March 14 …

Simone Biles is a gymnast whose extraordinary athletic achievements and public advocacy have transformed elite sport, mental-health conversations, and cultural perceptions of athletes.

Born March 14, 1997 in Columbus, OH and raised in Spring, TX after being adopted by her grandparents, Biles began her gymnastics journey at the age of six, training at Bannon’s Gymnastix under the guidance of coach Aimee Boorman. She later honed her skills with coaches Laurent and Cecile Landi and made the transition from public school to homeschooling to better accommodate her elite training schedule.

Biles’s early life experience — spending time in foster care, being adopted into a nurturing family, and engaging in rigorous training — instilled in her a remarkable resilience. She developed strong work ethic and an unwavering commitment to excellence, both on and off the mat.

Biles’s achievements in gymnastics are unmatched. She is the most decorated gymnast in history, boasting 11 Olympic medals — seven gold, two silver, and two bronze) and 30 World Championship medals, of those 23 are gold. Her accolades include six all-around world titles and nine U.S. national all-around championships.

Not only has Biles pioneered groundbreaking skills across vault, floor, and beam — most notably competing the Yurchenko double pike — but she has also received numerous prestigious awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, multiple Laureus World Sports Awards, AP Female Athlete of the Year, and the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year. She has significantly contributed to redefining the standards of difficulty in women’s gymnastics.

Influential figures throughout her career have included her longtime coach Aimee Boorman, national team staff, and peers such as Gabby Douglas, Aly Raisman, Jordan Chiles, and Suni Lee. Biles has also faced notable contemporaries and rivals, such as Nastia Liukin, and she has served as a mentor and role model for younger gymnasts, publicly supporting teammates like Jordan Chiles and Hezly Rivera

Beyond her numerous medals, Biles has had a profound impact on American sports and society by bringing athlete mental health to the forefront of elite competition, prioritizing her well-being during the Tokyo 2020 Games. She has led crucial conversations about abuse and accountability, as a survivor of Larry Nassar’s crimes and an advocate for other survivors.

Additionally, Biles has leveraged her platform to support foster-care and youth causes, while challenging cultural perceptions surrounding athlete vulnerability and power.

The innovative techniques and public advocacy of Simone Biles have reshaped coaching, judging, and media narratives, solidifying her status as a transformative figure in both sport and culture.