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Most decorated gymnast in history
She became the most decorated gymnast in history with 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals, more than any male or female gymnast ever.
Simone Arianne Biles Owens, born March 14, 1997, in Columbus, Ohio, is the most decorated gymnast in history with 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals. The 4'8" Pisces powerhouse is a two-time Olympic all-around champion (2016, 2024) and six-time World all-around champion. Married to NFL player Jonathan Owens, Biles holds dual American and Belizean citizenship and revolutionized gymnastics with signature moves named after her in the Code of Points.
Biles started gymnastics at age 6 during a daycare field trip in Houston, Texas, where coaches immediately recognized her talent mimicking older gymnasts. Born to a mother struggling with addiction, she entered foster care before her maternal grandparents Ron and Nellie Biles adopted her and younger sister Adria in 2003, becoming her legal parents. She began elite training at age 8 with coach Aimee Boorman at Bannon's Gymnastix and switched to homeschooling in 2012 to increase training from 20 to 32 hours weekly.
Biles married NFL safety Jonathan Owens in April 2023 after meeting on the dating app Raya in 2020. She maintains close relationships with her adoptive parents Ron and Nellie Biles, who raised her in Spring, Texas, and her younger sister Adria. A vocal advocate for mental health awareness and foster care reform, Biles withdrew from multiple events at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to prioritize her mental health, sparking global conversations about athlete wellbeing.
At 4'8" tall, her compact build gives her a lower center of gravity and faster rotation speed, contributing to her ability to perform skills no other gymnast can complete.
She has five gymnastics skills named after her in the official Code of Points, including the most difficult vault and floor exercise skills ever performed by a woman.
Biles wears leotards with a rhinestone goat on them, embracing her nickname 'The GOAT' (Greatest Of All Time) that fans gave her.
She won her eighth U.S. Gymnastics national title in 2023 at age 26, breaking the 90-year-old record held by Alfred Jochim and becoming the oldest woman to win the championship in 2024.
President Joe Biden awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022, making her one of the youngest recipients of the nation's highest civilian honor.
She turned professional in 2015, forfeiting her NCAA eligibility and a verbal commitment to compete for UCLA after the Rio Olympics.
Biles won the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award four times (2017, 2019, 2020, 2025) and Comeback of the Year in 2024.
I'd rather regret the risks that didn't work out than the chances I didn't take at all.
At the end of the day, if I can say I had fun, it was a good day.
We also have to focus on mental health, because at the end of the day we're human beings, not just athletes.
Born March 14 in Columbus, Ohio, to Shanon Biles
Formally adopted by maternal grandparents Ron and Nellie Biles, who became her legal parents
Started gymnastics training at age 6 after a daycare field trip to Bannon's Gymnastix
Began elite gymnastics career at age 14 at the American Classic in Houston
Won first World Championship gold medals at age 16 in all-around and floor exercise in Antwerp, becoming the first African American woman to win an individual World Championship gold
Turned professional and forfeited NCAA eligibility, declining to compete for UCLA
Won four gold medals and one bronze at Rio Olympics at age 19, including team, all-around, vault, and floor golds
Won fifth consecutive World all-around title, breaking records with 25 World Championship medals
Withdrew from multiple events at Tokyo Olympics at age 24 to prioritize mental health, winning team silver and bronze on beam
Received Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden
Won eighth U.S. national all-around title at age 26, breaking Alfred Jochim's 90-year-old record, and married NFL player Jonathan Owens
Won three gold medals and one silver at Paris Olympics at age 27, becoming two-time Olympic all-around champion and reaching 11 total Olympic medals