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Simone Biles appears on Zoom, flashing her signature million-watt smile. In the arena she has a loaded arsenal, but this smile is what her husband, NFL safety Jonathan Owens, thinks of as her secret weapon. “He always says, ‘Smile like you’re the best out there. Nobody can do it like you. You have to trust your training [and] trust your process,’” Biles tells me.
It’s the same greatest-of-all-time grin she gave at the Olympic trials last month, after perfectly executing a triple-double, a.k.a. the “Biles II,” another signature of hers and one of the hardest moves in gymnastics. The floor routine where she nailed it was set to Taylor Swift’s “…Ready For It?” And she really was ready for it. She dominated the trials and is now heading to Paris, along with her teammates Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera.
Biles is one of just four American women in gymnastics history to go to the Olympics three times, and at age 27, she is also the oldest one to compete at a Games in 72 years. As if that wasn’t enough, if Biles wins just one more medal, she will become the most decorated American Olympic gymnast ever. “This is definitely our redemption tour,” she told reporters shortly after being named to the team. “I feel like we all have more to give.”
Simone Biles on the balance beam at the 2024 Olympic trials.
At the Tokyo Games three years ago, Biles withdrew from five event finals to protect her mental and physical health, after coming down with a case of the “twisties,” a phenomenon in gymnastics where you lose all sense of where your body is mid-air. “I just don’t trust myself as much as I used to,” she said at the time. Her refreshing vulnerability about the burden of expectation reminded the world that it’s okay to not be okay. Since then, she has been doing a lot of work on herself. “I am doing therapy weekly to keep everything in tune so that I feel comfortable and confident enough to be competing,” she tells me. “It’s been a crucial part of my training regimen.”
While Biles continues to be one of the loudest voices in mental health advocacy, she is also prioritizing self-care inside and out. “I understand and realize I have to take care of my physical appearance as well as my mental,” she says. In addition to therapy, Biles says that doing her hair has become a part of her pre-competition routine and helps improve her overall confidence, both on and off the mat. And while we may not understand everything that goes into winning a gold medal—or the superhuman strength it takes to land a triple-double—beauty is one topic fans can relate to.
“I never thought about my hair like the way other people see it,” Biles says.
When she was 6 years old, Biles begged her grandparents, Ron and Nellie, who raised her in Texas, to let her take a gymnastics class. Soon, the sport took up almost all of her time. “Nobody taught me [how to do my hair],” she says. “I always went to the professionals.”
For many Black women, wash day is ritualistic. It’s often a day-long process, offering a moment to slow down and care for yourself. But the busy schedule of an elite gymnast never left much time to take it easy. Biles, like many young women today, learned about products and Black hairstyles from social media. “We’ve been able to take care of our hair better and take care of our beauty routines better, because it’s self-taught,” she says. “It’s really special that we have access to those platforms.”
When we speak, it’s about six weeks before the Paris Olympics. Her hair is in two feed-in braids, better known as Fulani braids, which show off her structured cheekbones. “I’m finally learning to love my hair and the texture that I have and the styles that I can do,” Biles says.
Gymnastics remains her focus, but hair care has become a new, fun form of self-expression. “I never thought about my hair like the way other people see it,” she says. In Paris, her hair style will be chosen based on maintenance requirements and access to products, all while factoring in practicality. “I don’t want my extensions falling out or this that [and] the other,” she says, adding, “We don’t get to bring a makeup artist or a hairstylist.”
Luckily, Biles has Jordan Chiles. Her teammate, who is also competing in Paris, moonlights as Team USA’s unofficial salonniére. “She’s the [hair] braider on the team,” Biles says. “We can all go to her for braids.” Just further proof that there is truly no “I” in team. For efficiency, all five gymnasts on the women’s team are splitting up which beauty items they bring to the Games. “When we put it together, we got everything we need,” Biles says with a smile, though she remains cautious about the amount of product she uses during competition. “You don’t want to put too much product in your hair to the point where it starts flaking and gets dirty,” she explains.
Gymnastics hairstyles have evolved over the years. Basic ponytails have been upgraded to braids with glitter and, for many athletes, beauty looks now serve as an opportunity for creativity. But the sports world isn’t always so welcoming. In 2023, officials told Black middle school basketball players in Massachusetts to tie back their braids or sit out of the game. And earlier this year, a New Jersey high school basketball player was told her hair beads were not acceptable. There is still a startling lack of acceptance for Afro-textured hair, and far too often, that can overshadow talent.
Retired Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas learned that firsthand at the 2012 London Olympics, where a lot of the conversation focused on her simple pulled-back hairstyle decorated with a few barrettes, instead of her history-making moment as the first Black woman from Team USA to win the individual all-around event. Biles understands that her hair will, almost certainly, be a focal point in Paris, too. “I used to worry about [my hair being considered] not professional,” she says. “But I’m not embarrassed about it anymore.”
Hairstylist Jazmine Johnson, whom Biles describes as having “growing hands,” introduced her to K18 hair repair after her hair experienced “stress” from being in buns and ponytails. Biles says the products have helped her damaged hair feel “silky, strong, and beautiful,” and she is now an ambassador for the brand. Since using the leave-in hair mask and repair hair oil, she has noticed her hair “starting to come back to life.”
Her hair care journey hasn’t always been easy. Last year, Biles and Owens got married in Cabo, Mexico, three years after meeting on the dating app Raya. When she posted about the wedding on Instagram, some trolls commented that her hair looked unkempt, because her edges were not slicked back. “Most of the backlash we get is from our own community, which is unfortunate,” Biles says. “I don’t really care if my edges aren’t smooth.”
It helps that she has her husband’s support. During our video call, Biles gestures to her braids, “I got this done yesterday, and he said, ‘Oh my gosh, I love it!’” For the newlyweds, hair is all about tradition and family history. When her stylist makes a house call, Biles says the visits bring Owens back to his childhood, when his mom got her own hair done. “He loves the smell of hair being straightened,” she laughs. “He gets his hair braided every two weeks, so we’re in a similar boat.”
Paris marks the first time Owens will be able to watch in person as his wife competes on the Olympic stage. Making up for lost time, he also attended the trials, proving he truly is her biggest fan. “We love the time we get to share together, but we’re always rooting for each other, on and off the field,” she says. Like a good Instagram husband, Owens posted a photo after the trials holding a cardboard cutout of her face, with the caption: “my wife is the best to EVER do it.”
“I’m finally learning to love my hair and the texture that I have and the styles that I can do,” Biles says.
Her gymnastics hero
I attribute a lot of my confidence to Aly Raisman. She taught me to be beautiful behind the scenes and to embrace who I am without my makeup and hair done. She never cared and she made me not care as much. She taught me to feel beautiful in the skin that I am in. Kyla Ross was also big mentor for me. She guided me through World Championships and the Olympic Games. I’ll forever be grateful for her and the friendships that we have.
Go-to pump-up song
Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” because it’s so catchy. I have it stuck in my head all the time.
Favorite gymnastics move
My favorite move would probably be the first Biles I ever did, because I think it’s so unique.
Least favorite gymnastics move
Anything on bars, because bars is not my forte. I’m learning to love it and I’m getting better at it.
Best motivational advice she’s ever received
To just be who I am. At one of my first World Championships, my coach said, “Go make a name for yourself. You have nothing to lose, so go get it.” I would say that’s the best advice I got.
Good luck charm
My parents have always gotten me turtle figurines for every meet. They have little sayings on them, like “go at your own pace” and “one step at a time.” I have one in my locker from my sister. I have a little collection of these turtles.
If she weren’t a gymnast, she would be…
A NICU nurse, because I love babies. I’ve wanted to be a nurse all my life.