Inside Simone Biles' family life as Netflix series explores USA gymnast's past

Simone Biles opens up on emotional comeback as Team USA star joins exclusive Olympics club (Image: Getty)

Millions of viewers have tuned into Simone Biles Rising, which delves into the life and career of US gymnast Simone Biles. The first two episodes of the four-part series were released on Netflix on Wednesday, July 17, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The initial episodes centre around Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history, and explore her dramatic withdrawal from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, her mental health journey, marriage, family life, and the ongoing pursuit of success and glory.

Family plays a significant role in the documentary, highlighting Simone's close relationship with her foster family and sister, and the pivotal role of her foster mother and father.

However, viewers may be curious about Simone's upbringing and how she came to be fostered by her paternal grandfather and his second wife. With help from the Mirror, we delve into her background and how her family played a crucial role in her success.

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Simone Biles is close to her family as revealed in Simone Biles Rising on Netflix (Image: Netflix) Who is Simone's family?

Born on March 14, 1997, Simone is the third of four siblings. The Netflix documentary reveals that her birth mother, Shanon Biles, was unable to care for Simone or her other children due to substance addiction.

All four children experienced periods in foster care, and Simone's sister Adria recalls how Simone was "so bossy" towards her - a trait Adria later realised was borne out of a desire to protect her.

In the Netflix documentary, Simone Biles reflected: "We were in foster care together, so I felt like she was my little kid, so I think that's where some of the bossiness came from.

Adria Biles interjected: "Now I know she was trying to protect me, so I think it was like a big-sister thing. "Simone and Adria were taken into the care of their maternal grandfather, Ron Biles, and his second wife, Nellie Cayetano Biles, in 2000 after they found out the girls were in foster care.

Nellie transitioned from being a step-grandmother to a foster mother, embracing her new role wholeheartedly. She shared: "They were in foster care from six to nine months before we got them.

Simone Biles with her foster mother Nellie and her family. Simone Biles Rising focuses on her dramatic exit from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, her mental health, marriage, family and how she continues to hunt for success and glory. (Image: Netflix)

Nellie added: "I went from Grandma, and I was perfectly fine with Grandma, and then when that time came of being called 'mom', that's a powerful word."

Raised in Houston, Texas, Simone and Adria consider Ron and Nellie as their parents. Simone's two other siblings, Tevin and Ashley, were adopted by their great aunt and raised in Cleveland, Ohio.

How family is key to Simone's success

Simone acknowledged in the Netflix documentary how her foster family supported her throughout her childhood and enabled her to chase her dream of becoming a gymnast.

Simone said: "My family's meant the world and they've given up and sacrificed a lot for me to be where I am, all starting with taking in my sister and I when we were younger."

She remarked: "That was probably the hardest thing for them to do, is not only bring us in but to see if they could repair our trauma."

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"I will never forget where I came from and how it shaped me into the person I am today. I always knew that I wanted to break boundaries and statistics."

"Whenever you're in foster care and you come out of it, the odds are against you. So for me, I was kind of always that kid that if somebody told me I couldn't do something, I would."

The documentary also unveils that Nellie styles Simone's hair before every event. "I just want to do something special," said Nellie while preparing Simone's hair.

"Tokyo was the one time I did not braid Simone's hair. She is an adult. This girl can braid her hair but it's not about her braiding her hair."

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The insightful documentary also revealed Nellie styles Simone Biles' hair before every competition (Image: NETFLIX) What does Simone Biles Rising promise viewers?

The synopsis for the gripping new series suggests: "[Simone] has unfinished business. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she was one of the biggest stories leading into the Games. But in sport, as in life, competitions do not always go according to plan."

"And for Simone, the world witnessed her private battle with mental health unfold on the global stage prompting her withdrawal from the event. Since then, Simone has been confronting the challenging traumas of her past, learning to cope with her mental health, embracing her path, and in doing so, reconstructing her approach to gymnastics."

The statement ends on an uplifting note: "Her courage to soar knows no bounds as this summer she plans to return to the Olympic stage once again to do what she's always done - be the best Simone that she can be. Because through it all, Simone still rises."

Inside Simone Biles' family life as Netflix series explores USA gymnast's past

Inside Simone Biles' family life as Netflix series explores USA gymnast's past

Inside Simone Biles' family life as Netflix series explores USA gymnast's past

Inside Simone Biles' family life as Netflix series explores USA gymnast's past

Inside Simone Biles' family life as Netflix series explores USA gymnast's past