After witnessing history being made in the 2016 Rio Olympics, NBA star LeBron James made the following statement about one of the leading elite talents:
“[She is] truly inspiring for so many, especially young black girls. My daughter was watching with me.”
That inspiration he spoke of is none other than Simone Biles, who had an outstanding performance during the olympic competition.
When even the 2016 NBA Finals Champion expresses his admiration for you, you know you’ve made your mark.
And because EBONY stayed glued to the Rio Games and extraordinary talent, here are just a few highlights starring Simone Biles:
- She is now the first American female gymnast to win 4 gold medals at the Olympic games.
- Biles became the fourth straight American woman to capture the all-around and fifth overall.
- Before Rio, she was already a three-time all-around gymnastics world champion with 14 world championship medals — 10 of them gold.
When asked about her killer performance, the star athlete remained humble. “To me I’m just the same Simone … But I feel the same. I just feel like I did my job tonight.”
It’s that clear confidence, focus, and dedication that will make her upcoming book a must read.
This Fall, Biles will be releasing “Courage to Soar,” her official autobiography.
Adopted, along with her younger sister, by their grandparents as toddlers, Simone was discovered by coach Aimee Boorman’s mother during a field trip to the gym. After working with Coach Boorman, she was given the choice between working part-time and going to school or training full-time to become elite.
Simone, hard work and all, chose the latter.
“I want people to reach for their dreams,” Biles said in a statement sent to EBONY. “If you’re willing to put in a lot of work, and if you’re focused and determined, you can go really far.”
She continued, “There are so many people who have inspired me with their love and encouragement along the way — and I want to pass on that inspiration to readers.”
“Courage To Soar” is written with Michelle Burford, a New York Times bestselling author, bestselling collaborative writer and founding senior editor of O, The Oprah Magazine.
You can preorder the book here, which is set for release on November 15, 2016.
Melissa Kimble is the Senior Social Media Manager for the EBONY brand. An advocate for Black Creatives via #blkcreatives, you can connect with her on Twitter at @Melissa_Kimble.
