World-renowned US female gymnast Simone Biles, who decided to withdraw from two finals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games due to mental difficulties, has previously overcome many obstacles in her personal life.
Simon Biles, who received messages of support from many famous names such as Manchester United’s French footballer Paul Pogba, Canadian singer Justin Bieber, Susan Rice, one of the chief advisors of US President Joe Biden, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, after she decided to withdraw from the women’s team and individual general classification finals in Tokyo 2020 due to his mental problems, is among the most important athletes in the history of gymnastics.
Simone Biles, who has gone through a difficult period in her career, is no stranger to these situations. The 24-year-old athlete, who met very difficult events in her personal life and sports career at an early age, has managed to successfully overcome these obstacles.
Grew up in foster care
Born in Columbus, Ohio, USA on March 14, 1997, Simone Biles had a difficult childhood.
Her mother Shannon, who was financially unable to provide for Simone and her 3 siblings, was forced to leave them in foster care after their birth.
Her grandfather Ron, who was better off financially, took care of Simone together with her sister Adria when she was 3 years old. Simone’s talent for gymnastics was discovered by her teachers during a student camp at the age of 6. With the support of her family, Simone was directed to this sport.
Simone Biles, who started participating in national championships in 2011, was selected for the national team a year later. Biles, who made many mistakes in her first races and could not achieve successful degrees, was able to get a quota for the main squad after the injuries of the experienced names of the national team, Olympic champion Kyla Ross and Elizabeth Price.
Biles, whose career took off in a short time, won her first gold medal in the national team in 2013 when she was just 16 years old.
Biles, who later became the best gymnast in the country by returning with medals from almost every championship she participated in, this time became the victim of one of the biggest scandals in the US health sector in recent years.
Victim of sexual harassment
Biles, who was among those victimized by Larry Nassar, the former doctor of the US Gymnastics Team who was sentenced to life in prison for sexually abusing over 250 minors between 1998 and 2015, testified in court.
The US gymnast, who also made statements to the press at the time, said, “I am not afraid to tell my story. I love this sport and I will never give up. I will not let a man or those who enable him steal my love and joy.”
Biles, who has been selected as the athlete of the year many times in awards given by prestigious institutions such as Laureus and Time with the records she broke and the medals she won, won 4 gold and one bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and became the most successful athlete in the history of US gymnastics at the age of 19.
She broke many important records
Biles, who has 19 gold, 3 silver and bronze medals in the world championships, improved the world-renowned Belarusian male gymnast Vitaly Scherbo’s record of 12 gold medals in the world championships, which he broke in 1996, when he was only 21 years old.
Biles, who is the most medal-winning gymnast in world championships, has a total of 30 medals in world championships and Olympics. If Simone Biles wins 4 more medals in these tournaments, she will surpass Scherbo (33) and Russian Larisa Latynina (32) to become the most medal-winning gymnast of all time.
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