Simone Biles Biography: Awards, Height, Boyfriend, Parents, Siblings

Simone Biles is, without question, the most decorated gymnast in the history of the sport and widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen.

With 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals to her name, she has shattered records that once seemed untouchable, redefined what is physically possible in artistic gymnastics, and inspired a generation of young athletes around the world.

But beyond the staggering list of titles and trophies lies a far more compelling story: a girl who was placed in foster care at age two, adopted by her grandparents, discovered gymnastics by chance, and rose to become a global icon of resilience, courage, and excellence.

Simone Biles is not just the best gymnast alive. She is a trailblazer, a mental health advocate, a survivor of abuse, and a symbol of what is possible when talent is matched with relentless determination.

Her name has been given to five unique gymnastics skills a distinction that reflects not just her dominance, but her willingness to push the boundaries of the sport further than anyone dared before. As she herself has said: “I’m not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps. I’m the first Simone Biles.”

Simone Arianne Biles Owens
Simone Arianne Biles Owens: History · Bio · Photo
Wiki Facts & About Data
Full Name:	Simone Arianne Biles Owens
Born:	March 14, 1997
Age:	29 years old
Birthplace:	Columbus, Ohio, USA
Nationality:	American
Occupation:	Artistic Gymnast, Author, Philanthropist, Advocate
Height:	4 feet 8 inches (1.42 m)
Parents:	Ronald Biles (adoptive grandfather/father), Nellie Biles (adoptive grandmother/mother); Shanon Biles (biological mother)
Siblings:	Adria Biles (adopted sister), Ashley (biological sister), Tevin (biological brother), Ronald Jr. and Adam (adoptive brothers)
Spouse:	Jonathan Owens (married April 22, 2023)
Relationship:	Married
Net Worth:	$25 million

Early Life

Simone Arianne Biles was born on March 14, 1997, in Columbus, Ohio, to Shanon Biles, a woman who struggled severely with substance abuse and was unable to provide stable care for her children. At the age of two, Simone and her three siblings Ashley, Tevin, and her younger sister Adria were removed from their mother’s custody and placed in foster care by the state of Ohio. The experience of early instability and family disruption would shape Simone’s life in profound and lasting ways.

When Simone was three years old, her maternal grandfather, Ronald Biles, and his wife, Nellie, stepped forward and took Simone and Adria in from Columbus, Ohio, to their home in Spring, Texas a suburb in the greater Houston metropolitan area. Ronald and Nellie formally adopted both girls when Simone was six years old; from that point on, she referred to them as “Mom” and “Dad.” Her older biological siblings, Ashley and Tevin, were adopted by a great-aunt. Simone also grew up alongside two adoptive older brothers, Ronald Jr. and Adam, who were part of the Biles household.

Growing up in Spring, Texas, Simone lived in a loving, supportive home that offered the stability her earliest years had lacked. She was a naturally energetic and athletic child, and her life changed forever at the age of six during what began as a routine daycare field trip. The trip took the children to Bannon’s Gymnastix, a gymnastics facility in Houston. Simone, captivated by what she saw, instinctively began mimicking the moves of the coaches and more experienced gymnasts around her. One of the coaches noticed her raw, natural ability immediately and encouraged her mother to enroll her in formal gymnastics classes.

That chance outing marked the beginning of one of the most extraordinary athletic careers in the history of sport. Simone began training at Bannon’s Gymnastix and progressed through the levels at a pace that astonished coaches and competitors alike. By the time she was in her early teens, it was clear that she was not just talented she was a once-in-a-generation phenomenon.

Education

Simone Biles attended public elementary school in Harris County, Texas during her early years, benefiting from a conventional school environment while simultaneously training in gymnastics. However, as her training schedule became increasingly demanding, she transitioned to homeschooling in 2012 to allow more time for gymnastics preparation. She had received early acceptance to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), but ultimately declined in order to pursue a professional gymnastics career.

Although she forfeited her NCAA eligibility by turning professional, Biles continued to value education alongside her athletic commitments. In May 2025, she was awarded an honorary doctorate in humane letters from Washington University in St. Louis, recognizing her contributions to sport, mental health advocacy, and social impact.

Career

Junior and Early Elite Career (2011–2012)

Simone Biles made her elite gymnastics debut on July 1, 2011, at the 2011 American Classic in Houston, Texas, at just 14 years of age. She placed third in the all-around, first on vault and balance beam an impressive debut that signaled the arrival of a major talent. She continued competing in junior elite events through 2011 and 2012, consistently finishing near the top of every competition she entered. In 2012, she won the American Classic all-around title and secured a spot at the USA Gymnastics National Championships.

Bursting onto the Senior Scene (2013)

Biles made her senior debut in 2013 and immediately announced herself to the world. She won the U.S. National Championship all-around title and then traveled to Antwerp, Belgium, for the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, where she won two gold medals including the individual all-around at just 16 years old. She became the first African American woman to win the all-around title at the gymnastics world championship. She also introduced the world to a signature floor exercise move later named “The Biles” a double layout with a half twist that no other female gymnast had performed at that level.

Continued World Dominance (2014–2015)

Biles followed up her 2013 breakthrough with even more stunning performances. At the 2014 World Championships in Nanning, China, she won four gold medals: in the team event, individual all-around, floor exercise, and balance beam, plus a silver on vault. The following year at the 2015 World Championships in Glasgow, she added more gold medals in the team, all-around, balance beam, and floor exercise events, bringing her career world championship medal total to 14 the most ever earned by any U.S. gymnast, male or female. Her ten world championship gold medals were also the most won by any female gymnast in history at that point.

The 2016 Rio Olympics – Four Gold Medals

The 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were supposed to be Simone Biles’s coming-out party on the global stage and they were everything and more. She led the U.S. women’s gymnastics team, affectionately dubbed “The Final Five,” to the team gold medal. She then won the individual all-around gold, vault gold, and floor exercise gold becoming the first American woman to win four gymnastics gold medals at a single Olympic Games since 1984. She also claimed a bronze medal on balance beam, giving her five Olympic medals in total at her debut Games. At the closing ceremony of the Rio Olympics, her teammates voted her the honor of carrying the American flag a profound recognition of her impact on the team.

Post-Rio Break and Return (2017–2019)

After her Olympic triumph, Biles took a well-earned break from competition. During this period, she published her memoir, competed on the reality television show Dancing with the Stars, and continued her advocacy work. She returned to competition in 2018 and immediately picked up where she had left off. At the 2018 U.S. National Championships, she became the first female gymnast in nearly 25 years to win all five events. At the 2018 World Championships in Doha, Qatar, she won four golds team, all-around, vault, and floor exercise becoming the most-decorated female gymnast in world championships history at that point.

Then in January 2018, during the Larry Nassar abuse scandal, Biles publicly added her name to the list of over 150 former USA Gymnastics athletes who accused team doctor Larry Nassar of sexual abuse. She described her experience openly and powerfully, using her platform to demand accountability from USA Gymnastics and the institutions that had failed to protect its athletes. Nassar was ultimately sentenced to decades in federal and state prison.

At the 2019 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, Biles had one of the greatest single performances in gymnastics history, winning five gold medals the first gymnast in more than six decades to accomplish that feat at a single championship. She attempted and successfully executed the Biles II on floor exercise a triple-double consisting of two flips and three twists a move of extraordinary difficulty. She also performed what would become the Yurchenko double pike on vault. By the end of 2019, she was the most decorated gymnast in world championship history with 25 medals overall.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics – Mental Health and the Twisties (2021)

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics postponed by one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic brought one of the most talked-about moments in sports history. During the team final warm-ups, Biles experienced what gymnasts call “the twisties” a disorienting mental block in which a gymnast loses spatial awareness during aerial maneuvers. It is a potentially dangerous condition that can lead to catastrophic injury. Rather than push through and risk her safety, Biles made the brave and unprecedented decision to withdraw from the team final, and subsequently from the individual all-around, vault, uneven bars, and floor exercise finals.

Her decision sparked a global conversation about athlete mental health, the pressure placed on elite performers, and the importance of prioritizing well-being over medals. She cited fellow Olympian Naomi Osaka’s earlier withdrawal from Grand Slam events for similar mental health reasons as an inspiration. Biles did return to competition in the balance beam final, where she earned a bronze medal. She finished the Tokyo Games with two medals a team silver and the balance beam bronze bringing her Olympic total to seven.

Triumphant Return – 2023 Worlds and Paris 2024 Olympics

After a two-year hiatus from international competition, Biles announced her return to gymnastics in early 2023. She quickly proved that the time away had done nothing to diminish her extraordinary capabilities. At the 2023 U.S. National Championships, she won a record-extending eighth national all-around title. At the 2023 World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, she led the U.S. women’s team to a seventh consecutive gold medal, won individual golds in the all-around, balance beam, and floor exercise, and added a silver in vault. She also became the first gymnast to successfully perform the Yurchenko double pike in world championship competition, a move of such extreme difficulty it was awarded an artificially low score by the Code of Points a decision that drew widespread criticism from the gymnastics community. Her 2023 championship haul brought her career world medal total to 30 the most in gymnastics history for any man or woman.

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Simone Biles delivered one of the most celebrated performances in Olympic history. She helped Team USA nicknamed “The Golden Girls” capture the women’s team gold medal. She then won individual gold in the all-around, becoming a two-time Olympic all-around champion and the oldest woman to win the title. She claimed her second Olympic vault gold, and won a silver medal on floor exercise. Her final Paris tally of four medals (three gold, one silver) brought her all-time Olympic medal count to 11 the most of any American gymnast in history, and tying her with Vera Caslavska as the second-most decorated female Olympic gymnast of all time.

Awards & Nominations

Social Media

Simone Biles is one of the most followed athletes on social media, with a massive global fanbase that spans every platform. She uses her platforms not just to share athletic content, but to advocate for mental health, speak on social issues, and offer glimpses into her personal life with husband Jonathan Owens and her beloved dogs.

• Instagram: @simonebiles Over 12 million followers. She regularly posts competition highlights, personal moments, brand content, and advocacy messages. Her Instagram has become a powerful space for discussions on mental health and resilience.
• TikTok: @simonebilesowens Highly active with millions of views on gymnastics clips, behind-the-scenes content, and fun personal videos shared with her husband.
• Twitter/X: @Simone_Biles Active in sports commentary, real-time Olympic updates, and responses to public discourse on mental health and athlete welfare.
• Facebook: Simone Biles (Official Page) Used for major announcements and milestone updates.
• YouTube: Features documentary-style content, training videos, and media appearances that collectively draw tens of millions of views.

In 2017, Biles won the Shorty Award for Best in Sports on social media, reflecting her powerful and authentic online presence. Her posts following her Tokyo withdrawal generated some of the highest engagement of any athlete that year, and helped shift the global conversation about mental health in sport.

Personal Life

Marriage to Jonathan Owens

Simone Biles married professional NFL player Jonathan Owens on April 22, 2023, in a civil ceremony. The couple had been engaged since February 2023, when Owens proposed. They had been in a relationship since 2020, initially connecting via a dating app during the COVID-19 pandemic. Owens, a safety and special teams player, has competed for the Houston Texans, the Green Bay Packers, and signed a two-year contract with the Chicago Bears in March 2024. Due to their respective professional commitments, the couple has at times maintained a partly long-distance relationship while building a custom home together in Texas.

Surviving Abuse

In January 2018, Biles publicly disclosed that she was among the more than 150 athletes sexually abused by former USA Gymnastics team physician Larry Nassar. She shared her experience with remarkable courage and clarity, using her platform to demand accountability and institutional reform. She testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee in September 2021, directly addressing failures by the FBI and USA Gymnastics. Her advocacy was a pivotal force in driving systemic change in how the sports establishment handles reports of abuse.

Mental Health Advocacy

Biles’s decision to withdraw from multiple events at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in July 2021, citing her mental health and the dangerous “twisties” phenomenon, made international headlines and sparked one of the most significant conversations ever about athlete well-being. Rather than being vilified, she was widely praised including by world leaders, fellow athletes, and mental health professionals for modeling the kind of vulnerability and self-awareness that sport rarely allows. She has spoken candidly about attending weekly therapy sessions and credits mental health treatment as essential to her overall performance and well-being.

Philanthropy

Biles is a passionate advocate for children in foster care, drawing on her own experience. She has worked with Friends of Children, a nonprofit organization supporting youth in foster care, and regularly uses her public profile to raise awareness about the challenges facing children in the foster system. She is also a vocal supporter of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and various youth development initiatives.

Personal Interests

Outside of gymnastics, Simone is known to enjoy shopping, spending time with friends and family, and caring for her beloved dogs. She competed on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars in 2016 and has made numerous television appearances, demonstrating a warm and engaging personality that has made her one of the most beloved public figures in American sports.

Net Worth

Simone Biles has an estimated net worth of approximately $25 million as of 2025-2026, according to Celebrity Net Worth and multiple financial analyses. Notably, the bulk of this wealth does not come from her gymnastics competition earnings which, even at the elite level, are relatively modest but from a portfolio of high-value endorsement deals, speaking engagements, and business ventures that she has built over the course of her career.

Her primary income sources include:

• Brand endorsements: Major partnerships have included United Airlines, The Hershey Company, Oreo, Nike, Athleta, Kellogg’s, GK Elite, Uber Eats, and many others. According to Sportico, she was the ninth-highest earning female athlete of 2023 with $8.5 million nearly all from sponsorships and speaking engagements.
• Book deal: Her 2016 memoir Courage to Soar was a commercial success and was adapted into a Lifetime television film.
• Speaking engagements: Biles commands significant fees as a motivational speaker on topics including resilience, mental health, excellence, and survivor advocacy.
• Television and media appearances: Including Dancing with the Stars, various documentary features, and broadcast partnerships.
• Investments and business ventures: Including her production company and brand collaborations.

Filmography / Bibliography

Books

Film and Television

Gymnastics Records and Signature Moves

Simone Biles holds an extraordinary list of records in the sport of artistic gymnastics. Below is a summary of her most significant achievements and the skills that bear her name:

Named Skills (Code of Points)

Key Records

• Most decorated gymnast in history 41 combined Olympic and World Championship medals
• Most World Championship medals ever 30 (23 gold, 4 silver, 3 bronze)
• Most Olympic medals by a U.S. gymnast 11
• Six World all-around titles a world record (2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2023)
• Nine U.S. national all-around titles a world record
• First woman to win five gold medals at a single World Championships
• First female gymnast in nearly 25 years to win all five events at a national championship (2018)
• Two-time Olympic individual all-around gold medalist (2016, 2024)
• First gymnast in more than six decades to win five golds at a single World Championships (2019)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who is Simone Biles?

Simone Biles is an American artistic gymnast and the most decorated gymnast in history. With 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals, she is widely considered the greatest gymnast of all time and one of the greatest athletes in any sport.

When and where was Simone Biles born?

Simone Biles was born on March 14, 1997, in Columbus, Ohio. She was raised in Spring, Texas, after being adopted by her maternal grandparents, Ronald and Nellie Biles, at age six.

How did Simone Biles start gymnastics?

Simone discovered gymnastics at age six during a daycare field trip to Bannon’s Gymnastix in Houston, Texas. A coach noticed her natural ability when she instinctively began mimicking gymnastic moves and encouraged her family to enroll her in classes. The rest is history.

Is Simone Biles married?

Yes. Simone Biles married NFL player Jonathan Owens on April 22, 2023. They had been together since 2020 after connecting via a dating app during the COVID-19 pandemic. Owens has played for the Houston Texans, Green Bay Packers, and Chicago Bears.

Why did Simone Biles withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics?

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Biles withdrew from multiple events after experiencing “the twisties” a dangerous mental block in which a gymnast loses spatial awareness during aerial maneuvers. She prioritized her safety and mental health over competition, a decision that sparked a global conversation about athlete well-being and has since been widely celebrated.

How many skills are named after Simone Biles?

Five gymnastics skills are named after Simone Biles in the Code of Points: two on floor exercise (The Biles and The Biles II), two on vault (The Biles and The Biles II), and one on balance beam. She is the originator of the most difficult skills on three different gymnastics events.

What is Simone Biles’s net worth?

Simone Biles’s net worth is estimated at approximately $25 million, derived primarily from major brand endorsements, speaking engagements, her memoir, and television appearances rather than gymnastics prize money alone.

What is the “Misty Effect” or “Simone Effect” in gymnastics?

Biles’s extraordinary rise and visibility has been credited with inspiring a surge of interest in gymnastics particularly among young Black girls and other underrepresented groups similar to what Misty Copeland did for ballet. Her presence has demonstrably widened the sport’s diversity and its fanbase.

Conclusion

Simone Biles is more than a gymnast. She is a testament to the human capacity for triumph over adversity, a courageous advocate who has used her platform to speak hard truths to powerful institutions, and a role model for millions of young people who see in her story a reflection of their own struggles and dreams.

From being placed in foster care at age two to receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom at 25; from being told by gymnastics authorities that her skills were “too dangerous” to be scored fairly, to having five of those very skills permanently etched into the Code of Points bearing her name Simone Biles has consistently defied every limit placed before her.

Her legacy is not simply one of medals and records, though those are unmatched. It is the legacy of a woman who chose herself who walked away from a competition when her body and mind said no, and who came back stronger, clearer, and more luminous than ever. She is, by every measure, the greatest gymnast who has ever lived, and arguably one of the most consequential athletes in the history of sport.

As the sporting world looks toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics where Simone Biles was part of the ceremonial passing of the Olympic flag in Paris one question lingers in the minds of fans everywhere: could there be one more chapter? Whatever comes next, her place in history is already secured and unassailable.

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