Black HerStory Month Day 10
She is a 4 ft. 9 powerhouse! A #BlackGirl with a purpose, and the muscles to prove it!! She has a smile that will light up a room and a personality just the same!! She is the first woman gymnast to win three consecutive World all-around titles, has the most World Championship gold medals won by a female gymnast in history (10), is the most decorated World Championship American gymnast with 14 total medals (10 gold, two silver, two bronze), is the first woman to capture four gold medals at a single World Championships (2014 & 2015), is the first female African-American all-around world champion, she has gone undefeated in the all-around competition since 2013, she is the first American woman in 23 years to win three all-around national titles, and last but not least she was honored as the 2014 Women's Sports Foundation's “Sportswoman of the Year”. She is the epitome of strength, dedication and determination, with a passion for reading. I’m sure you know her now! It is of course The courageous, driven, strong, and beautiful Miss Simone Biles!!
How It Started:
This star was born March 14, 1997 in Columbus, OH, (Another Pisces made the list!!) is the last child of Shannon Biles and Kelvin Clemons. She has two siblings, Tevin and Adria. With her father abandoning the family Simone did not have the most “traditional” upbringing if you will! She and her three siblings were constantly in and out of the foster care system because her mom was suffering from drug and alcohol abuse and a jail cell was a revolving door for her. Simone and her siblings found themselves many times in foster care until her Grandparents Ron and Nellie adopted her and her sister Adria! In an interview with Heavy, Simon stated that she never had her mom to run to, she remembers being hungry and afraid. At 3-years old she was put into the foster system! Once adopted Simone and her sister moved to Spring Texas, where they grew up! Little Simone was always jumping around, from doing tumbles in the yard to back flips on the family trampoline! One a day trip to Bannon’s Gymnastix at the age of six, she was introduced to the world of gymnastics! She begged and begged and begged her parents to let her join, they said yes!! Annnddd boyyyyy I’m glad they did!! She stayed at Bannon’s under the guidance of Aimee Boorman for 11 years! During this time she won a gold medal in floor exercise and a bronze medal in vault at the Women’s Junior Olympic National Championship and then went on to dominate the dynamic world of gymnastics with her complex routines and her exceptional degree of difficulty!! The degree of dedication she has is amazing! Training almost 35 hours a week, getting creative and getting moves named after her.. YEP she did that, it’s called the Biles!! #YouGoGirl. Simone did not attend high school or college, yet she was homeschooled and graduated in 2015! There were times when Simone resented being homeschooled because she felt like she was missing out on “the cool” stuff like homecoming, sports games and the like, but she later realized the things she HAD done that not many her age had! She got to practice something she loved and she had been to three world championships. So I think it’s safe to that, although not “traditional” she had and AWESOME high school experience! If you have ever seen Simone, you know she is a tiny thing, boasting a full 4 ft. and 9 in! But that doesn’t stop her! in 2013, her FIRST year as an upper class competitor she won the all-around title, making her the first #BLACKGIRL to claim it!! #GetYoursBOO!! Now, she didn’t stop there when it was all said and done Queen Biles was able to pack her bag with a silver medal in vault, and a bronze medal in balance beam!!! #GirlICan’tHandleYourMagic
“ I was missing out on public school and going to the football games, prom or homecomings. But I’ve been to three World Championships ... so I think it’s like a win-win.”
How It’s Going: Simone has moved on to a different training camp. These days she is training at World Champions Centre (WCC) which is a gym in Spring TX, founded by her parents! Way to keep it in the family! She now has a combined total of 30, COUTNEM’ 30 Olympic medals!!! #KILLINEM’ She is the most decorated American gymnast and was the world’s third most, being accompanied by Vitaly Scherbo with 33 and Larisa Latynina with 32! Queen Biles is a FIVE TIME world all-around champion, floor exercise champion, a three-time word balance beam champion, six- time US national all around champion!!! With all this fire she had to have beasted the competition RIGHT!!?? Yep, you are right, SHE DID! Having the most world medals, and most world gold medals, surpassing Scherbo by wining her 24th and 25th gold medal in 2019!!! #WhewTheSauce!
Miss Biles has entered the hearts of many as the greatest gymnast of all time and SHE’S ONLY 23!!! Ya’ll wanna see how much she is killin the game? check her out!!
Named Olympic Athlete of the Year by the USOC 2015
Named Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year 2016
L'Equipe Championne des championnes monde 2016
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports 'Favorite Newcomer' Award 2016
BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year 2016
Glamour's 'The Record Breaker' Woman of the Year 2016
One of the Most Influential People in the World list by TIME magazine
Shorty Award recipient for Best in Sports
“ A successful competition for me is always going out there and putting 100 percent into whatever I’m doing.”
“ I always say my biggest competitor is myself because, whenever I step out there on the mat, I’m competing against myself to prove that I can do this and that I am very well trained, prepared for it.”
“I would say to always follow your dream. And dream big because my whole career, including any of the things that I’ve accomplished, I never thought in a million years that I would be here. So it just proves that once you believe in yourself, and you put your mind to something, you can do it.”
Where to Find More: She may be small but she MOST CERTAINLY has not had a small impact! If you want to learn more about this Magnificent, 4’9 POWERHOUSE click here!
Thank you Queen Biles for giving young black girls The Courage To Soar! you are an inspiration and a #BlackGirlFullOfMagic! Thank you for being kind, sweet and a bundle of determination! Your graciousness is infectious and your smile is too!!
As always, thank you ALL for allowing me to share my passions with you and I hope that my blog inspires you to go after what you want and believe in yourself in every aspect, because I believe in you! Now strike your POWER POSE 🕺💃- We got this, NOW LET’S GET TO IT!!!
Keep Shining Loves
-💕 Jazz
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