Simone Biles

Simone Biles is a modern day hero that overcame poverty and abuse. "I'm not the best," she said, "but I’ll try." Growing up, Simone's mother wasn’t around to care for their family because of her drug addictions and Simone had to endure a challenging childhood. Simone and her siblings stayed in foster care until their grandparents, Nellie and Ron Biles took in Simone and her younger sister, Adria, to later adopt them. Simone’s life changed when she was six and went on a class field trip to the gymnasium and while she was there, she was so impressed by the gymnasts that she knew right then she wanted to do the same. Once she joined, she impressed the coaches so much that they convinced her family to let Simone join gymnastics. A hero must possess bravery and thoughtfulness. Bravery in a person tells others that you shouldn’t be afraid and to believe in yourself and provides courage to do things that are new and challenging. For example, heros  might help people do things they can't do alone or to face their fears. Simone Biles is a deserving hero because she overcame poverty when she felt like her world was falling apart. She is brave and she provides awareness to children who don’t believe in happy endings.

Simone & AdriaTexas MonthlySimone Biles and her family overcame poverty by staying positive and mentally strong. Simone managed to overcome poverty by looking into the future in a positive way, not a negative way, “Ron Biles and his wife Nellie, who adopted Simone, were able to afford what she needed; about half the homes with just grandparents are impoverished. Biles is a once-in-a-lifetime athlete. She has talent, determination and got some lucky breaks. Part of what makes her story so compelling is how unlikely it is; how much she has overcome to get there, how the statistics don’t apply to her” (Simone Biles’ Family Situation Is Becoming More Common). Even though Simone’s family has been in a rough time, they somehow managed to get through these problems and turned these problems into a happy ending. Her adopted mother knew from the start that Simone was born to be a gymnast. Her family wanted her to be happy and protected her in an environment she loves. Simone Biles didn’t give up and wanted to be the best so she pushed herself every day to work hard and she succeeded. Biles wants to make a difference in the world where there's no negativity and young girls can be inspired to make their dreams come true.  The Odyssey Online says, “Realizing that she actually isn't a superhuman and she is just like us. She is a healthy, bright, energized, inspiring young woman that we can all see just by videos” (“Why Simone Biles Is Truly A Hero”). This quote means that Simone is unique in her own way and just because she’s a famous gymnast, there’s more to that. She is kind inside and out and we shouldn’t judge people by their looks, background, or fame but more by their personality. Simone Biles wants to teach young adolescents that if you want your dream to come true then you have to fight for what's you believe in, don’t sit back and let the world do it for you, you have to take on the world. Biles shows that she cares for others and not just about herself. Even though Simone has a very difficult background, she still managed to pull through and that’s how she began to grow as a gymnast and woman.

Simone Biles, Aly Raisman & Madison KocianPinterestSimone Biles Winning GoldCNNSimone Biles just recently proved how brave she is by letting the world know she was one of the abuse victims of Larry Nassar. She showed compassion for others who faced similar abuse and joined them to make sure that Larry Nassar was found guilty so that he could go to jail and not abuse another victim. Biles responded to CNN about how she feels about Larry Nassar saying, "I don't think I was emotionally ready for that, to go see him again because I don't know, that would just not be good. I think emotionally I decided that because I need to be in a good place, especially in my gymnastics, because most of the girls might not return to gymnastics, whereas me, I'm still in training and I'm back. If I went there I think it would take me back, and I'm trying to move forward" ("Simone Biles: I wasn't emotionally ready to face Larry Nassar again"). It's very inspiring and very empowering, especially for other girls who went through these situations, to realize it's not the end of the world if you speak out and there will be people in your corner supporting you no matter what. It was very hard for Simone to talk about what Larry Nassar did to her teammates and herself. Even though she was scared to speak up, she stood up for herself and others and confronted U.S.A gymnastics about her problem. Simone is a champion and is the perfect example that you can accomplish anything as long as you never give up, have faith in yourself, and constantly work for what you want. When Simone was part of Dancing with the Stars,  Julianne Hough spoke to Simone as if she was trying to find the dancer Simone, not the gymnast saying, "I don't know if the smile is authentic because you want to smile, or if it's just because you rehearsed it that way... I really just want to see some rawness come out." Biles defended herself. "I've lived in a gym 14 years of my life," she told the judges. "So it's hard to show something I've never felt before" (“Simone Biles Fires Back at 'DWTS' Judges: 'Smiling Doesn't Win You Gold Medals'). Simone was brave to speak up and defend herself to the judge because she wanted her to know that it takes more than a smile to win a gold medal.  At only twenty years old and she is the perfect role model for not only adults but especially kids and teenagers.

Simone Biles on DWTStigerbeat.comIn conclusion, Simone Biles inspires others and myself to be strong and courageous in our world. “The star has a total of 16 gold medals and she is really the inspiration...The most decorated U.S women’s gymnast with 19 world Olympic medals” ("Video: Simone Biles inspires crowd at Liberty University"). This proves that Simone Biles is committed to gymnastics. Ever since she was little, she hoped to inspire others. Because she worked hard, she was determined to show the whole world that if you fight for your dreams and don’t give up then anything is possible. “I want people to reach for their dreams, “announced Biles. “If you’re willing to put in a lot of work, and if you’re focused and determined, you can go really far. That doesn't mean everything will happen overnight; for me, it took years of training and perseverance to reach my goals. But looking back on it now, I’m glad I didn’t give up.” “There are so many people who have inspired me with their love and encouragement along the way --and I want to pass on that inspiration to readers,’ she added.” Biles shows that she cares for others and not just about herself. She's taking her time to help others lives become wonderful and on the way, hers is too. Biles wants to make a difference in the world where there's no negativity and only positive. A place where you can be yourself and not worry if you do something wrong or right. Simone Biles wants to teach young adolescents that if you want your dream to come true then you have to fight for what's right, don’t sit back and let the world do it for you, you have to take on the world.

Works Cited

Hines, Ree. “Simone Biles Fires Back at 'DWTS' Judges: 'Smiling Doesn't Win You Gold Medals'.” TODAY.com, TODAY, 9 May 2017, www.today.com/popculture/simone-biles-fires-back-dwts-judges-smiling-doesn-t-win-t111344.

"Simone Biles: I wasn't emotionally ready to face Larry Nassar again." CNN Wire, 31 Jan. 2018. Student Resources in Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A525787592/SUIC?u=powa9245&xid=4163d896. Accessed 4 Feb. 2018.

“Simone Biles' Family Situation Is Becoming More Common.” Edited by Belinda Luscombe, Time, Time, 11 Aug. 2016, time.com/4447363/simone-biles-multi-generational-households/. 

"Video: Simone Biles inspires crowd at Liberty University." Local Broadcast Video Content, 27 Jan. 2017. Student Resources in Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A479108430/SUIC?u=powa9245&xid=6e2456f1. Accessed 4 Feb. 2018.