Simone Biles
She redefined the limits of gymnastics with explosive power and mental strength, becoming the most decorated athlete in her sport's history.
Born 1997 (age 29)·American artistic gymnast·Birthday: March 14·Generation Z
Biography
Simone Biles performed the Biles, a vault so difficult it bears her name, and has won 37 Olympic and World Championship medals. Born in Columbus, Ohio in 1997, she was adopted by her grandparents and discovered her talent on a daycare field trip to a gym. Her career combined unprecedented power with a resilient mindset. At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, she withdrew from several finals to prioritize her mental health, sparking a global conversation about athlete well-being. This decision changed the conversation around perfection and pressure in sports. Her athletic legacy is quantifiably unmatched.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Simone was born in 1997, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Simone Was Born
The biggest hits of 1997
#1 Movie
Titanic
Best Picture
Titanic
#1 TV Show
ER
Simone's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1997Born
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2002Started school
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2010Became a teenager
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2013Could drive
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2015Could vote
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2018Turned 21
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 29 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Holds the record for the most World Championship medals (30) in gymnastics history.
- Has four gymnastics elements named after her in the sport's Code of Points.
- Won a record-tying four gold medals at a single Olympic Games (Rio 2016).
- Is the most decorated American gymnast in Olympic history with 11 medals.
- Led the U.S. women's gymnastics team, dubbed the 'Final Five,' to gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Did You Know?
She has a signature move on the floor exercise, a double layout with a half twist, that is officially called 'The Biles II'.
Biles and her sister were adopted by their maternal grandparents, whom she calls Mom and Dad.
She is married to NFL safety Jonathan Owens.
In 2021, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
“I'm not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps. I'm the first Simone Biles.”
