What’s the primary difference between good and great? Making the great attainable, a feat that is not easy, but absolutely possible. Why is it possible? Because movers and shakers like Simone Biles let us know it is.

2016 has been a POWERFUL year for Biles and our Power Issue Cover star can now add another honor to her already incredible list of accomplishments: Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year.

AP reports that in a vote by U.S. editors and news directors announced Monday, Biles received 31 votes out of a possible 59 votes. U.S. Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky, who won four golds and a silver in Rio, finished second with 20 votes. Serena Williams, who won Wimbledon for the seventh time to tie Steffi Graf’s record of 22 Grand Slam titles, and three-time AP women’s NCAA basketball Player of the Year Breanna Stewart tied for third with four votes each.

While the 20-year-old has every reason to rest on her accomplishments, her humility is a sign that she’s just getting started.

“To me, it still feels normal because it’s what I do,” she told us for our #EBONYPower100 issue. “I feel privileged and honored to go out there and represent the United States every single time.”

 

Simone Biles
Click Here For Photos of Simone Biles’ Triumphant Moment at the Rio Games

 


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.