“You don’t have to be that 16, your time is still coming” - Simone Biles on the age factor in sports

Simone Biles recently expressed her views on the age barrier that hovers around sports. The gymnast believes that passion for sports does not end at 16 and one can follow it at a more mature age. In fact, the 27-year-old gymnast explained that age gives the athlete and the others around him/her the power to keep going.

After a two-year mental health break, Biles made a comeback to gymnastics on August 5 at the 2023 US Classic. At the age of 27, she successfully upheld her gymnastics prowess by winning three gold medals and a bronze medal at the championship. Hence, the American herself is a living example of crushing age barriers in sports.

Recently, the official Twitter page of USA Gymnastics shared an unseen video of Simone Biles speaking on how age does not determine one’s interest in sports.

"It takes one person to go out there and break records, or barriers, or age boundaries, and then you have the other athletes coming up saying 'Oh wow, my career doesn't have to just be over at 18... I can kind of prolong that,'" she said.

Furthermore, Biles spoke on how athletes can utilize their time to grow better.

“So I think, having me and some of the other girls that are a little bit older and are seeing what we are doing and being more mature, physically and mentally in the gym, it just gives them all the hope in the world that you don’t have to be that 16, your time is still coming, go out there, have fun, learn some experience and then keep going," Biles added.

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Simone Biles’s gymnastics journey from the age of 6

Simone Biles at the 2023 U.S. Classic.

After her grandparents adopted her Simone Biles from foster care, she was introduced to gymnastics during a day-care field trip to Bannon's Gymnastix at age six. Biles developed an interest in the sport and enrolled her name in an optional training program. From then, she began training under coach, Aimee Boorman and continued there for 11 years.

Biles was 14 when she started her elite career by participating in American Classic. Eventually, she received the opportunity to compete at the 2012 USA Gymnastics National Championships and also at the 2012 U.S. Classic in Chicago.

Proving her mettle in several championships, she became a part of the U.S. Junior National Team and made her international debut at the 2013 American Cup.

Moreover, at the age of 16, Simone Biles rose to fame, winning two World Championship golds aged in 2013. From here on, she saw no stopping and won four golds in 2014 and another four in the 2015 World Championships.