"I really want to commit to UCLA" - When Simone Biles opened up about struggling between choosing about NCAA future

Simone Biles once opened up about the dilemma she faced while selecting between turning pro and competing in the NCAA circuit. The legendary gymnast attended Benfer Elementary School in Harris County, Texas, till 2012, after which she opted for homeschooling, where she was tutored by her adoptive father Ronald.

Following her 2013 and 2014 World Championships victories, Biles was in a quandary of choosing between following her Olympic quest or competing in collegiate gymnastics to experience the traditional journey. In her autobiography "Courage to Soar" published in 2016, the American reflected on the situation, informing she verbally committed to the UCLA Bruins gymnastics team in 2014.

However, the gymnast deferred the enrolment for a year ahead until her Olympic debut in 2016 and turned into a professional gymnast. Looking back on the situation, she wrote:

"When I got back to Spring, I wanted to call Coach Val right away and commit to UCLA for the following fall. My parents urged me to wait. They wanted me to consider the University of Alabama, because it was closer to home and didn’t have all the distractions of a big city like Los Angeles. But I kept pressing. “I really want to commit to UCLA,” I said. Finally, my mom said, “You know what, Simone, do what you want.”

Simone Biles dominated the all-around event in the 2013 and 2014 World Championships

Simone Biles of the United States at the 45th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships at Guangxi Sports Center Stadium in Nanning, China. (Photo by Getty Images)

Simone Biles dominated the all-around event at her first two World Championship appearances. Biles Clinched her first World Championships medal in the all-around event in Antwerp, Belgium.

She topped the event after defeating her fellow teammate Kyla Ross and Russia's Aliya Mustafina. While Biles dominated the group with a significant lead after scoring 60.216 points, Ross and Mustafina bagged 59.332 and 58.856 points, respectively.

At the same edition, she also clicnhed a gold, silver, and bronze medals in floor exercise, vault, and balance beam, respectively. A year later in Nanning, China, she defended her title after listing 60.231 points.

Biles achieved this feat after surpassing Andreea Larisa and Ross, who scored 59.765 and 58.232 points, respectively. She went on to collect three more gold medals in team, balance beam, and floor exercise, and a silver in vault. So far in her illustrious career, Biles has bagged 11 Olympic and 30 World Championships medals.