Our Physical Abilities Can Matter

A Way to Make a Difference

Nov 02, 2024

Simone Arianne Biles Owens, born March 14, 1997 is an American artistic gymnast. She has earned 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Champions medals. Simone is considered to be one of the greatest gymnasts of all times and one of the greatest Olympians of all time.

Simone was one of four siblings, born to a mother who could not care for any of them and so was in and out of foster care. She later was cared for by her maternal grandfather and family.

From age 6 she desired to be in gymnastics and was encouraged to continue. She turned to home school and trained up to 32 hours per week.

In 2016 Simone co-wrote an autobiography with a journalist. It was named Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A life in Balance. In the book she says, “I want people to reach for their dreams and there are so many people who have inspired me with their love and encouragement along the way and I want to pass on that inspiration to readers.”

All was not easy for Biles. She has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), has continued her exhausting physical conditioning, and has had many bone and body injuries. Despite this she continued to pursue her goals, and captured, in particular, the most difficult movements. There are a half dozen vault, balance beam, and floor exercises that Biles mastered so much so that they are named after her.

She might be considered as a Portrait in Character because of her exemplary accomplishments. This includes an outstanding physical ability, her assiduous and constant pursuit of improvement, her reaching the pinnacle of the sport, her many years of stickwithitness, her good lifestyle, and her appreciation of those who helped her and inspired her to get to where she is. And, as she says, “…I want to pass on that inspiration to readers.”

Imagine the good example that Simone Biles represents to others.

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Inspiring History is a compendium of people we could recognize for their good traits: knowledge, skills, abilities, and intentions that amount to qualities that have made our world a better place. These Portraits in Character offer us examples that we could emulate ourselves for us to also improve the human condition and the world around us.

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