“I think he got a 10” – When Simone Biles opened up about teaching President Obama to do a split

Simone Biles is one of the most famous athletes in the world. She's one of the most decorated gymnasts of all time, with seven Olympic medals to her name at the age of just 25. She's had plenty of interactions with fans and admirers over the years as she catapulted into the public eye.

She recounted many of them, describing some of her favorite meetings while talking to Stephen Colbert on The Late Show. The show's host brought up the time when Biles met President Barack Obama, which is a fond memory for the gymnast.

The President was pictured alongside several American gymnasts attempting to do a split. Wearing suit and tie, he tried his best but didn't get much further than a lunge.

Biles said this about the encounter:

"I think he got a 10 because he's not used to doing it and he tried it in a suit, so that's like bonus points."

Biles' grade was clearly on a curve, given the sheer level of difficulty that President Obama faced. He's an athletic man, as he routinely plays basketball and bikes, but a split in a suit was too much even for him.

---

Simone Biles met another United States President years later

The Olympic gold medalist met President Obama when she wasn't the world-renowned gymnast she is today. Since then, she's continued to grow and become more popular in the world of sports.

Simone Biles met another president in the recent past. President Joe Biden awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She is the youngest living recipient of the highest civilian honor to date.

President Biden awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Simone Biles

The award was given to Biles for her contributions to the sport of gymnastics, but for off-the-mat things too. She routinely works in areas outside of gymnastics to help make her country and community stronger.

The award is given to those who have made exemplary contributions to the United States, which is what President Biden deemed her to have done.

According to MarieClaire, the award was given for multiple reasons. These included her achievements as a gymnast but also her decision to raise issues related to foster care, sexual assault survivors, and mental health of sportspeople.

Simone Biles wrote on her Instagram about receiving the honor, showing fans how grateful she was for being recognized for all her hard work:

"I’m so honored & thankful to be recognized as a recipient by President Biden for this prestigious award. I still have no words. I’m shocked!"

She made headlines for stepping away from the Olympic competition in Tokyo due to severe mental health strains. She was expected to compete for gold and decided to put her mental health first and step away until she could compete again.

This decision had many detractors, but it also gained her a lot of support. Athletes like Michael Phelps and others backed her decision, and much of the world was proud of her.

The gymnast is looking to compete at the 2024 Olympics in Paris and continue her run of dominance and winning gold medals.