Simone Biles has won 37 world and Olympic medals. (Image source: Imagn, Inset - Instagram/Simone Biles)

"Even after the trauma and downfalls, I've always risen" - Simone Biles explains the reason behind her Maya Angelou-inspired tattoo

Modified Jul 17, 2024 16:41 GMT

Since breaking onto the scene, Simone Biles has dominated almost every event she competed in. Over the years, she also began to mark various points in her life, be it sporting achievements or otherwise, with different tattoos.

In her maiden Olympics at Rio 2016, Biles put in impressive performances to win four gold and one bronze medal. A year later, she got her first tattoo, a drawing of the Olympic rings in black ink, to celebrate the achievement.

The American has since gotten five more tattoos, the latest being two tiny butterflies on the back of her right hand. Arguably the most significant and famous tattoo of hers, however, is a line from Maya Angelou's poem.

The 27-year-old got the phrase "And still I rise" tattooed on her collarbone, which is a famous poem by the American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist Angelou. In a new Netflix documentary titled 'Simone Biles Rising,' Biles shed light on the reason behind that particular tattoo and what it signified to her.

"Before I got this tattoo, it was a saying that I loved — obviously, Maya Angelou — and I was like, 'And still I rise is perfect' because I feel like that’s kind of the epitome of my career and my life story'. Because I always rise to the occasion and after all of the traumas and downfalls, I’ve always risen," she said.

"Limiting social media and stuff like that is going to be important" - Simone Biles ahead of Paris Olympics

Simone Biles set the stage alight at the 2016 Rio Games and made the world stand up and take notice of her brilliance. The same, if not more, was expected of her at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

However, Biles had to withdraw from the majority of her events in Japan after struggling with the “twisties” — a type of mental block that gymnasts face. She later took a two-year break to prioritize her mental health.

The Amerian returned to action last year and showed that her time on the sidelines has not affected her gymnastic talents. Ahead of the Paris Olympics, where she is set to represent Team USA, Biles stated that she plans to reduce her social media usage to ensure she doesn't get influenced by any outside chatter.

"Limiting social media and stuff like that is going to be (important). Insta is good. It’s a good way to connect. It’s a way to share what we’re going through. And TikTok. I’ve tried to make a little more TikToks, I’m not the greatest at that. I’m learning," she told TODAY.

Team USA's gymnastic squad for this year's Summer Games includes Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and 16-year-old rising star Hezly Rivera.