"Guys were jealous because they didn’t have the muscle definition I did" - When Simone Biles opened up about facing body image issues

Simone Biles once opened up about facing criticism about her body and subsequent body image issues. The seven-time Olympic champion revealed that boys in her school used to get jealous of her muscular body and would make fun of her.

Biles was adopted by her grandparents Nellie and Ronald Biles when she was six years old. She started gymnastics the same year and attended Benfer Elementary School in Harris County, Texas, until 2012.

The 30-time world medalist switched to home-schooling afterward and didn't attend college as well. She, however, opened up about facing criticism because of her muscular body during her time at the public school.

In an interview with CNN in July 2017, Simone Biles revealed that boys in her school used to make fun of her body, forcing her to hide her muscles.

“Going to public school nobody really had a body build that I did, and I was a girl, so the guys would sometimes make fun of me. I think they were just jealous because they didn’t have the muscle definition I did. I would try to hide my muscles, not show them, and I would always wear a jacket," she said.

The 27-year-old also opened up about facing criticism in the gymnastics world and recalled feeling shy about her figure.

“I think in the gymnastics world, it is your body figure because you get a little bit shy about your body because you are very muscular. But we wouldn’t be able to do the things or achieve the things we did without our bodies so we’re very grateful for them," Simone Biles added.

The eleven-time Olympic medalist termed overcoming her body image issues as her biggest personal challenge.

---

Despite constant criticism, Simone Biles is not 'embarrassed' about her hair anymore

The 58th Annual CMA Awards - Simone Biles presents (Source: Getty)

Simone Biles faced criticism for her hairstyle last year in her wedding ceremony with Chicago Bears' safety Jonathan Owens. The Olympian was criticized for her 'messy' hair and not having the edges straight.

However, she hit back at the critics afterward and stated she didn't care whether her edges were smooth or not. Speaking in an interview with Elle magazine earlier this year, Biles said:

“Most of the backlash we get is from our own community, which is unfortunate. I don’t really care if my edges aren’t smooth."

The 27-year-old added that she used to be worried about her hairstyle not being professional but wasn't embarrassed anymore.

"I used to worry about [my hair being considered] not professional. But I’m not embarrassed about it anymore," she added.

Biles competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics and won four medals. She secured gold medals in women's team, vault, and all-around competitions and a silver in the floor exercise competition.