Simone Biles has accomplished a lot in her career since she turned elite in 2011. She’s had a gold-spangled record, becoming the most decorated female gymnast in Olympic history. Even her withdrawal from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics can’t diminish the way she has pushed the sport of gymnastics further. She set new standards for excellence.

She has incredibly supportive parents, Ronald and Nellie Biles, who adopted her when she was just six years old. Before they took her in, Biles and her siblings spent a few years in foster care.

Simone Biles and her siblings had a rough childhood

The Biles siblings had a rough time staying with their birth mother, Shannon. She struggled with drug and alcohol addictions, and that didn’t always leave her best equipped to look after her four kids. In fact, in her Facebook watch series ‘Simone vs Herself’, Biles opened up about what it was like growing up with her birth mother before social workers sent them to foster care.

“Growing up, me and my siblings were so focused on food because we didn’t have a lot of food,” she said. Her mother wasn’t always in a place where she could provide for them, but somehow, a street cat was fed much better. She detailed how, as a result, food is one of the reasons she isn’t quite fond of cats.

Trending

Shaq Warns Lakers Locker Room Of Jeanie Buss Game Plan If Darvin Ham & Co Fail Vs Nuggets

April 24, 2024 09:42 PM EDT

Exclusive: After Claiming He Can Beat Caitlin Clark 1v1, Iowa’s No.1 NFL Draft Prospect Cooper DeJean Comes Clean

April 25, 2024 03:12 PM EDT

Why Is Olivia Dunne Under Fire for Code Violation?

April 24, 2024 06:21 PM EDT

“RIP”: Track World Mourns Loss of Virginia’s 23-Year-Old NCAA Star

April 24, 2024 05:30 PM EDT

After Confirming Patriots Interest, JJ McCarthy Reveals Tom Brady Was Speaking to Him Throughout National Championship Winning Season

April 24, 2024 07:04 PM EDT

Get instantly notified of the hottest stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

“I remember there was this cat around the house and I would be so hungry. They would feed this cat and I would be like, ‘Where the heck is my food?’ And so I think that’s [why] I don’t like cats… because this freaking street cat, she always fed it. But she never fed us,” she added.

Simone and her little sister Adria were adopted by Ronald Biles, her maternal grandfather, and his wife, Nellie Biles. She quickly took to calling them ‘mom’ and ‘dad’. Simone has credited her parents for being role models for her and the core pieces of her support system.

“These Were Not My Biological Children”- Simone Biles’ Mother Once Revealed the Struggles of Bonding With Gymnastics Star After Adoption

How Biles stays fit for her competitions

Before Biles took a break from competition for mental health reasons, she was the undefeated all-around World Champion since 2013. She has been far ahead of her competition since she stepped on the senior mat. Her silver and bronze at the Tokyo Olympics tied her with Shannon Miller for the most Olympic medals won by an American gymnast.

Naturally, it takes a lot of dedication and sincerity towards her training to achieve such feats of athleticism. But her diet is something she refuses to compromise on. In gymnastics, it is easy to develop issues with food when there is a single-minded focus on tracking diet. But Biles, as she claimed in an interview with Women’s Health, lets her own body decide when and what she needs to eat. She follows a simple formula.

She claimed, “I do not track anything. I eat what I feel good with and try not to overeat or stuff myself because I’m always at the gym.” Biles may have had an initial few rough years in her life, but she has proved repeatedly that her circumstances don’t dictate who she is. Her struggles have only strengthened her, and she is an inspiration for many.

WATCH: Simone Biles Left Speechless by a Fan’s Heartwarming Gesture During Date Night With Fiance Jonathan Owens