"It’s like, right from the start, he was watching over me" -When Simone Biles revealed how her grandfather named her after late singer Nina Simone

Simone Biles once revealed that her name was inspired by the late American singer and civil rights activist Nina Simone. The gymnast's name was decided by her grandfather Ronald Biles, who had been listening to Nina since his childhood.

Biles and her younger sister Adria were adopted by Ronald and his second wife, Nellie when she was six years old. The gymnast had spent the previous three years of her life in and out of foster care due to her biological parents' drug and alcohol addiction before Ronald took her home.

The seven-time Olympic champion once suggested that Ronald had been caring for her right from the time she was born as he was the one who had given her a name. Revealing the details of how her name originated in her 2016 memoir 'Courage To Soar: A Life in Motion, A Life in Balance', Simone Biles wrote:

"My grandpa was actually the one who had suggested the name Simone for me. He’d liked the sound of it ever since he was a teenager listening to Nina Simone records in the housing projects in Cleveland. I’ve always loved knowing that he was the one who named me. It’s like, right from the start, he was watching over me."

Following her adoption, Biles began calling her grandparents' father and mother and continues to do so. While she has claimed to hold no animosity towards her biological mother, Shanon, she hasn't reconciled with her either despite the latter publicly asking for an apology following the Paris Olympics last year.

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Simone Biles became the oldest gymnast in 72 years to win the all-around title at the Paris Olympics

Gymnastics during the Paris 2024 Olympics- Simone Biles in action - Source: Getty

Three years after facing a disappointing campaign at the Tokyo Olympics due to twisties, Simone Biles was at her relentless best at the Paris Olympics. After leading the USA women's gymnastics to redemption in the team competition with a gold medal win, she became the oldest woman in 72 years to win the all-around title.

The 27-year-old was the second-oldest gymnast in history to win the crown behind Maria Gorokhovskaya, who won the event’s inaugural staging at Helsinki in 1952 at 30. It marked Biles' second Olympic all-around title after winning first in 2016, making her the only gymnast to win two non-consecutive titles and the first woman to own two Olympic all-around gold medals since Vera Čáslavská 1964-68.

Biles won another gold medal on the vault with her signature Yurchenko Double Pike routine. She placed second in the floor exercise competition for a silver medal and with her 11 Olympic and 30 world medals, she is the most decorated gymnast in history, and by a long distance.