Simone Biles once opened up about her longtime coach Aimee Boorman's effective coaching style that helped her excel in gymnastics. Biles enjoyed an unprecedented career while training under her first coach, Boorman.
Biles started training under coach Boorman at the age of six when her parents enrolled her in a gymnastics program at Bannon's Gymnastics Center. She trained under coach Boorman for 11 years.
Biles commented on Boorman's effective coaching style in her 2016 autobiography Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance, while appreciating her support and understanding in moments when she struggled with focus and motivation. Biles also described how coach Boorman knew exactly how to handle her based on the gymnast's mood.
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"I was glad I had Aimee quietly in my corner. She knew better than anyone how to manage me when I became unfocused. Sometimes, depending on how she read my mood, we’d power through."
Biles added:
"Other times, when my resistance hardened into opposition, she’d send me to do conditioning and we’d tackle the skill again later. “I would rather you do three hours of conditioning than for you to do poor technique on your gymnastics,” she’d say. “I will not allow you to do bad gymnastics, because that’s just a waste of time.”
Simone Biles also credited her illustrious gymnastics career to her first and longtime coach Aimee Boorman
Coach Aimee Boorman led Simone Biles to four U.S. all-around titles and three world all-around championships titles for consecutive times in 2013, 2014, and 2015.
Having trained the gymnast at the World Champions Centre, owned by Biles' parents Ronald and Nellie, Boorman accompanied her to the 2016 Olympics. In her autobiography Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance, Biles attributed her gymnastics success to Boorman and wrote:
"I’m glad now that Aimee stuck by me, because I wouldn’t be where I am today without her. In the elite world, everyone loves my coach because they know how understanding she is. They know she thinks that even though gymnastics is hard work, it should also be enjoyable. Otherwise, why do it?"
Biles added:
"She carefully assesses every situation and keeps it real. Sometimes, like on the afternoon with the beam routines, she’ll push me hard. But other times, she’ll notice I’m exhausted and say, “Simone, it’s not working today. Go home. I think you could use some rest.”
Simone Biles and Aimee Boorman went their different ways after the 2016 Rio Olympics, where the gymnast made her Games debut and clinched four gold medals.
