Gymnast, Olympian and a mental health champion, Simone Biles revolutionized the sport in ways never seen before. But how much of her was limited just to the gym mats and how much went beyond?

Let’s take a look at these top 5 moments that defined Biles’ status as more than a gymnast, marking her as a US legend.

The Most Decorated Gymnast in History

Tipping off her senior-level elite career with a US National all-around victory in 2013, it didn’t take the 16-year-old Biles long to become a formidable force in gymnastics.

And by 2024, Biles had become the most decorated gymnast in history with 11 Olympic medals (across the 2016 Rio Olympics, 2020 Tokyo Games and 2024 Paris Games) and a world record of 30 World Championship medals under her belt.

A Support System for Her Peers

In 2017, Biles’ Olympic peer and gymnastics star, Jordan Chiles, almost gave up on the sport due to constant criticism and exclusion from the World Championships team despite winning the national championships all-around.

But catching a wind of it, Biles invited Chiles to train with her in Spring, Texas. She believed Chiles could make an Olympic team if given proper coaching and guidance.

Chiles now has two Olympic medals, a silver from the 2020 Tokyo Games and a gold from the 2024 Paris Games.

A Mental Health Champion

At the 2020 Tokyo Games, Biles withdrew from several individual events after experiencing twisties, a condition where a gymnast’s body and mind go out of sync, creating a life-threatening situation.

But amidst the criticism for her decision, the gymnast firmly prioritized her mental health over medals and podium finishes. This move encouraged a generation of gymnasts to follow in her footsteps and talk about issues that didn’t get the spotlight often.

The Age-Defying Comeback

Biles returned from Tokyo with a team silver and individual bronze. But just when everyone thought it was the end of her prolific career, a 27-year-old Biles made her 3^rd Olympic appearance.

At the 2024 Paris Games, not only did Biles make it to the US women’s roster, but she also clinched three golds and one silver. This again solidified her status as the greatest gymnast of the era.

5 Moves Under Her Name

Simone Biles didn’t just change gymnastics; she became synonymous with it.

Putting aside her medal count and record histories, Biles developed 5 gymnastics moves, The Biles I (Floor), The Biles I (Vault), The Biles II (Vault), The Biles (Floor) and The Biles (Balance Beam).

The Biles II, which was first performed at the 2019 Worlds, involves a double backflip with three twists, and is rated the highest difficulty, J. But seeing Biles in action makes its difficulty almost hard to believe.

The mats have enough reason to celebrate Simone Biles, but the next generation of gymnasts can thank her for something more. Can you add more to the list? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Deblina Roy

Edited by

Kaamna Dwivedi