"I started freaking out" - When Simone Biles opened up about the moment she received her first car as gift

Simone Biles once talked about the moment she received her first car as a gift. It happened after she competed in her first international gymnastics competition in 2012 in Italy (Jesolo Trophy) and Germany. Following her debut international appearance, she hoped to receive a turquoise-blue Ford Focus for her 16th birthday.

In Italy, Biles won gold medals in team, all-around, vault, beam and floor, followed by silver in all-around and gold in team, vault, beam and floor events. As she returned home, she found no car in the garage and left the hope of receiving a gift. She asked her father (biological grandfather), Ronald Biles, to let her put the zebra-print interior, which she received from her sister Adria as a gift, on his truck seat. However, his father led her to the hidden new "turquoise-blue car," revealing her much-anticipated gift.

Biles reflected on the moment in her autobiography Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance, and wrote:

“Dad, since I don’t have a car yet, can I see how it fits the steering wheel and the seat of your truck?” I begged. “Okay,” he said, “but just wait five minutes.” “Wait?” I asked. “Why?”

"I was totally confused and starting to become a little suspicious," Biles added. "Five minutes later, my parents said, 'Okay, let’s go to the garage. Let’s see how the zebra cover fits the truck.' When I opened the garage door this time, there was my beautiful turquoise-blue car! I started freaking out and jumping up and down and screaming, 'I love you, Mom! I love you, Dad!' and hugging them."

Simone Biles once highlighted her parents' role in her gymnastics career

Simone Biles at the Core Hydration Classic in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. (Photo by Getty Images)

Simone Biles was adopted by Nellie and Ronald Biles (grandparents) when she was six, and her biological mother became incompetent to provide for her and her siblings due to drug and alcohol addiction. They enrolled her in her first gymnastics program, building the foundation for a legendary journey.

In her autobiography, Biles expressed gratitude to them for giving her the freedom to follow her passion.

"My family supported my gymnastics, cheering me on at meets both at home and away," Biles wrote. "And now that I was winning more, they began paying closer attention. 'Simone,' Mom said, hugging me after I’d earned the all-around highest score at the 2008 South Padre Invitational meet. 'God truly gave you a gift.' Yet I never felt as if my parents were forcing me to keep going."

Simone Biles' parents are frequently seen cheering for her from the stands at the competitions, including the 2024 Paris Games.