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“I Could Barely Find My Voice”: Simone Biles Was Intimidated by Katelyn Ohashi and Kyla Ross During Early Days of Her Gymnastics Career

Published 11/15/2022, 9:45 AM EST

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Simone Biles has, on multiple occasions, hoisted the American Flag at the Olympics as she won seven medals. She started training when she was as young as eight and won her first medal at the age of 16.

All-in-all, Simone Biles has shown exceptional self-confidence during her events and competitions, but she was also shy. In her book, ‘Courage To Soar,’ Biles talked about when she was new at the Ranch and barely interacted with anyone.

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Biles reveals when she felt intimidated by big faces

In her book, Biles talked about a new girl at the Ranch called Maggie Nichols. She said that Maggie killed it at the practice and had a well-toned body. The only thing that bothered Biles was that Maggie never talked to anyone at the camp.

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This reminded Simone of herself when she had newly joined the camp. Simone claimed, “I could barely find my voice.” Biles said she was intimidated by the slim and confident girls and preferred keeping to herself. It was until her fellow trainees, Kyla Ross and Katelyn Ohashi, finally reached out to Biles and included her in their gang.

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READ MORE: “You Could’ve Reacted a Little Faster Today”: Soon to Be Husband, Jonathan Owens Opened Up on Simone Biles Schooling Him on His Sport Once

On that note, Biles tried to do the same with Maggie and make her feel comfortable. She invited Maggie to hang out with the group, but she didn’t show up. Biles then dragged Maggie out of her room and made her hang out with the team. 

Simone Biles lets out Team USA’s secret

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Simone Biles revealed that the US team shared memories beyond the training mats. They tried on makeup and gossiped about boys whenever they had extra time. 

 

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Biles claimed that the bond the team shares is one of the secrets to the success of team USA. She said, “We root hard for one another. We have each other’s back.” Simone said that this bond gives her the confidence to perform.

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WATCH THIS STORY: Jonathan Owens’ Heart Melted When he Saw Gymnastics Icon Simone Biles Cheering Up for him

Gymnastics are performed individually, but Biles highlighted how team spirit helped her reach where she is today. What do you think about the bond between the Gymnasts of Team USA? Tell us in the comments!

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Written by:

Somya Jain

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Somya Jain is a US Sports author at EssentiallySports. She has been a Psychology student for six years, holds a Master’s degree from Panjab University, Chandigarh, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D.
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Edited by:

Rupak Kumar Jha