“I decided to climb up on the five-foot mailbox” - When Simone Biles revealed how she found love for gymnastics as a kid
Simone Biles is the most decorated American gymnast of all time. With seven Olympic medals, she is on par with fellow countrywoman and former artistic gymnast Shannon Miller.
Biles shocked the sporting world when she bowed out of the Tokyo Olympics, citing mental health problems. Despite quitting, Biles is arguably the best gymnast in the world at the moment.
At only 25, Simone Biles continues to be one of the biggest names in gymnastics. While her future remains in doubt, her fans believe that the young gymnast has many more years before she hangs up her boots.
Biles is a naturally gifted gymnast. The young athlete’s abilities are lauded by critics around the world. Interestingly, Biles once revealed that her love for gymnastics began at a very young age. The Olympic medalist first began “flipping over” at the age of six.
Simone Biles was in a conversation with Jimmy Kimmel when she was asked about her “superhero flipping abilities.” Kimmel lauded Biles’ abilities and asked about the origin of her love for gymnastics.
Replying to the query, Biles revealed that she was only six when she began flipping from heights. She said that her younger self loved the adrenaline rush from attempting such stunts.
Biles said (on Jimmy Kimmel Live):
“When I was younger. I was about six and I used to flip a lot. The ground was not really doing it for me so I decided to climb up on the five-foot mailbox in front of the house. I decided to start flipping off from there to see if that did it. The adrenaline rush!”
Biles further added:
“My mom running towards me screaming. She didn’t like it."
However, she went onto state that she never quit jumping off heights and in fact began increasing the height.
“I didn’t stop. I started going over the railing to get down the stairs. Didn’t stop."
Biles told Kimmel with a wide smile. The young gymnast’s love for the adrenaline rush surely saw results as she practiced to become the most decorated gymnast in US history.
Simone Biles’ net worth revealed
Simone Biles’ has been busy despite being inactive in competitive gymnastics for the past year. The seven-time Olympic medal winner recently became the youngest recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She received the prestigious award from President Joe Biden in July.
The gymnast remains one of the most marketable athletes in the world. Biles has already established herself as a corporate endorser. As of now, Biles endorses over 12 brands.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, she has a net worth of around $16 million. The gymnast reportedly made over $5 million in endorsements alone in 2021. A large portion of the sum came from her partnership with Athleta, the athletic clothing arm of Gap.
Apart from Athleta, Biles endorses brands including Visa, United Airlines, Mondelez’s Oreo brand, Core Power fitness shakes, Candid teeth aligners, GK Elite Gymnastics apparel, and Spieth America gymnastics equipment, Uber Eats, and MasterClass, among others.
It is pertinent to note that Simone Biles has also earned huge sums of prize money from winning various competitions. It is also noteworthy that the athlete, who enjoys over 6.5 million followers on Instagram, is bound to grow her net worth thanks to social media collaborations and other social events.