"Freaking cuuuuute" - Simone Biles gushes over sea turtle sighting during cruise stop on friends trip

Eleven-time Olympic medalist Simone Biles recently shared glimpses of seeing a sea turtle during a cruise stop. On her most recent vacation, the decorated artistic gymnast is spending quality time with her close friends.

Biles has been enjoying her time off after the hectic schedule she went through during the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she clinched three gold medals and one silver medal. While vacationing with her close friends, she took to Instagram to share her reactions to watching a sea turtle, writing:

“🐢how freaking cuuuuute🐢”

“🥹😍”

Screenshot of Simone Biles' Instagram story post | Credits: IG/simonebiles

Along with her prominent Olympic feats, the legendary gymnast has 30 World Championship medals, 23 of which are gold medals. In 2016, she competed in the Pacific Rim Championships, which is a major regional biennial gymnastics competition. She clinched the gold medal in the all-around event and helped Team USA win the team event as well.

She was also the keynote speaker at the HIMSS25 Global Health Conference & Exhibition. At the event, she shared her thoughts on self-care and maintaining equilibrium between mental and physical health and life goals. The artistic gymnast has also been an advocate for mental health since her experience in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

During the 2020 Summer Olympics, she suffered from a condition called “Twisties,” which creates disharmony between mind and body, due to which she had issues performing aerial moves. However, she still clinched two medals in the team event and balance beam event, respectively.

When Simone Biles reflected on her life-changing experience

Simone Biles, Adria Biles and their parents Ronald and Nellie Biles at the Los Angeles Premiere Of Netflix's "Simone Biles Rising: Part 2" - Source: Getty

Biles has become one of the most accomplished gymnasts in the world. She has achieved numerous accolades throughout her career and attributes it to her grandparents, Ronald and Nellie Biles. The gymnast and her siblings were placed in foster care due to her biological mother’s addiction.

She and her sister, Adria, were adopted by their grandparents, whom she considers her parents. The gymnast shared her thoughts in her documentary, “Simone vs. Herself”, via People Magazine.

“Being separated from my biological mom, being placed in foster care before I officially got adopted by my grandparents, it just set me up for a better route at life.”

She continued,

“I wouldn't be where I am unless that turning point happened. I would still be Simone Biles, probably not Simone Biles that everybody else knows, the world knows. But I also believe everything happens for a reason, and I'm forever grateful for that because I definitely got a second shot at life.”

The champion athlete credits her achievements to her grandparents, who gave her a brighter and more secure future. She is the national ambassador of "Friends of the Children", a non-profit organisation that works towards transforming the lives of children in the foster care system.