Simone Biles
Gymnast · Author · Mental health advocate
b. 1997 · Born in Columbus, Ohio, United States · 4 min read
- Verified: 13 November 2026
- Sources: 4
- Independently reviewed
American artistic gymnast and the most decorated gymnast in history, with 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals, including all-around gold at Rio 2016 and Paris 2024.
Early Life
Simone Arianne Biles was born on 14 March 1997 in Columbus, Ohio, the third of four children. Her early childhood was unsettled, and she spent time in foster care. In 2003 she and her younger sister Adria were adopted by their grandparents, Ronald and Nellie Biles, and the family moved to Spring, Texas, in the Houston area. She began gymnastics at the age of six, when a daycare field trip took her to Bannon's Gymnastix, and the coaches there suggested she try the sport. She was home-schooled from an early age so that she could train, and by her early teens she was competing nationally. Her adoptive parents supported her career throughout, and her mother Nellie has managed much of her business life.
Education
Biles was home-schooled for much of her childhood so that her training schedule could come first, and she completed her secondary education through home schooling in 2015. She later studied business administration at the University of the People, an online university, enrolling in 2018. Her gymnastics education came at the World Champions Centre in Spring, Texas, under the coaches Aimee Boorman and later Laurent and Cécile Landi. She has also spoken about the education she received from her experiences in the sport, including her testimony about abuse in gymnastics and her advocacy for athlete welfare and mental health.
Career
Biles began gymnastics at the age of six, after a daycare field trip to a gym in Spring, Texas. She was coached by Aimee Boorman and made her senior international debut in 2013, winning the world all-around title in Antwerp at her first World Championships. She won the world all-around title again in 2014 and 2015, and at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games she won four gold medals, in the team, all-around, vault and floor exercise, and a bronze on the balance beam. She continued to dominate the World Championships in 2018 and 2019. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, held in 2021, she withdrew from most events after suffering from the twisties, a loss of spatial awareness in the air, and spoke openly about her mental health; she still won a team silver and a balance beam bronze. After a two-year break she returned in 2023, winning the world all-around title again in Antwerp, and at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games she won gold in the team, all-around and vault events and silver on floor. She is coached by Laurent Landi and Cécile Landi and trains at the World Champions Centre in Spring, Texas, the gym owned by her family.
Achievements
Biles's achievements make her the most decorated gymnast in history. Her 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals are more than any other gymnast has won at the World Championships, and her 11 Olympic medals are the most won by a gymnast from the United States. She is a two-time Olympic all-around champion, winning at Rio 2016 and Paris 2024, and a six-time world all-around champion, winning in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2023. Five gymnastics skills bear her name, across vault, balance beam and floor exercise, more than any other gymnast. At Rio 2016 she won four gold medals at a single Games, and at Paris 2024 she added team, all-around and vault gold. Beyond the medals she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022, the highest civilian honour in the United States, and was named Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year in 2025.
- Won 11 Olympic medals (7 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze), the most by any gymnast from the United States
- Won 30 World Championship medals, 23 of them gold, the most of any gymnast in history
- Won the Olympic individual all-around gold at Rio 2016 and Paris 2024
- Won six World Championship all-around titles (2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2023)
- Has five gymnastics skills named after her across vault, balance beam and floor exercise
- Won four gold medals at a single Olympic Games, Rio 2016 (team, all-around, vault, floor)
- Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022, the highest civilian honour in the United States
- Was named Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year in 2025 for her Paris 2024 performances
- Won the team, all-around and vault gold medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games
- Published the memoir Courage to Soar in 2016
Legacy
Biles is widely regarded as the greatest gymnast of all time, and her case rests on the record: the most World Championship medals in history, the most Olympic medals won by a gymnast from the United States, and five skills named after her. She changed the sport technically, performing skills no other woman had attempted in competition, including the Yurchenko double pike vault and the triple-double on floor. She also changed it culturally: her decision to withdraw from events at the Tokyo Olympics to protect her mental health, and her testimony as a survivor of abuse by the former team doctor Larry Nassar, made athlete welfare a central issue in gymnastics. She married the American football player Jonathan Owens in April 2023. Because she is a living athlete whose career may continue, this profile records only documented milestones and will need regular updating from reliable sources.
Contributions
Biles's contribution is twofold. Technically, she raised the difficulty of women's gymnastics beyond anything attempted before, with five skills named after her and routines that other gymnasts could not match. Culturally, she changed how the sport treats its athletes: by withdrawing at Tokyo 2020 and speaking plainly about the twisties and her mental health, she gave other athletes permission to put safety first, and her testimony about abuse helped to force reform in American gymnastics. She showed that the greatest gymnast in history could also be an advocate for the welfare of the gymnasts who follow her.
Notable Works
- Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance (2016)
- Rio 2016 Olympic Games — team, all-around, vault and floor gold
- Paris 2024 Olympic Games — team, all-around and vault gold
Milestones
- 1997 — Born on 14 March in Columbus, Ohio Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 2003 — Adopted by grandparents Ronald and Nellie Biles; began gymnastics at six Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 2013 — Won the world all-around title at her first World Championships Source: Wikipedia
- 2015 — Won the world all-around title for a third consecutive year Source: Wikipedia
- 2016 — Won four Olympic gold medals and one bronze at Rio 2016 Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 2016 — Published the memoir Courage to Soar Source: Wikipedia
- 2018 — Won the world all-around title again in Doha Source: Wikipedia
- 2019 — Won the world all-around title in Stuttgart Source: Wikipedia
- 2021 — Withdrew from most Tokyo Olympic events because of the twisties; won team silver and beam bronze Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 2022 — Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom Source: Wikipedia
- 2023 — Married Jonathan Owens; returned to competition and won the world all-around title Source: Wikipedia
- 2024 — Won team, all-around and vault gold at the Paris Olympics Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 2025 — Named Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Source: EBSCO
Timeline
- 14 March 1997
Born in Columbus, Ohio
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 2003
Adopted by her grandparents, Ronald and Nellie Biles, and moved to Spring, Texas
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 2003
Began gymnastics at the age of six after a daycare field trip to a gym
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia - 2013
Won the world all-around title at her first World Championships in Antwerp
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia - 2016-08
Won four gold medals and one bronze at the Rio Olympic Games
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 2016
Published the memoir Courage to Soar
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia - 2018-01
Disclosed that she was a survivor of abuse by former team doctor Larry Nassar
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia - 2021-07
Withdrew from most events at the Tokyo Olympics because of the twisties; won team silver and beam bronze
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 7 July 2022
Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Source: Wikipedia - 22 April 2023
Married American football player Jonathan Owens
Source: Wikipedia - 2023
Returned to competition and won the world all-around title in Antwerp
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia - 2024-08
Won team, all-around and vault gold and floor silver at the Paris Olympic Games
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 2025-04
Named Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year
Year only — exact date unknown Source: EBSCO; Wikipedia
In Their Words
“I'd rather regret the risks that didn't work out than the chances I didn't take at all.” Source: Simone Biles, Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance (2016) — From her memoir Courage to Soar (2016); she posted the same line in May 2016, shortly before her Olympic debut at Rio.
Related Personalities
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Simone Biles?
Simone Biles was born on 14 March 1997 in Columbus, Ohio, United States, so Biles is 29 years old as of November 2026. Biles's age changes every year on 14 March. She is an American artistic gymnast and the most decorated gymnast in history.
Source: Encyclopaedia BritannicaWho is Simone Biles?
Simone Biles (born 14 March 1997) is an American artistic gymnast. Her 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals make her the most decorated gymnast in history. She won the Olympic individual all-around gold at Rio 2016 and Paris 2024 and has five gymnastics skills named after her.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica ; WikipediaHow many Olympic medals has Simone Biles won?
Simone Biles has won 11 Olympic medals: 7 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze. At Rio 2016 she won four gold medals (team, all-around, vault and floor) and one bronze (balance beam). At Tokyo 2020 she won a team silver and a balance beam bronze, and at Paris 2024 she won team, all-around and vault gold and a floor silver.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica ; WikipediaWhat are the twisties that Biles experienced at Tokyo 2020?
The twisties are a loss of spatial awareness that gymnasts can suffer while twisting in the air, leaving them unsure where the ground is. Biles experienced them at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and withdrew from most events to avoid serious injury, while still winning a team silver and a balance beam bronze. She spoke openly about the experience and about protecting her mental health.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica ; WikipediaWhat skills are named after Simone Biles?
Five gymnastics skills are named after Simone Biles: two on vault, one on balance beam and two on floor exercise. They include the Yurchenko double pike vault, first performed by her in competition in 2023, and the triple-double on floor, a salto with three twists and two flips, first performed in 2019.
Source: WikipediaWhat did Simone Biles do after the Tokyo Olympics?
After the Tokyo Olympics, Biles took a two-year break from competition, married the American football player Jonathan Owens in April 2023, and returned to gymnastics in 2023, winning the world all-around title in Antwerp. At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games she won gold in the team, all-around and vault events and silver on floor, and in April 2025 she was named Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica ; WikipediaSources & References
- Simone Biles — Encyclopaedia Britannica — Encyclopaedia Britannica (accessed 13 November 2026)
- Simone Biles — Wikipedia (cross-check) — Wikipedia (accessed 13 November 2026)
- Simone Biles — Team USA profile — Team USA (accessed 13 November 2026)
- File:Simone Biles Rio 2016.jpg — Wikimedia Commons (portrait file page) — Wikimedia Commons (accessed 13 November 2026)