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“I’m Not Even 17 Yet!”: Simone Biles Is Fed Up With Young Gymnasts Constantly Reminding That She Is Getting Old

Published 09/27/2022, 12:10 PM EDT

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The face of gymnastics, Simone Biles, doesn’t seem to slow down to catch her breath anytime soon. The athlete’s experience and mastery of the sport are what made her the G.O.A.T. Biles’ interest in gymnastics grew from a very young age and since then, she never backed off.

Furthermore, the seven-time Olympic medallist is also the recipient of several prestigious awards. Apart from sports, the gymnast is also into dancing and participated in the 24th season of Dancing with the Stars. Nonetheless, does her advancing age bother her?

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Just before the Tokyo Olympics, the athlete talked about her growing age. Furthermore, she shed some light on the age gap between her and the new athletes. 

Is age just a number for Simone Biles?

Simone Biles is undoubtedly the most prominent name in the world of gymnastics. Her achievements are enough to prove her dominance in the sport. The gymnast has a huge fanbase that consists of people from every corner of the world. Moreover, she’s also a good teammate and an inspirational senior. 

A year ago, when Simone Biles was preparing herself for the 2020 Summer Olympics, she appeared for an interview. The interviewee asked the 25-year-old if she thinks of her age. In reply, she revealed that she is reminded of it on a daily basis. 

Girl, all the time. Every day, I’m reminded of my age here,” said the legendary gymnast. “The kids remind me how old I am every day.”

In addition, she said that the young athletes are no less in making fun of her age. While Biles has been practicing gymnastics for more than 17 years, some of her juniors are not even 17. 

Yesterday, we were in practice,” Simone Biles said. “And they were like, ‘Simone, how long have you been doing this sport?’ And I was like, ‘Seventeen years.’ And they were like: ‘I’m not even 17 yet! Some of my teammates aren’t even 17 yet.’ And I’m like, ‘Thank you.’”

Despite her ripe age, Biles’ performances have always been sharp and accurate. Beating her record won’t be an easy task at all for anyone. 

Mental health is beyond everything

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The gymnast’s bold personality is not unknown to the world. Pulling away from the Olympics in 2021, Biles emphasized the importance of mental health. She was vocal about her mental health struggles and is now hoping to help others deal with the same.

It was a very courageous move, probably one of the bravest things I’ve ever done to kind of put myself first and say no and speak up about myself,” the Olympian shared. “Because ultimately I wanted to walk away from Tokyo.”

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Watch This Story: Simone Biles puts her mother and best friend up against each other in the ultimate challenge

Biles’ step didn’t just bring her out of a hole, but also helped other athletes to speak up and take a stand for themselves. 

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Written by:

Rimjhim Dey

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Rimjhim Dey is a US Sports author for EssentiallySports. She is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology and is also a biology aficionado. Interested in it since childhood, Rimjhim believes her passion for writing runs through her veins.
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Edited by:

Rupak Kumar Jha