“I don’t know if I will make it" - When Simone Biles opened up on dealing with self doubt about qualifying for Olympics

Simone Biles once opened up on dealing with self-doubt about qualifying for the Olympics. In 2011, Biles noted down her dream of making the 2012 London Olympics. However, the criteria required a gymnast to have turned sixteen in the Olympic year to be eligible to compete.

Born in 1997, Biles was only 14 in 2011, making her ineligible to compete in the following year's edition of the sporting event. However, she was worried that by the time she reached the next Olympics, she would be nineteen, an age when gymnasts lose their potential and get prone to injuries. In her autobiography, Biles reflected on the moment.

"Although the 2012 Olympics were still four years away, I secretly fantasized about going with the team to London," she wrote. "To compete in the Olympics, I’d have to turn sixteen within the Olympic year. 'I won’t turn sixteen until 2013, then I will have to wait a long time,' I continued in my diary."

Biles added:

"I knew that many gymnasts got injured, had already peaked, or simply lost the motivation to compete by age nineteen, which was how old I’d be when the next Olympics rolled around. There was no way to tell what my story would be eight years into the future. 'I don’t know if I will make it,' I scribbled."

Simone Biles enjoyed three victorious Olympics even after making her debut at the age of 19

Simone Biles of Team United States at the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris, France. (Image Source: Getty)

Simone Biles made her debut at the 2016 Olympics held in Rio, Brazil. The legendary gymnast was 19 when she competed in Rio de Janeiro. The American gymnast won four gold medals in team, all-around, vault, and floor exercise. Biles along with Gabby Douglas, Laurie Hernandez, Madison Kocian, and Aly Raisman collected a gold medal in the team event.

She collected her first gold medal in the all-around (62.198 points) event at the Rio Games by defeating teammate Aly Raisman (60.098) and Russia's Aliya Mustafina (58.665). Biles also dominated the vault event by surpassing Russia's Maria Paseka and Switzerland's Giulia Steingruber and bagged a gold ahead of Raisman and Amy Tinkler.

Biles also won the bronze medal in the balance beam event at the same edition. She went on to bag two medals at the Tokyo Olympics before clinching four at Paris 2024 to take her tally to 11.