‘I Signed Up’: Simone Biles Pinpoints the Moment That Led Her to Gymnastics GOAT Status
Simone Biles and gymnastics go together like peanut butter and jelly—can you even imagine the sport without her? With five eponymous skills in the Code of Points, 11 Olympic medals, and 30 World Championship medals, she’s redefined what it means to be the GOAT. And like all great love stories, this one started with a twist of fate. Yep, you could even call it love at first sight.
Simone Biles spilled the tea on The Kelly Clarkson Show about how she stumbled—quite literally—into gymnastics. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t a glamorous start. “We were supposed to go to the oil ranch that day,” Simone shared with a laugh. “Yeah, very Texan thing. And it ended up raining. So they’re like, where are we going to take these kids? There was a gym down the street, and that’s where they took us.”
What happened next? Little Simone started mimicking the gymnasts. “I started copying the girls in the back, and then they were like, have you ever done gymnastics? I think you need to sign up. And they sent a brochure home, and then I signed up.” Talk about a plot twist! One soggy field trip and a little curiosity turned into a lifelong love affair.
She began training at Bannon’s Gymnastix in Houston under Aimee Boorman, who quickly realized she was coaching something special. Aimee recalled, “She had said that her brother taught her how to do a backhandspring in their backyard, but she had never had any formal gymnastics training,” according to Olympics.com.
“In those early years, she would just watch people do skills and go and try them,” Aimee continued. “For example, she had seen a cheerleader doing a back tuck in her practice one day and she said, ‘I can do that,’ but she had never done one before. She stood up, and she did it just by watching.” Seriously, who is this girl? A prodigy, that’s who.
By 15, Simone was so obsessed with gymnastics that she left regular school to be homeschooled, dedicating every free moment to training. She crushed it as a junior, earning a scholarship to UCLA. But instead of taking the college route, she went pro, kicking off one of the most jaw-dropping careers in sports history. This kicked off a career so iconic it’s been praised by literally everyone—fans, fellow athletes, and even multinational companies lining up to be part of her greatness.
Simone Biles gets a special surprise from Google
Simone Biles has faced her share of critics, but time and again, she’s shown why she’s the undisputed queen of gymnastics. Now, even Google is bowing down to her greatness with a tribute that screams “GOAT energy.” Known for its quirky Easter eggs for celebrities, Google has rolled out a delightful surprise for Simone, and it’s as golden as her medal collection.
Search her name, and amidst the long list of her jaw-dropping achievements, you’ll notice a tiny goat-shaped button. Give it a click, and your screen lights up with a shower of confetti, flower bouquets, and golden goats. It’s a playful nod to an athlete who’s redefined excellence—not just in gymnastics but in sports as a whole. And while the timing might seem random, maybe it’s not. Why now?
While Simone Biles hasn’t competed since her Olympic domination, 2024 has been a blockbuster year for her. She claimed three Olympic golds and a silver in Paris, headlined the Gold Over America Tour, snagged a Critics Choice Award for Simone Biles Rising Part 2, and even became the highest-paid gymnast of the year. Talk about a year of wins!
Google’s homage might not just be about her triumphant Olympic return but also about the way Simone keeps smashing milestones—on and off the mat. Fans are eating it up, and let’s be real, who wouldn’t want yet another excuse to call her the GOAT?
