Simone Biles’ Mother Wasn’t 100% Emotionally Attached to Olympian at First — Now She ‘Would Die’ for Her

• The mother of Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles expressed that she initially did not feel 100% emotionally attached to the star.
• Despite having reserved feelings at first, Biles' has said that she "would die" for her.
• The young athlete remains grateful for the "sacrifices" her parents made for her.

Superstar professional gymnast and Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles, 26, is revered as an incredible athletic talent. Her feats and extensive achievements in the field of artistic gymnastics have seen her become the current most decorated gymnast in American history.

Simone's grandparents, Ron and Nellie Biles, adopted her and became her legal parents when she was six years old. The duo met while Nellie was a college student in San Antonio and Ron was a single father working in the Air Force.

Eventually, Nellie, who pursued a career as a nurse and used to be the co-owner of a series of nursing homes in Texas, and Ron, who worked as an air traffic controller before retiring, went on to tie the knot. The couple then welcomed two sons.

At the time, Ron's daughter, Shanon Biles, who went to live with her mother in Cleveland, had been struggling with addiction problems and, as a result, had her four kids taken away from her, one of whom was Simone. The Olympian and her siblings were placed in foster care at first before her eldest siblings went to live with Ron's sister.

Simone and her little sister, Adria Biles, were adopted by their grandparents, Nellie and Ron, who became their parents. According to one of Simone's uncles/brothers:

"So, that time, we went from a family of just four of us to a family of six overnight, which was crazy. My parents had already spent almost 18 years of their lives raising these two boys..."

Simone Biles Praises Her Family, and Remains Grateful for All They Have Done for Her

Simone is more than grateful to her parents for everything they have done for her and her sister. Speaking about her life journey and all she experienced growing up, the professional gymnast credits her family for helping mold her into the incredible success she is today.

For Simone, family means everything. Nellie and Ron raised her and her siblings to be confident in themselves and authentic to who they are. They reinforced messages of empowerment for their kids to know that they are their own people who are in control of their actions.

This parenting mantra is what Simone believes to be the cause of not just her successful life but her siblings' as well. Of Nellie and Ron, Simone gushed:

"...just their love and their compassion that they had for us, I just hope to have that one day for my kids, whenever I'm older, and teach them that because I think it's a great lesson."

From their endearing looks filled with love as they cheer her on from the audience stands to the abundant home footage they captured of Simone and her sister as little girls, it's evident that both Nellie and Ron adore Simone and Adria. The feeling is definitely mutual for the superstar talent, who wrote in a post:

"...thanks for making sacrifices since day 1 so I can live out my dream. but most importantly thanks for always being there for me through all the highs and lows. You guys are the absolute best..."

Nellie and Ron have always wanted what's best for Simone, like the time when Nellie believed it would be good for the young lady to have her biological mom attend one of her competitions. The mama bear deemed it important for Shanon to get a chance to see her child shine like the star she is.

However, unfortunately, things did not go according to plan. Simone stumbled and fell while performing due to the distraction caused by the many people asking who Shanon was and why she referred to herself as Simone's mom. But Simone came back victorious when she later won her first world title three months later.

Simone and her biological mom reportedly don't have much contact and have not seen each other since that competition, but Shanon said the two occasionally chatted on the phone.

Simone Biles' Mom Opened Up about the Difficult Emotions She Faced in Raising the Olympian and Her Sister

Even though Simone may not share a close relationship with Shannon, her loving mom, Nellie, has more than made up for the absence. However, becoming a doting mom to Simone and Adria was not something that came easily for Nellie in the beginning.

Nellie and her beloved Simone's solid bond as mother and daughter also enables them to feel comfortable talking about anything and everything with each other.

In a Facebook video exploring Simone's life and childhood, Nellie spoke about the barriers she encountered when she and Ron adopted the girls. Of her initial feelings, she admitted:

"...these were not my biological children. You do everything that's nurturing, that's mothering, but emotionally, you still have to be there 100%, and I was not. I remember praying for that bonding..."

Although it took her a bit of time to adjust and position herself as a true maternal figure to the girls, Nellie managed to reach that point. Of her turning point, she expressed:

"...But you wake up one day, and you realize that you would do anything for these children and that you would die for these children..."

Simone Biles' Mom and Dad Nurtured Her Gymnastic Talents and Helped Her Become an Olympian

At six years old, Simone's parents enrolled her in gymnastics classes. Early on, Ron and Nellie instantly recognized that their bubbly little girl had an undeniable knack for the sport.

According to Nellie, from then on, the rest was history, and Simone would never miss a practice, even if she was sick. In many interviews and social media posts, Simone herself confirmed that her parents have been with her as guiding lights of support on her journey every step of the way.

Nellie and her beloved Simone's solid bond as mother and daughter also enables them to feel comfortable talking about anything and everything with each other. Two years ago, the athletic star and Nellie sat down for a conversation about mental health.

Simone candidly addressed the pressure she sometimes feels in keeping up with being an elite athlete who constantly wins and grappling with the notion that the public does not see stars like herself as normal people. The conversation came up as a result of Simone's decision to pause from competing, to deal with her mental health issues.

Although Simone experienced negative emotions and worried about the backlash she would receive based on her decision, her fierce, loving, and protective mom, Nellie, was and still remains at her side.