"I’m not your fan" - When Simone Biles opened up on her mother Nellie's involvement in her gymnastics journey

Simone Biles once opened up about the differences in her parent's involvement in her gymnastics journey. As her biological mother, Shannon, was incapable of looking after her due to alcohol and drug addiction, Biles was adopted by Ronald and Nellie Biles.

In her autobiography, Courage to Soar, published in November 2016, Biles mentioned her father Ronald homeschooling her while her gymnastics training took a more intense turn. She stated that while her father regularly came to the gym to support and observe her training, her mother didn't actively engage deeply with the specifics of the sport and preferred her role as a mother, not as a fan.

Reflecting on her mother's involvement in her training, Biles said:

"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. To tell the truth, I don’t think she ever had much of a clue about my routines; she didn’t even know what the big skills were called. All she knew was what she saw me perform in competition. But she preferred it that way."

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."

Simone Biles' mother Nellie established the World Champions Center for the Olympian gymnast's elite-level training

Simone Biles of the United States during the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Getty Images)

Simone Biles' mother and father Ronald and Nellie own the World Champions Center, an elite-level training facility in Spring, Texas. The duo built the facility for the gymnast in 2014 to let her train while not having to juggle from gym to gym to train under her longtime coach Aimee Boorman based on her employment.

Biles' brother Adam was formerly the general manager of the gym. Three years later in 2017, Cecile Canqueteau-Land along with her husband Laurent Landi joined the facility and led the legendary gymnast to six Olympic medals.

Apart from Simone Biles, other elite athletes, including Jordan Chiles, Joscelyn Roberson, Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos, Zoe Miller, and Tiana Sumanasekera train at the 52,000-square-meter facility.