The gymnast talks about her adopted family, football

It’s been a tumultuous week for Simone Biles.

Biles has announced her Gold Over America tour, which is on hiatus for a week partnership with Barefoot wine and got the name the most popular athlete of the year in the world according to SportsPro. She attended the premiere in Los Angeles of the second part of the Netflix documentary series Simone Biles: The Rise. And on Thursday night, she donated $50,000 at a gala to Friends of Children, a nonprofit that provides mentors to struggling children, including those in foster care, like Biles once was.

“It means a lot to me because I see myself in these kids and what they’re going through and what they’re growing up,” Biles told USA TODAY Sports. “…Sometimes the statistics can be against you, but to have someone like me standing up for these kids and knowing that I’ve been through some of the same situations that these kids have been through and come out on top really inspires them . “

During an interview at a luxury hotel in Santa Monica, California, Biles spoke with USA TODAY Sports visual journalist Sandy Hooper about her charity work and more.

Simone Biles on supporting children in foster families

Biles has been open about it her experience with the foster care system. She said she spent about three years in foster care before she turned 6 because her biological mother, Shannon, struggled with drugs and alcohol.

“If you grow up in foster (care), the statistics are against you and they are what they are,” she said Thursday. “But coming out on top of that, going above and beyond – obviously I had to help my family, but I’m who I am today because of my foster family. So I want the kids to appreciate and remember that too, and that you can do anything. It doesn’t matter.”

Biles said that the older she gets, the more she realizes the importance of talking about her past. According to her, she also tried to answer the questions of children in foster families to serve as a source of inspiration.

“They’re mostly silly questions because they’re so young and curious,” she said when asked about her interactions with children. “How old are you? what is your height do you have a boyfriend … With children, as a rule, it is not too serious, except for older ones. They want to know why I did it, that I am passionate about such things, but I love them.”

Simone Biles on her Netflix documentary

“Simon Biles: The Rise” is a four-part documentary series about her return to competition and journey to the 2024 Paris Olympics. It was released in two parts, with the first two episodes debuting before the Games and the last two episodes coming to Netflix on Friday.

Biles said the pre-Olympic release of the documentaries didn’t bring any pressure.

“I actually watched the episodes beforehand and talked to my therapist about it,” she said. “And yes, the timing was a little risky, but I knew that I had already done all the work mentally, that I was OK, that it came out when it did, that it happened.”

Biles also directed a documentary series in the run-up to the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. She said the process of making Simone Biles: Rise was much easier without the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it helped to have the same director, Katie Walsh.

“I feel very comfortable with the team I have worked with for so many years. So it was really a breeze,” Biles said.

Simone Biles on Jordan Chiles appeal

In an unusual twist, Biles’ Netflix documentary also led to footage that could help her partner, Jordan Childs, retain her bronze medal in free exercise from the Paris Games.

Chile recently appealed to the highest court of Switzerland in hopes of resolving a dispute over whether her scoring request was submitted after the 60-second time limit had expired. After the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that the request was made too late, footage from the documentary appears to show that the request was made in time, giving Chiles a path to appeal.

When asked about her reaction to learning that footage from her documentary could help Chiles, Biles demurred.

“It’s not my thing to talk about, but we’re going to support Jordan as much as we can and love her and encourage her because it’s a tough situation,” she said.

Simone Biles on her husband’s Olympic interest

With the Olympics behind her, Biles said she’s excited to have more time to pursue other interests — and cheer on her husband, safety Jonathan Owens Chicago Bears.

Biles has not said whether she will compete in the next Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028, although it is now possible that her husband could be there. In 2028, flag football will be included in the program of Olympic sports for the first time, and debate continues about whether NFL players can or should compete for Team USA.

“I think it would be very interesting. I think it would be a lot of fun,” Biles said when asked about her husband and his Bears teammates possibly competing in 2028. “I know my husband and his teammates have talked about it a lot if they’re going to do it, but it’s a lot in the summer when they start training camp, so I know it’s going to be really hard on their bodies. But they’re excited about it, so we’ll see.”

Co-authors: Nancy Armor and Sandy Hooper

Contact Tom Schad at [email protected] or on social media @Tom_Schad.