Did you know that Simone Biles doesn’t like cats because of her biological mother? Simone and her siblings ended up in foster care when she was just three years old because her biological mother suffered from alcohol and drug abuse. Simone’s biological mother was unable to take care of her children due to repeat offenses that landed her in jail, leaving the Biles siblings in hunger and fear.

Fortunately, nobody split Simone Biles and her siblings, so they didn’t have different homes or spend much time apart. But whenever her grandfather, Ronald Biles, visited the foster home, little Biles was always excited: “That was the person I always wanted to see.” By the time she was six years old, Ronald and his wife, Nellie Cayetano Biles, had adopted Simone and her younger sister Adria and had moved to Texas. Their father’s sister adopted the other two siblings, Ashley and Tevin, who stayed in Ohio.

Discussing this emotional journey during an appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, the seven-time Olympic medalist opened up to host Alexandra Cooper and shared her adoption journey. Recounting the moment her grandparents revealed their decision to adopt her and Adria, Biles, now 27, shared her initial confusion when they asked if they should be called “mom” and “dad.”

Biles expressed, “I was like, ‘Why is everyone freaking?’ Well, you know my parents, those are my grandparents. My uncles, whom I call my brother now, were my uncles. I just remember we all sat on the floor, practice stopped because everybody needed to know the story. The coaches were intrigued. Everybody, they were like, ‘You’re adopted?’”

But the fact that her biological mom, Shanon, is also her adoptive parents’ daughter has been difficult for her to wrap her head around. Biles added, “That’s also crazy explaining to people because I’m like, my biological mom is also my dad’s daughter, and I call him dad. So it’s just like everybody’s hella confused… It’s a whole family tree that you’re like, ‘Don’t make me explain it. My parents are my parents. I got chosen. Feeling blessed.’”

Had it not been for the adoption, Simone Biles would have still been Simone Biles. But who knows if she would’ve become the world’s most celebrated gymnast. Being adopted by her grandparents proved to be a literal life-altering moment for the now-27-year-old. If her grandparents hadn’t decided to adopt, she might not have had the upbringing she did. “I have no idea where I would be without being adopted. I fear for what my life would’ve looked like,” Simone Biles told Cooper while crediting her adoptive parents for a memorable journey. 

However, when people talked about her unusual adoption, Simone Biles made a powerful statement that mattered to her: “My parents are my parents.” Biles’ biological mother, Shanon, now clean and sober, supports her Olympian daughter from afar. But there’s little doubt that she silently heaved a sigh of relief when she realized Simone Biles and her siblings got the upbringing they deserved, one that she couldn’t provide at the time. 

Simone Biles and her siblings did not have enough food growing up

While growing up, Shanon was away most of the time because of her struggles, because of which she couldn’t look after the children and their needs. In an interview a few years ago, Biles opened up about how she and her siblings had insufficient food while living with their biological mother. She recalled a peculiar portion from her childhood involving the incident that made her dislike cats.

“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 (Shanon) always fed it. But she never fed us.” Later, when Biles and her siblings often had to make trips to foster homes, her grandfather-turned-father did not want the children there, so he took them in.

Initially, Nellie had reservations because they were not her biological children. But eventually, she realized she wanted to do anything and everything for them, just as a mother would like for her children. Biles found a warm home and supportive parents who helped her become what she is today. And now that she travels the country (and the world), her parents travel with her whenever they can, supporting their daughter during her meets.

Reports even suggested that Biles would feel weird if her parents weren’t around during competitions. Now, just 97 days away from the 2024 Paris Olympics, the 27-year-old will step into the event with big hopes, and it will be exciting for her parents to catch Biles in action.