Simone Biles established herself as a top athlete in the field of gymnastics from the very start. In her first World Championships as a senior in 2013, she took home the all-around title on her first try. And then continued to defend that title for her next five competitive seasons.

But where most gymnasts start training as toddlers, Simone Biles only got into the sport when she was already six. Despite her late start, she has won a total of 32 Olympic and World Championship medals in her career, becoming one of the most decorated gymnasts of all time. So what makes her so good?

Simone Biles’ coach talks about her incredible adaptability

The four-time Olympic champion’s former coach Aimee Boorman revealed in an interview with the New York Times that Simone Biles is unusually quick on the uptake. When it comes to learning new skills, she can grasp them quicker than her peers by a long shot.

“I would say it’s probably no more than three days that it takes her to achieve a new skill. Many athletes–it takes them years,” Boorman said. Combined with her short stature, drive to train for hours on end, and powerful run, Biles becomes an unstoppable force in gymnastics.

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Throughout her career, the living legend gave a masterclass on what it means to dominate a sport. Biles was practically unbeatable. She’s had four signature moves named after her in three separate events: on the floor, the vault, and the balance beam.

“My Inner Usain Bolt Comes Out”- Simone Biles Once Compared Herself to World’s Fastest Man for a Hilarious Reason

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Biles sent shock waves through the world by pulling out of multiple events. She cited mental health reasons for the withdrawal, saying she began experiencing the ‘twisties’ that cause her to lose spatial awareness while in the air. She prioritized her health and safety and has been on hiatus ever since.

Biles was quick to learn from the get-go

The most decorated gymnast in World Championships history went on a daycare field trip to Bannon’s Gymnastix in Houston, Texas, at age 6. There, she was mesmerized, watching the gymnasts perform skillful moves. 

She imitated them and impressed the coaches so much that they sent a letter home with her, encouraging her parents to enroll her in classes. As a beginner, Biles was the oldest student in her class full of toddlers, the other six-year-olds already training at a higher level.

But that changed quickly as she picked up difficult moves at the speed of light, climbing ropes and performing tricks that should have been way above her skill level. She nailed the standing back tuck on her first try just by watching another girl do it.

Biles was diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) when she turned 9. Biles claims that her challenge is also her superpower as it helped her become an incredible gymnast. Turning obstacles into strengths is her forte, and fans can’t wait for her return to competition.

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