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“Lifted My Skinny Eight-Year-Old”: Simone Biles’ Coach Refused to Show Her Sympathy at a Young Age Pushing Her Overcome Her Fears

Published 08/25/2022, 9:45 AM EDT

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At the age of six, the greatest of all time, Simone Biles, began taking gymnastics lessons. Her coaches have been her strongest allies throughout the entire process. She picked up all the abilities quickly, thanks to her aptitude to learn new things rapidly. But when Biles thinks back about her earlier practice sessions, she recalls the time when she cried after the coach pushed her beyond her limits.

Despite having a delayed career start, she has won 32 Olympic and World Championship medals, making her one of the most decorated gymnasts in history. Her coaches, however, were a significant and important factor in her development.

Simone Biles’ coach helped her overcome fears

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The four-time Olympic gold medalist opened up about her fears in her book, ‘Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance.’ Simone penned down how she started crying after failing to do the giant routine and falling. However, she faced denial when she thought her coach would show some sympathy.

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She wrote, “(her coach)Get up, Simone. (I) got to my feet and wiped my eyes. I was expecting a little sympathy, but, clearly, I’d misjudged Nicole. I’m not doing another giant! I burst out. “Come on, Simone,” she said calmly, (Nicole) “Get up here,” Did you see me just fall? (Nicole) “Get up here,” she repeated. (Simone) “No!” I said, crying all over again. “I’m not doing it.”

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After all the quarrels, Biles wasn’t ready to do the giant again, but the argument didn’t stop there. She further wrote, “(Nicole)Yes, you are, she said. In fact, you’re going to be doing giants by the time we finish bars today. I’ll spot you.”(Simone) I stood my ground, not mounting the bar, and Nicole was losing patience. “You know what, Simone?” she said. (Nicole) “You’re doing a giant right now. You can’t make me! I said, crying harder. Nicole reached over and easily lifted my skinny eight-year-old frame, then placed my hands on the bar. At this point, I was sobbing so hard I couldn’t see anything.”

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She crafted her legacy in an incredible way

The beginning of Simone’s career had many hurdles for her. However, she has come a long way, chasing her dream of becoming the best gymnast in history. At 6, she was getting a higher level of training. But she adapted to all the hard workouts and practices like climbing ropes and doing tricks in the air, which was an astounding feat.

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Simone turned all the difficulties into her strength and won four gold medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Her fans are eagerly anticipating her return to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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WATCH THIS STORY: Olympic legends Simone Biles, Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky hangout with gold medals around their neck

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Written by:

Ishani Yadav

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Ishani Yadav is a US Sports author for EssentiallySports. She is currently pursuing her Bachelor's degree in Journalism from the University of Delhi. Ishani spent her childhood playing baseball and badminton, which led to her passion for sports.
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Edited by:

Rupak Kumar Jha