"My dilemma was the result not of failure" - When Simone Biles reflected on the difficult decision of turning pro or competing in NCAA

In her autobiography "Courage to Soar" published in 2016, Simone Biles reflected on the moment when she was in the plight of choosing between turning pro and competing in the NCAA circuit after attending Benfer Elementary School in Harris County, Texas, till 2012. After commencing her elite gymnastics career in 2011 as a junior and attending school for another year, her passion for gymnastics and the training intensity increased, leaving the gymnast an option for homeschooling.

Later on after her 2013 World Championships performance, Biles was puzzled between continuing her Olympic dream by turning pro and or competing in collegiate gymnastics, prioritizing her dream of experiencing a "normal" college life:

"The last time, when I’d had to choose between high school with my friends or homeschool, was after my devastating failure to make the 2011 national team. Now I was at a similar crossroads, one that might require me to give up my dream of a traditional college experience with my peers. This time, my dilemma was the result not of failure, but of success—my back-to-back all-around wins at the 2013 and 2014 Worlds."

The legendary gymnast verbally committed to the UCLA Bruins gymnastics team in August 2014 but opted out of her eligibility until after her debut Games, the 2016 Rio Olympics.

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"The truth is that my heart was breaking" - When Simone Biles recalled the devastating moment of not making the national team in 2011

Simone Biles at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Gymnastics Trials in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Getty Images)

After Simone Biles started her elite gymnastics career in 2011, she competed in the 2011 Visa National Championships. The legendary gymnast competed in all events, securing 108.100 points. In her autobiography, Courage to Soar, she recalled eagerly waiting for her name to be announced.

However, the now multiple-time Olympian fell short of making the team after settling in 14th place, when the list closed on the 13th:

"I kept telling myself I’d done my best, trying to drown out the little voice in my head that whispered, 'But did you really? Couldn’t you have worked a little harder? Why didn’t you do more?' The truth is that my heart was breaking. I had come to Nationals with a goal of making the 2011 team, and it didn’t happen. I simply hadn’t been good enough."

Years later, Biles registered a record for most national championships in gymnastics, having won the titles in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2024.