“Me! All four-foot-eight-inches of me had been chosen to carry a nine-foot-tall flag!” This is what Simone Biles remembers from the closing ceremony of the Rio Olympics, 2016, in her autobiography, ‘Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, a Life in Balance.’ All her excitement and surprise clearly visible in her words! And honestly, why would a teenager selected from the entire Team USA, consisting of legends like Michael Phelps, to bear the flag for the closing ceremony of the Olympics hide her amusement? Well, she earned the honor by winning 5 medals, out of which four were gold at her very first Olympics. That’s the impact nineteen-year-old Simone created and the twenty-eight-year-old continues to do so….Need some proof? Just ask Kameron Nelson, who couldn’t stop singing her praises in an Exclusive Interview with EssentiallySports. Well, what did he say?
In an EssentiallySports Exclusive Interview, Kameron Nelson, the standout senior gymnast from Ohio State University, when asked, “How important is Simone Biles been for this sport?” without missing a beat said, “She is huge for both men and women, just setting the new standard of sport, honestly. Not even just gymnastics, but what it means to be an athlete.” Nelson, the first gymnast ever to perform two triple back somersaults, the triple tuck, and triple pike in a single floor routine, knows a thing or two about pushing limits. Thus, even with an impressive collection of titles from the Winter Cup, NCAA championships, and national meets, Kameron views Simone Biles as the blueprint for greatness.
But what stood out most in Kameron’s Exclusive Interview with EssentiallySports was him talking about her mindset. “She’s kind of self-made, honestly! Like [she] always had the power and the will to do that stuff…” And honestly, that’s spot on! Simone’s story started tough. At just six, after being abandoned by her mom and living in foster care, she was adopted by her grandfather and his wife, who gave her the love and support she needed to chase her dreams. Around that same time, during a school trip to Bannon’s Gymnastix, she was encouraged to try gymnastics—and the rest is history. So, yes! Simone’s strength isn’t just physical, but mental, too…
During the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Simone Biles made headlines not for what she did, but also for what she chose not to do! Her stepping back from several events to prioritize her mental health sparked a global conversation and turned her into an advocate for mental wellness in sports. “She’s the epitome of an athlete,” Kameron Nelson said in our exclusive interview. He also added, “So, yeah, she’s huge and her past four, eight years have really put more of a view on both men’s and women’s gymnastics, because her doing the skills she does is being compared to men’s gymnastics.” But this kind of impact didn’t happen overnight!
Simone’s global breakout came at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she became the first female American gymnast to win four gold medals at a single Games. And ever since? She’s been unstoppable. It is truly amazing how Simone Biles has boosted the entire sport as an athlete. Kameron further added in the Exclusive Interview with EssentiallySports, “our [male and female] sports are kind of completely different. But her growth helps everyone. So it’s been huge.” And he is right when he says that. Men’s gymnasts are known for their stunning moves on rings, vault, and pommel horse, and Simone does the same on the women’s side. The best part of her routines is seeing signature flips on the floor, and sky-high vaults are on par with what’s traditionally expected in men’s events.
In essence, what Simone Biles does goes further than gymnastics. She is motivating girls to set high goals and is now seen as a fantastic example by young men, too. Even though she is already a legend, Biles can break one more important record…
Is Simone Biles on the verge of creating a new record?
You know, most gymnasts, even the biggest stars with tons of medals, usually retire pretty young. It’s almost like a rule in gymnastics: top athletes tend to step away before hitting 30 because the sport is crazy tough on the body. Take Aly Raisman, for example, Simone Biles’ former teammate and a two-time Olympian. She officially retired at 25, despite having six Olympic medals and leading the U.S. teams as captain in both 2012 and 2016. Why? Because the physical grind is real, and she wanted to focus on her well-being and future beyond gymnastics. But then there’s Simone Biles, who flipped the script. At 27, she made history by winning three gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Now, imagine this: if Simone goes for the 2028 LA Olympics at 31, she could be changing the game all over again.
Here’s where it gets exciting. Simone hasn’t said “no” to the idea of competing in LA in 2028. After her outstanding run in Paris, she said, “For me to come back, it would really have to excite me.” She admitted the Paris Games took a lot out of her physically, but the thought of competing on home soil? That’s tempting. Plus, she’s been clear she’ll be at the 2028 Olympics, whether as a competitor or cheering from the stands. And in April this year, she did mention, “to be honest, I don’t know, We’ll see…” And honestly, if she wins gold there, that would be next-level legendary.
And here’s a wild fact to keep in mind: Agnes Keleti, the Hungarian–Israeli gymnast, competed at age 35 in Melbourne 1956, and won four golds and two silvers. So if anyone can prove you don’t have to slow down at 30+, it’s her. But now the real question is: will Simone Biles follow in those footsteps and rewrite history? Only time will tell, but Simone Biles, whom we and Kameron Nelson know, can do anything!
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