**Nellie and Ronald adopted Simone in 2003**

Who are Simone Biles’s parents? Meet Nellie and Ronald Biles

Simone Biles Tearfully Opens Up About Being Adopted

Ronald, Simone’s biological maternal grandfather, and his wife, Nellie, adopted Simone and her sister, Adria, in 2000 when Simone was six years old. She and her sister had been in and out of foster care for three years at the time. Simone has been open about her grandparents adopting her, but she tearfully shared that they “saved” her.

“Growing up, my biological mom was suffering from drug and alcohol abuse and she was in and out of jail,” Simone said. “I never had a mom to run to. I do remember always being hungry and afraid. At 3 years old, I was placed in foster care.” “Whenever I and my sister had visits with my grandpa, I was so excited,” she said through tears. “That was the person I always wanted to see walk into the foster home.”

Ronald and Nellie wanted to make sure Simone always felt that sense of hope and joy, so Ronald told her, “OK, you know how you called us Grandma and Grandpa? You can call us Mom and Dad now if you want to.”

Nellie opened up about becoming an adoptive mother to Simone and Adria saying she struggled initially to bond with the girls.

“I remember praying for that bonding,” Nellie said. “Because telling them that you love them and you care for them; that’s all words. But then you wake up one day, and you realize that you would do anything for these children. And that you would die for these children. And when that feeling comes, that’s when you know you are truly a mother.”

Simone had her own emotions about her parents. “They’ve set huge examples of how to treat other people, and they’ve been there to support me since day one. There’s nothing I could say to them to thank them enough.” They didn’t just adopt Simone: They also adopted her sister, Adria. They both had been in and out of foster care. Simone was six at the time.

Lucky enough for Simone that Ronald and Nellie own a gymnastics training center called World Champions Centre in Spring, Texas, where Simone practices. A large mission of the gym is to foster athletes of all races and backgrounds—something that is close to Simone’s heart. “Representation matters, and we want to inspire the next generation to pursue their passion,” she said.

“Kids can come in and we will be training in the back, and they can see we are just like them. It helps them understand they can do it, too.” The Centre is 56,000 square feet and offers a wide variety of classes and training for all levels and ages.

Simone is attending Tokyo Olympics now but not her parents. Protocol for the Tokyo Olympics is strict due to the ongoing pandemic. With a ban on spectators, Ronald and Nellie aren’t able to be in the stands to root for Simone. This is reportedly the first time Nellie won’t be there, and Simone has already shared that she’s struggling with it.

At this time, Ronald and Nellie have been vocally supporting their daughter online. Nellie posted a photo on Instagram in mid-July of her hugging Simone, captioning it, “I am going to miss this but just know that I will be in Tokyo in spirit. May The Lord continue to guide and keep you. Just be The Best Simone.”

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