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Ahead of Simone Biles’ much-anticipated return to the Olympics, Netflix released a 2-part documentary on the athlete, called Simone Biles Rising, on July 17, 2024. The official synopsis of the documentary reads:
“Follow gymnast Simone Biles as she balances her personal life, mental health journey and training ahead of a highly anticipated return to the Olympics.”
After a stellar display in the 2016 Rio Olympics, Simone had to drop out of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to "the twisties," a temporary phenomenon that causes gymnasts to lose their balance in the air. According to a report published on the official Olympics website on 01 July 2024, the gymnast is preparing for this year’s Paris Olympics.
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Simone Biles, one of the most notable gymnasts in history, and her siblings were not raised by their biological parents. Both of her birth parents, Shanon Biles and Kelvin Clemons, struggled with addiction. As a result, Simone and her siblings grew up under the care of their adoptive parents.
As per a Life and Style magazine report, both Shanon Biles and Kelvin Clemons live in Ohio now. While Shanon is sober as of 2024 and interacts with Simone from time to time, Simone reportedly has not kept in touch with Clemons.
Simone Biles’ biological mother is Shanon Biles
Shanon Biles struggled with addiction. As a result, Simone and her siblings spent a considerable portion of their childhood with various foster parents. Born on March 14, 1997, the three-year-old Simone and her siblings were taken in by Ronald Biles, the estranged father of Shanon Biles.
Together, Ronald Biles and his second wife, Nellie Cayetano Biles, took the Biles kids into their family in 2000 and adopted them formally in 2003. Ronald’s sister, Harriet, adopted two other Biles siblings.
Shanon Biles, who now lives in Ohio, was unable to take care of her children due to her drug and alcohol addiction. Since childhood, Simone has been raised by Ronald and Nellie, and Shanon has not featured much in the athlete’s life. Shanon has also served probation due to charges of assault.
Speaking about the interaction between her and Simone, Shanon opened up to The Daily Mail in an interview published on August 10, 2016:
“When I talk to Simone, it’s a brief conversation, like, ‘I miss you, I love you, I can’t wait to see you, I’m proud of you, I’m watching. You go girl,'”
She continued:
“It’s never anything personal. I want to tell her what really happened when I was younger, but I keep on waiting for the right time.”
Shanon, in the same interview, said how she was not allowed to talk to Simone and her siblings by Ronald. She respected this decision:
“I feel like I have no rights. They were raising her, working with her, doing this and that. And who am I? I’m outside looking in. Even though I’m her biological mom, I have to respect them.”
Yet, Shanon Biles made it clear that she was proud of her daughter Simone Biles and would watch all her performances on TV.
As for Simone herself, she reportedly does not have many regrets over not growing up around her biological mother. In a Facebook Watch series, “Simone vs. Herself,” the gymnast said that being separated from her biological mother and adopted by her grandparents set her up “for a better route at life."
Simone Biles’ biological father is Kelvin Clemons
Not much information is available on the internet about Simone’s biological father, Kelvin Clemons. According to the statement given to The Daily Mail by Shanon Biles, he struggled with his own addictions. Moreover, Life and Style magazine reported that he was “never in the world champion‘s life.” The same outlet reported that Clemons currently lives in Ohio, like Shanon.
Simone Biles does not have any contact with her biological father, Shanon. But Shanon says he follows his daughter's achievements and is proud of them. Shanon and Clemons occasionally interact. In The Daily Mail interview, Shanon said,
“He just called me Sunday. I said, ‘I’m watching Simone, are you watching her? Are you watching her? Call me back later,'”
She continued,
“He knows that’s his daughter and he’s very proud of her.”
The Netflix documentary- Simone Biles Rising
Simone Biles Rising has two episodes, titled Write me down in history… and I will not be broken. It takes a close look at Simone’s personal and professional journey following her withdrawal from the 2020 Olympics.
Fans of the athlete have shown their support for her decision in the comments under the official Netflix trailer of the documentary posted on YouTube. Simone is currently preparing for the 2024 Paris Olympics, which will be her third trip to the iconic tournament as part of the USA’s gymnastics team.
