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“As I stepped off the mat, Aimee ran over and gave me a hug. Lexie rushed up to me, face beaming, and said, “Hey, you caught your Thatchev!”
“I did!” I said, high-fiving her. “Thank you!” Everyone else was looking at us, completely puzzled. They were probably wondering, Why on earth is she so excited? She just fell off the bars twice! But I didn’t care right then. I’d caught my Thatchev, and I was on my way to Nationals.
One month later, it wouldn’t be the Thatchev that would put me out of contention for the USA women’s junior team by just one spot—it would be that dang Amanar. Maybe if I’d spent more time practicing the vault, I might’ve gotten picked. But the same thing that’s true in gymnastics is also true in life: You can’t go back. The best you can do is forgive yourself, take a deep breath, and get to work on the next challenge. But that doesn’t mean you can’t bawl first—and let me tell you, I did.”
― Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, a Life in Balance
“I did!” I said, high-fiving her. “Thank you!” Everyone else was looking at us, completely puzzled. They were probably wondering, Why on earth is she so excited? She just fell off the bars twice! But I didn’t care right then. I’d caught my Thatchev, and I was on my way to Nationals.
One month later, it wouldn’t be the Thatchev that would put me out of contention for the USA women’s junior team by just one spot—it would be that dang Amanar. Maybe if I’d spent more time practicing the vault, I might’ve gotten picked. But the same thing that’s true in gymnastics is also true in life: You can’t go back. The best you can do is forgive yourself, take a deep breath, and get to work on the next challenge. But that doesn’t mean you can’t bawl first—and let me tell you, I did.”
― Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, a Life in Balance
“I wasn’t born a Texas girl. In fact, before I called my parents Momma and Poppa Biles, I knew them as Grandma and Grandpa. Actually, I first called them “Hamma” and “Hampaw” because I was only three years old and couldn’t enunciate my gs.
Hampaw was a tall, medium-brown man with a salt-and-pepper goatee, and Hamma was a short, light brown woman with soft, curly hair.”
― Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, a Life in Balance
Hampaw was a tall, medium-brown man with a salt-and-pepper goatee, and Hamma was a short, light brown woman with soft, curly hair.”
― Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, a Life in Balance
“The unexpected is usually what brings the unbelievable."
--Mandy Kellogg Rye, Writer”
― Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, a Life in Balance
--Mandy Kellogg Rye, Writer”
― Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, a Life in Balance
“Good night, Grandma!” I called as I was skipping out of the kitchen with Adria on my heels.
Grandma, who was at the sink rinsing dishes to stack in the dishwasher, stopped and looked at us. She had a funny expression on her face, which made Adria and me pause in the doorway and look back at her, waiting.
Grandma wiped her hands on a dishtowel and said, “Simone, Adria, come here.”
There was something different in her tone. I didn’t know what to expect
“You know, girls,” she said as we stood in front of her, “we adopted you both today. So I’m your mother now, and he”—she pointed at my grandpa, who was wiping the table mats—“he’s your father.”
Grandpa paused what he was doing, stood up straight, and smiled. I just glanced from one to the other, my eyes big and round. What had happened in court that day suddenly became clear.
“Does that mean I can call you Mom and Dad?” I asked.
“It’s up to you,” my grandma said, one hand cupping my cheek, the other one smoothing Adria’s hair. “Call us whatever you want to. Now go to bed.”
The two of us scampered upstairs without another word. But when Adria went into the bathroom to brush her teeth, I stood in the middle of our bedroom, my hands pressed against my temples. I was hopping from one foot to the other and jumping up and down, so much excitement was flowing through me.
Mom. Dad. Mom. Dad.
I kept whispering the words, getting used to the sound of them. Finally, feeling as if I would burst, I ran back downstairs to the kitchen.
“Mom?” I said, standing in the doorway.
She looked across at me, her lips twitching like she was trying not to smile.
“Yes, Simone?”
I turned to where Grandpa was putting away the table mats.
“Dad?”
“What is it, Simone?”
“Nothing!” I said, squealing and bouncing up and down gleefully.
I had done it—I’d called them Mom and Dad!
I turned without another word and raced back up the stairs. In my room, I flopped backward onto my bed and let out a happy sigh. Adria and I were finally and forever home.”
― Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, a Life in Balance
Grandma, who was at the sink rinsing dishes to stack in the dishwasher, stopped and looked at us. She had a funny expression on her face, which made Adria and me pause in the doorway and look back at her, waiting.
Grandma wiped her hands on a dishtowel and said, “Simone, Adria, come here.”
There was something different in her tone. I didn’t know what to expect
“You know, girls,” she said as we stood in front of her, “we adopted you both today. So I’m your mother now, and he”—she pointed at my grandpa, who was wiping the table mats—“he’s your father.”
Grandpa paused what he was doing, stood up straight, and smiled. I just glanced from one to the other, my eyes big and round. What had happened in court that day suddenly became clear.
“Does that mean I can call you Mom and Dad?” I asked.
“It’s up to you,” my grandma said, one hand cupping my cheek, the other one smoothing Adria’s hair. “Call us whatever you want to. Now go to bed.”
The two of us scampered upstairs without another word. But when Adria went into the bathroom to brush her teeth, I stood in the middle of our bedroom, my hands pressed against my temples. I was hopping from one foot to the other and jumping up and down, so much excitement was flowing through me.
Mom. Dad. Mom. Dad.
I kept whispering the words, getting used to the sound of them. Finally, feeling as if I would burst, I ran back downstairs to the kitchen.
“Mom?” I said, standing in the doorway.
She looked across at me, her lips twitching like she was trying not to smile.
“Yes, Simone?”
I turned to where Grandpa was putting away the table mats.
“Dad?”
“What is it, Simone?”
“Nothing!” I said, squealing and bouncing up and down gleefully.
I had done it—I’d called them Mom and Dad!
I turned without another word and raced back up the stairs. In my room, I flopped backward onto my bed and let out a happy sigh. Adria and I were finally and forever home.”
― Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, a Life in Balance
“I was glad to put the whole thing behind me, because I wanted every child, regardless of race, to be able to look at my Worlds win and say, I can dream big too. I wanted them to know that following your dreams—not just in gymnastics, but in everything—shouldn’t have anything to do with the color of your skin. It should only be about finding the discipline and the courage to do the hard work.”
― Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, a Life in Balance
― Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, a Life in Balance
Shene’s 2025 Year in Books
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