Simone Biles is the most decorated gymnast of all time, and she recently donated a generous amount to the non-profit Friends of the Children, which works with kids facing adverse situations like those placed in foster care. The gymnast was herself in foster care as a child and has been vocal about how that experience shaped her life.
For Biles, 2024 has been an incredibly busy year. She began the season by going undefeated in the all-around in domestic competitions, before heading to the Paris Olympics. At the Games, Biles helped the US reclaim their team gold, won the all-around and vault events, and walked away with a silver on the floor.
Post the Games, the 27-year-old has embarked on the second iteration of her ‘Gold Over America' tour, which began in late September and will play more than 30 shows before it concludes in November. The second part of the gymnast’s docuseries ‘Simone Biles Rising’ was also recently released on Netflix, adding to her busy schedule.
Amid all this, Biles attended a charity gala on Thursday, October 25, where she donated $50,000 to the non-profit Friends of the Children. Friends of the Children is a foundation that provides kids with a professional mentor to help them deal with adverse situations. The non-profit also works with kids in foster care, a cause close to Biles' heart.
In a USA Today interview, Biles opened up about supporting kids in foster care, saying,
"It's so important to me because I can see myself in these kids and what they go through and what they grow through. Sometimes the statistics can be against you, but having someone like me advocate for these kids, and knowing I went through some of the same similar situations that these kids have gone through and come out of it on top really inspires them.”
Simone Biles on supporting Friends of the Children
Simone Biles spent three years in foster care before she turned six, as her biological mother dealt with an alcohol and drug addiction. She was later adopted by her grandparents Ron and Nellie Biles, but has always been vocal about how her early experiences shaped her life.
Biles has been a constant supporter of Friends of the Children and said that she hopes that kids who are a part of the non-profit’s program dream big with the support of their mentors.
“I hope these kids dream big and dream bigger after that and never give up. And they know that these mentors and their friends are rooting for them — for success, for happiness, through anything that they’re going through,” she was quoted as saying by Stand Together.
In her support for Friends of the Children, Simone Biles dedicated her second Wheaties box to the organization and even helped them expand to her hometown of Texas.