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Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles is a legend in her sport. While she was born with an incomparable natural talent for gymnastics, she aways says her parents, Ronald and Nellie Biles, were behind her success. They are technically her biological grandparents, but they adopted Simone at age six after she and her siblings were placed in foster care.
“Being separated from my biological mom, being placed in foster care before I officially got adopted by my grandparents, it just set me up for a better route at life,” Simone said of that time on her Facebook Watch series, Simone Vs. Herself. “I feel like I wouldn’t be where I am unless that turning point happened. I would still be Simone Biles, probably not Simone Biles that everybody else knows, the world knows. But I also believe everything happens for a reason, and I’m forever grateful for that because I definitely got a second shot at life.”
Here’s everything to know about Simone Biles’ biggest fans, Ronald and Nellie.
Who are Ronald and Nellie Biles?
The couple was married in January 1977. At the time, Ronald was serving in the Air Force. He met Nellie while stationed in San Antonio, Texas, according to The Undefeated. She was in nursing school. Ronald was already a single father to his daughter, Shannon, who is Simone’s biological mother. The couple went on to have two more children together, sons named Ronald Jr. and Adam.
Shannon had four children, including Simone, but she struggled with addiction. The siblings were placed in foster care when the gymnast was about three years old. She and her sister Adria were eventually adopted by their grandparents, and she has said she considers them to simply be her parents. She and Adria were raised in Houston, Texas. Her two other siblings, Tevin and Ashley, were adopted by their great aunt and raised in Cleveland, Ohio.
Ronald and Nellie now own training venue World Champions Centre in Spring, Texas, which they opened in 2014. Simone trained there with coach Aimee Boorman. Before they opened the center, she would have to travel from gym to gym according to Boorman’s employment. This made training much easier for the champion.
What has Simone Biles said about foster care?
Simone has become an advocate for children in foster care and has shared some painful memories from that time in her life. On Dancing with the Stars, Simone described being “hungry and afraid” during her time in foster care, sharing that visiting her grandparents was always a highlight during those years.
“Whenever we had visits with my grandpa, I was so excited,” she said. “That was the person I always wanted to see walk in the foster home.”
Nellie spoke on Simone Vs. Herself, sharing a bit about the transition and building up a sense of security for her daughter.
“I remember praying for that bonding,” she explained. “Because telling them that you love them and you care for them; that’s all words. But then you wake up one day, and you realize that you would do anything for these children. And that you would die for these children. And when that feeling comes, that’s when you know you are truly a mother.”
On Dancing with the Stars, Simone shared, “My parents saved me. They’ve set huge examples of how to treat other people, and they’ve been there to support me since day one. There’s nothing I could say to them to thank them enough.”
How did Ronald and Nellie help Simone Biles get into gymnastics?
Simone visited a gymnasium for a daycare field trip when she was only six, and a coach saw she had some natural talent. They encouraged her to enroll in a class, and Ronald and Nellie signed her up right away. Their daughter loved the sport immediately.
“It was history from there,” Nellie said in 2016. “She never missed a practice. Even if she was sick, I would tell her she should stay home, and she would say, ‘No, I have to go to practice!’”
They’ve continued to be supportive, through her success and more difficult times during her career. In 2020, Simone withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics to focus on her mental health after realizing she was not safe taking her gravity defying leaps. Later, she told Brené Brown that not being able to bring them with her due to the COVID-19 pandemic contributed massively to her stress.
“We go over to Tokyo, and no audience is allowed. We’re quarantined in our rooms and can only come out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Everyone expected us to perform in a certain manner. There was no camaraderie, and my parents weren’t able to go there,” Simone said. “My parents haven’t missed a competition in my life.”
As soon as she returned from Tokyo, she went to see her parents.
“Houston, I’m home. Thanks for making sure I didn’t have to wait one more minute to see my family @united,” Simone wrote on Instagram.
Simone’s family was back in the stands for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, where the U.S. women’s gymnastics won the gold in the team final.
“She is happy that we’re here. Seventeen of us are here to cheer her on,” Nellie said during an interview.
Simone shared some adorable pics of Team USA’s gymnasts celebrating their big win.
What do her parents think of her husband, Jonathan Owens?
Simone began dating NFL player Jonathan Owens in 2020, and they got engaged in 2022. Her parents seem to be very supportive of the match. Simone told People that her mom helped to plan the Cabo San Lucas wedding.
“She’s someone I can bounce things off of and has been letting me do my thing as I figure out what works for us,” Simone said. “We are so excited to celebrate with our close circle, and she’s a big part of that….My mom gives me advice on everything … I look to both her and my dad as role models in many ways, but also as examples of what a strong base of love and support looks like.”
Simone married Owens on May 6, 2023, and Ronald walked Simone down the aisle.
Aimée Lutkin is the weekend editor at ELLE.com. Her writing has appeared in Jezebel, Glamour, Marie Claire and more. Her first book, The Lonely Hunter, will be released by Dial Press in February 2022.