Simone says, “My dad and his binoculars are just the cutest!” She’s talking about her biological grandfather, who, along with his wife, adopted her when she was just three years old and living in foster care. Now, she’s an amazing athlete with eight Olympic medals!
Simone, the most awarded gymnast in America, shared her story about growing up. She talked about how she and her brothers and sisters often went hungry while living with their birth mother, who was having a tough time with drugs and alcohol. Keep reading to find out more about this amazing athlete!
A long time ago, before 26-year-old Simone Biles became famous for her amazing flips and spins, she was in foster care with her brothers and sisters, Adria, Tevin, and Ashley.
Simone’s biological mom, Shanon, struggled with alcohol and drug addiction, which made it hard for her to take care of her four kids.
Shanon shared with the Daily Mail that it was really tough for her to let go of her kids, but she felt it was necessary because she couldn’t take care of them. She also mentioned that the kids’ dad, who struggles with addiction too, wasn’t around.
In an interview with CNN, Simone openly shares her childhood experiences and the challenges she faced growing up with a mother who struggled with addiction.
“My brothers and sisters and I went into foster care because our mom had a hard time with drugs and alcohol. I was just three years old,” she shared with CNN.
Two decades later, she still has vivid memories of starving.
She recalls, “I remember when we were kids, we were always so hungry, and there was this cat that got fed while we didn’t. It was kind of unfair. But then we got taken in, and luckily, we stayed in one foster home together. Those were some of the best times! We were just so happy.”
The excitement grew even more with the regular visits from her grandparents, Ronald and Nellie Biles. They adopted Simone when she was just six years old, and they also welcomed her little sister Adria, who is now 24.
Simone shared on her Facebook Watch show, Simone vs. Herself, “I really wanted to look after Adria since she was the youngest. I felt it was my responsibility to protect her because if family doesn’t take care of you, then who will?”
Their siblings Tevin and Ashley were adopted by Ronald’s sister and raised in Cleveland, Ohio.
Life changing rain day
And then, a rained-out school trip completely changed the course of Simone’s life.
Nellie talks about her adopted daughter Simone in the show Simone vs Herself, saying, “I never even considered gymnastics as a sport for her. It just didn’t cross my mind.” She recalls a field trip that got canceled because of rain, so instead of going to a farm, they ended up at Bannon’s Gymnastix.
Confirming her mother’s memory, Simone offers more information to her fans, saying the first time she was exposed to gymnastics was in “daycare on a school trip.”
“I don’t ever remember watching it on TV or seeing pictures in a magazine,” the athlete says, adding she learned by “imitating” other girls.
Ever since, Nellie and Ronald attended every meet, watching Simone slay the competition.
Simone mentioned that she has a “bad habit” of looking for her biggest supporters in the audience. She admitted that she would feel “kind of nervous” to compete if her parents weren’t there to watch her.
“I don’t feel set and comfortable until I find where they are in the crowd. I just get really antsy and once I see them, I feel that it calms me down to know that they’re in the arena.”
The Biles couple only missed one big event, which was the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Because of COVID-19 rules, fans couldn’t attend. In the end, Simone decided to step back from the women’s team final and four other individual finals to take care of her health. She was experiencing something gymnasts refer to as the “twisties,” where your body and mind don’t work together properly.
Dad and his binoculars
Ronald and Nellie were excited to cheer for Simone and Team USA at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. They were joined by Simone’s husband, Jonathan Owens, who is a football player. He took a break from his training camp with the Chicago Bears to be there for his wife, whom he married in 2023.
“It really doesn’t matter where we are, which competition it is, she knows where we’re sitting. She can hear me, I know that because I scream so loud,” the proud Nellie shares in the Facebook clip.
As Simone looked around the Bercy Arena in Paris for her parents, she spotted Owens. He was wearing a bright t-shirt that had pictures of his wife on it. Next to him was Nellie, grinning from ear to ear, and her dad was there too, but his face was covered by binoculars he was using to see his daughter better.
“My dad and his binoculars is so freaking cute,” she writes in an Instagram story that shows fans the adorable family picture.
Friends of the Children
Besides being the U.S. gymnast with the most medals, Simone also helps out Friends of the Children, a group that provides ongoing support and care for kids in foster care.
“These kids really need love and support, and having that one steady person in their lives means everything to them,” said the passionate supporter of the group in an interview with CNN.
