On Tuesday July 30, after her historic win at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Simone Biles shared an Instagram story of Ronald Biles watching her compete.

“My dad & his binoculars is soooo freaking cute,” Simone writes of her biological grandfather, who along with his wife adopted the athlete – now an eight-time Olympic medallist – after she was left in foster care when she was only three.

Simone, the most decorated American gymnast, opened up about her childhood and how she and her siblings were starving in the care of her biological mother who was “struggling with drug and alcohol abuse.” Keep reading to learn about this inspiring athlete!

On July 26, athletes paraded along Paris’ River Seine during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, Simone and some other members of the U.S.A. gymnastics team were noticeably absent.

Simone’s mother, Nellie Biles, explained the reason in an interview with Today‘s Hoda Kotb. She said: “The first competition is Sunday, which is women’s qualifier, and, of course, she needs to rest up before that competition.

During the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Qualification on day two of the Olympics, July 28, Simone faced adversity. Footage from the event showed her sitting on the sidelines with U.S.A. Gymnastics team doctor Marcia Faustin. They disappeared briefly, and Simone returned with medical tape wrapped around her left leg.