As Simone Biles prepares for her Olympic comeback in Paris, the decorated American gymnast will have the unwavering support of her parents.
After her run at the Tokyo Games ended in a withdrawal, the 27-year-old hopes to return and add to her four Olympic gold medals while leading Team USA.
With an already legendary career in her field, Biles often praises her upbringing and her relationship with her parents.
Simone and her siblings were adopted by their grandparents, Nellie and Ronald Biles, when she was six years old. She has called them Mom and Dad ever since.
In the Facebook Watch series ‘Simone vs. Herself,’ Biles revealed that her biological mother, Shannon, struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. As a result, she and her three siblings were placed in foster care when she was three years old.
Simone Biles hopes to make a splash at the Paris Olympics and add to her four gold medals
Biles’ biological parents suffered from drug and alcohol addiction.
Biles recalled that her biological mother was in and out of jail and that sometimes they would go without food.
“I don’t remember a lot about the foster system, but I definitely knew that we were taken from our birth mother, and then you just thought you were going to go back to her,” Biles shared.
Biles’ biological father, Kelvin Clemons, met Shannon when they were both teenagers and also battling addiction. In a 2016 interview with the Daily Mail, Shannon revealed that she occasionally speaks to Kelvin, who is not in contact with his daughter.
“He called me on Sunday and I said, ‘I’m keeping an eye on Simone, are you keeping an eye on her? Are you keeping an eye on her? Call me later,'” she recalled. “He knows she’s his daughter and he’s very proud of her.”
Simone’s maternal grandparents, Nellie and Ronald Biles, adopted her and her siblings.
Nellie fully supported her daughter’s decision to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics
Biles also shared how “lucky” she was to be staying with her siblings instead of being separated in different homes. She also expressed gratitude toward her grandparents for their love and support.
“Being separated from my birth mother and placed in foster care before being officially adopted by my grandparents set me up for a better path in life,” Biles said. “I feel like I wouldn’t be where I am if that turning point hadn’t happened.”
Nellie Biles, Simone’s grandmother, cherishes the moments she shared with Biles and her siblings, saying, “I remember praying for that bond.”
“Because telling them that you love them and that you care about them – those are just words,” Nellie continued. “But then you wake up one day and you realize that you would do anything for those kids. And that you would die for them. And when that feeling comes, that’s when you know that you’re really a mother.”
The bond proved strong as Biles leaned on her mother during her lowest moments, including her collapse at the Tokyo Games.
Their relationship was highlighted in the Netflix documentary series ‘Simon Biles Rising’ when audiences saw Nellie’s reaction to Biles’ withdrawal.
“You can’t do it. It’s okay, honey,” Nellie said after receiving a call from her daughter. “They’ll do what they can without you.”
With her return to the world stage, Biles and her teammates were surprisingly absent from the star-studded opening ceremony and parade of nations. As fans wondered why they were absent, Nellie was the first to explain why her daughter skipped the festivities.
“The first competition is on Sunday,” Nellie explained, “which is the women’s qualifying round. And of course she needs to rest before that competition.”