"All of us were starting to thrive" - When Simone Biles opened up about getting along better with her grandparents after adoption from foster care

Simone Biles once opened up on how she started settling in and adjusting to her new life with her grandparents following her adoption. Biles and her sister Adria were adopted by Ronald and Nellie Biles when they were six and four years old, respectively, as their biological mother, Shannon, was incompetent for looking after them due to alcohol and drug addiction.

In her autobiography "Courage to Soar", published in November 2016, the gymnast reflected on how despite her stubborn battles at the dinner table with Nellie over food she was beginning to adapt to a new lifestyle. After making a few adjustments to deal with the situation, Biles and Nellie found a more peaceful routine and began to nurture their relationship.

In on of the instances, Biles reflected on being a stubborn child, especially during mealtime when she refused to eat meat and veggies and hid it under her seat. When Nellie found the hidden food, she made the gymnast eat it, but later compromised with pureed food. Despite these struggles the gymnast had a strong bond with her grandparents.

"Grandma was only trying to make a point about me wasting food, so of course, she eventually gave me my real dinner," Biles wrote. "Even with all our dinner table confrontations, I adored my grandparents and I was quickly making friends in the neighborhood. All of us were starting to thrive."

"People hardly ever saw my mom" - When Simone Biles relected on her mother's role in her gymnastics journey

Simone Biles at the Olympic Games in Paris, France. (Photo by Getty Images)

In her autobiography Simone Biles also reflected on her mother's involvement in her gymnastics journey, stating while her father paid regular visits to the training centre, Nellie did not dive into the specifics of the sport and preferred to focus on her role as a mother more than her fan.

"Everyone knew my dad at the gym. He would come early to pick up Adria and me so he could come inside to see what we were working on. But people hardly ever saw my mom."

Biles added:

"She thought a little distance from my gymnastics allowed us both some necessary perspective. As she always told me, “I’m not your fan, Simone; I’m your mom.” Still, whenever she did show up at Bannon’s, everyone knew what that meant—something needed fixing, whether it was my attitude or something about the gym."

Ronald and Nellie built the World Champions Center, an elite-level training facility in Spring, Texas in 2014.