"I can do that myself one day" - When Simone Biles opened up about being inspired to compete at Olympics after US victory at London Games

Simone Biles once reflected on the moment when she was encouraged to set the goal of competing at the 2016 Olympics. The gymnast remembered how her teammates motivated her by imagining her making it to the competition.

The incident happened when the legendary gymnast gathered them to watch the gymnastics events at the 2012 London Olympics, when Jordyn Wieber, Gabby Douglas, Aly Raisman, Kyla Ross, McKayla Maroney clinched the gold medal in the team event. Although by then, Biles had just made the junior national team and hadn't set her sights on future goals, the enthusiasm from her teammates made her consider the possibility of reaching the Olympics.

In her autobiography, Courage to Soar, published in November 2016, Biles reflected on the moment when one of her teammates motivated her to compete at the Rio Olympics.

“That could be you, Simone!” Her words went through me like an electric current. Immediately, several other girls took up the chant: “2016 Olympics, Simone! You can do it! That will be you," Biles wrote.

Biles added:

"I didn’t say anything as my teammates excitedly picked me for the next Games, which would be held in Rio four years later. I just laughed along nervously and rubbed my hands over the goosebumps on my arms. Wow, I went to training camp with Kyla and Jordyn, and now they’re winning Olympic gold, I thought. Maybe I can do that myself one day."

Simone Biles became the most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast after her three Olympic appearances

Simone Biles attends the Los Angeles premiere of Netflix's "Simone Biles Rising: Part 2" in Los Angeles, California. (Image Source: Getty)

Simone Biles became the most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast after her Olympic appearances in Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.

At her first appearance in 2016, Biles clinched four golds in the team, all-around, vault and floor exercise events while clinching bronze in balance beam. Four years later, at the Tokyo Games, she pulled out from the competition to priortize her mental health after only bagging a silver in the team event and a bronze in the balance beam event. At her recent appearance at the Paris Olympics, she collected three golds in the team, all-round and vault events while clinching silver in the floor exercise events.

Besides her Olympic exploits, Simone Biles also has 30 World Championships medals, 23 of which are golds.