhelmed with joy and gratitude. She shared pictures with Biles in front of the car and wrote, “Get you a best friend like mine 😜💗 SB surprised me w/ my dream mom car 🥹 forever thankful for YOU. 🫶🏾 xo.”

However, their friendship has also stood the test of time.

Tokyo Olympics tested Simone Biles and Rachel Roettger’s friendship

One of the most heartbreaking moments was when Simone Biles began withdrawing from events at the Tokyo Olympics 2021 because of “twisties.” The moment Roettger saw Biles fall and land awkwardly, she knew something was amiss.

“I knew right then and there something was wrong…” She said, At first, she feared it was a physical injury. “I thought she was hurt because there’s no way she should have landed like that,” Roettger added. “I texted her, ‘Hey, what is going on? Are you okay?’ She texted me, like, ‘I’m not hurt, but I’m just going through some things.’”

That moment revealed the close connection between the two! Despite the emotional Tokyo Olympics, their friendship became stronger than ever. When Rachel married Drake Roettger in 2023, Biles was competing at the World Championships in Belgium and could not attend the wedding in person. Nevertheless, she ensured that her best friend felt loved from far away.

Biles shared an emotional post on social media, writing: “My beautiful best friend got married while I was away in Belgium. I’M CRYING, Y’ALL! Such a beautiful couple! I wish you many years of love and happiness! Rachel Roettger, LOVE YOU 2 SM.”

She even FaceTimed Roettger while waiting for her medal ceremony and later posted a screenshot with the caption: “Facetiming while waiting for awards… real love!” So, indeed, their friendship has been steadfast through all their ups and downs.