In the gymnastics world, the legendary American gymnast Simone Biles is unstoppable. She was born in Columbus, Ohio, on March 14, 1997, and her small size matches her remarkable talent.
She is not very tall, but in her gymnastics career, she has reached unheard-of heights, winning multiple world championship crowns and gold medals at the Olympics. Simone Biles is more than just a gymnast—she is a real example of how grace, talent, and perseverance can transcend physical limitations in the international arena.
Simone Biles Height
Simone Biles stands at 142 cm, or 4 feet 8 inches, tall. Despite being shorter than typical in the gymnastics community, her small stature hasn’t stopped her from being successful there. Instead of living up to expectations, Biles has become one of the greatest gymnasts of all time.
Simone Biles shared a post on Twitter: “Size difference in olympians doesn’t matter, depending on what sport you do 6’8″ & 4’8″.”
size difference in olympians doesn't matter, depending on what sport you do 😉 6'8" & 4'8" pic.twitter.com/xiU9zIBXJH
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) August 2, 2016
Simone Biles’s Early Life and Education
Biles was born in Columbus, Ohio, on March 14, 1997, the third of four siblings. Her real mother, Shanon Biles, couldn’t care for Simone or her siblings. Four were in and out of foster care.
After realizing his grandchildren were in foster care, Biles’ maternal grandfather, Ron Biles, and his second wife, Nellie Cayetano Biles, briefly cared for Shanon’s children in Spring, Texas, in 2000.
The couple adopted Simone and Adria in 2003. Ron’s sister, Shanon’s aunt Harriet, adopted the oldest two. My adoptive mother gave me Belizean citizenship, and Belize is my second home. The Biles family is Catholic.
In Harris County, Texas, Biles attended Benfer Elementary. Biles shifted from public to homeschooling in 2012, increasing her training from 20 to 32 hours a week. She graduated from high school in mid-2015.
Biles verbally committed to UCLA on August 4, 2014, and signed a National Letter of Intent in November 2014, delaying enrollment until after the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She decided to turn pro and sacrifice her NCAA eligibility to play for UCLA on July 29, 2015.
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Simone Biles’s Personal Life
Between August 2017 and March 2020, Biles and fellow gymnast Stacey Ervin Jr. were romantically involved. In August 2020, she began dating American football player Jonathan Owens. On February 15, 2022, Biles made her engagement to Owens public.
On April 22, 2023, they tied the knot. Biles underwent surgery in October 2013 to remove bone spurs from her right tibia, a three-week recovery period. Due to a shoulder injury sustained in 2014, Biles was forced to retire from the American Cup in March.
Biles discussed her attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in September 2017 after her medical records were made public, and it was discovered that she had been taking Ritalin (methylphenidate) to treat the illness while competing in the Olympics.
She was given a medical exemption to take the drug during competition after disclosing her ailment to the World Anti-Doping Agency when she was a child.
With regard to ADHD, Biles stated that there is “nothing to be ashamed of and nothing that I’m afraid to let people know.” Biles experienced a kidney stone and a damaged toe in 2018.
Simone Biles’s Gymnastics Career
On a field trip for daycare at age six, Biles practiced gymnastics for the first time. The teachers advised her to keep up her gymnastics training. Biles quickly signed up for Bannon’s Gymnastics’ optional training program.
At eight years old, she started training with coach Aimee Boorman. At the 2011 American Classic in Houston, on July 1, 2011, at the age of 14, Biles started her professional gymnastics career.
She finished third overall, first on the balance beam and vault, fourth on the floor workout, and eighth on the uneven bars. Biles participated in the 2011 U.S. Classic in Chicago, Illinois, later that month. There, she finished sixth on the balancing beam and floor exercise and 20th overall.
In 2012, Biles participated in the American Classic, which was held in Huntsville, Texas. She tied for second on the floor exercise, took first on the vault and all-around, third on the balancing beam, and fourth on the uneven bars.
Biles qualified for the 2012 USA Gymnastics National Championships thanks to her performance in the American Classic. Later on, she participated in the Chicago-based 2012 U.S. Classic. She placed first in the vault and all-around competitions, second in the floor workout, and sixth in the balancing beam.
She competed at the U.S. National Championships in St. Louis, Missouri, in June for the second time. She took first place in the vault, third place overall, and sixth place in the uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise events.
Following this performance, Márta Károlyi, the National Team Coordinator (2001–2016), led a committee that selected Biles for the U.S. Junior National Team.
