Simone Biles Tattoos

Source: Getty Images

Simone Arianne Biles Owen is an American artistic gymnast. She is from Spring, Texas, and was homeschooled, graduating in 2015. A senior international elite gymnast, she has been on the national team from 2012-2016, 2018-2021, and 2023-present. Biles trains at the World Champions Centre and has had several eponymous skills named after her on vault, balance beam, and floor exercise.

She is the most decorated U.S. gymnast in history, earning four gold medals at the Rio 2016 Olympics, and leading the U.S. team to victory at the 2023 World Championships. Biles was honored with the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022 and earned a silver and bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Simone Biles tattoos

Simone Biles has six known tattoos, each with its unique significance. She got her first tattoo, the Olympic rings, in 2017 to celebrate her success in the 2016 Olympics. In 2021, she added the phrase "And Still I Rise" on her collarbone, inspired by Maya Angelou's poem about resilience.

Above her elbow, she has her birth year, "1997," while her inner left wrist bears the word "Golden," likely a nod to her gold medals. One of her more hidden tattoos is "XO" on her inner lip, which she got early in her tattoo journey. Most recently, she added two small butterflies on the back of her right hand, although she hasn't revealed their meaning.

Simone Biles's early life

Simone Biles was the third of four siblings born on March 14, 1997, in Columbus, Ohio. She and her siblings spent time in foster care. In 2000, her maternal grandfather, Ron Biles, and his second wife, Nellie Cayetano Biles, began caring for Simone and her sister Adria in Spring, Texas, and formally adopted them in 2003. Ron's sister adopted her two older siblings.

Biles holds Belizean citizenship through her adoptive mother and considers Belize her second home. Raised Catholic, she attended Benfer Elementary School in Texas. In 2012, she switched to homeschooling to dedicate more time to gymnastics training, completing her high school education in 2015. Initially committed to UCLA, Biles decided to turn professional in 2015, forfeiting her NCAA eligibility to compete for UCLA.

Simone Biles's professional life

Simone Biles began her professional gymnastics career in 2013, winning the national all-around title and making history as the first African American gymnast to win multiple medals at the world championships. In 2016, Biles reached the pinnacle of her career at the Rio Olympics, winning four gold medals and solidifying her status as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time. After a brief hiatus in 2017, she made a triumphant return in 2018, winning multiple medals at the world championships. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Biles contributed to the U.S. team's success with a silver medal and won a bronze in the balance beam final.