Welcome to Cosmo Sports, our new series where we get unprecedented, all-day access to some of the most influential names in collegiate and professional athletics. We capture a full day in their lives to give you a deeper sense of who they are, not just what they do.
“Not the GOAT,” gasps a doorman as Simone Biles walks past him.
It’s a colder-than-usual early November afternoon and I’m trailing behind her as we’re walking down an Upper East Side street toward Central Park. She’s a Texas girl through and through, but she’s found the stride of a seasoned New Yorker with ease. Still, you’d think that in the dizzying weekday dance of daily commuters dodging tourists to grab sad midday lunches that one might not notice a 4-foot-8-inch woman in the midst of it all. But when there’s greatness among you, it hardly ever needs an announcement.
As we make our way through Manhattan, the casual awe from onlookers tags along like it’s our third wheel. She is, of course, used to this, so she hardly seems to notice.
Make no mistake—she knows exactly who she is. During a TikTok trend where friends playfully trolled their mega-athlete pals, someone asked Simone, “Do you ever wish you were more athletic?” After a few quizzical facial expressions, Simone’s response was a slightly gagged and fully amused, “Do you know who you’re talking to?”
As if anyone could ever forget that she’s the most decorated U.S. gymnast—male or female—of all time. Or that she has 11 Olympic medals (seven gold, two silver, and two bronze) and 30 World Championship medals. Or that she has five stunts named after her across vault, balance beam, and floor. Or that she can jump roughly 12 feet in the air from a spring floor. Before she even hit her mid-20s good, Simone was a full-blown legend, and like many young stars, her accomplishments came at a cost.
“I feel like I'm catching up on a lot of things that I wasn't able to do because I was always training,” Simone tells me in the backseat of an Uber Black as we make our way from the park to her hotel. “Like, I’ve never been to prom or homecoming or the football games—any of that stuff. And now I feel like I'm doing all the sporting events, going to all of my husband's football games and checking those off the bucket list.”
At the moment, training, the gym, and a highly regimented schedule don’t define or rule Simone’s day-to-day; now is one of the few instances in her life where her time is completely her own, and she’s taking full advantage of every millisecond. She’s going on impromptu girls’ trips, playing with fashion, leaning into being a WAG, cooking a lot, and yes, even horseback riding.
For thirsty fans, these vibes may be concerning as they over-eagerly await a definitive answer on her participation in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics (which would mark her fourth Games). But Simone is unbothered by the external pressure to offer one. “I'm taking it one step at a time, one day at a time, before I make any other decisions surrounding LA 2028,” she tells me.
As we finish our interview on a circular velvet couch in her hotel room before she heads to an event for her latest Athleta collection, one thing is clear: She’s moving on her own terms, at her own pace, and most importantly, having an absolute blast through it all.
How would you describe this present era you’re in?
Sporadic but in the best way. I’ll text my friends and be like, “Who wants to go to the Bahamas next weekend?” And they’re like, “We’re in!” My whole life has been so planned, so right now—it’s still planned, seasonally and all that—but sometimes it’s unplanned, and that is the best.
What’s been most exciting?
Traveling for sure, specifically vacationing. Take me where the water is. I feel like I'm a mermaid out there. I'll go swim with the dolphins, the sharks—like, put me out there. I'm fishing, jet skiing, and doing all the things. I'm an adventure girl. I love to do excursions.
It seems like you’re reclaiming the time from your teens and early 20s in a lot of ways. Tell me how you want the last two years of your 20s to feel.
Fun, freeing, and no restrictions. For my whole life, I’ve always been so disciplined—getting up, doing two practices a day, and just always a gymnast. Now it looks a little bit different: I’m getting up and doing whatever I want and having freedom. I feel like people are getting to know me, and the sides I want to show, a little more. It just makes it more relatable. I’m doing more hobbies, too, like I mentioned horseback riding earlier [on our way to the park].
Yes! What interested you in that?
It was a matter of convenience and just to have fun, learn something new, and have discipline. There are facilities near my house in [the Chicago suburbs]. I was just bored, and I don’t go to the gym and I don’t work out, so I’m like, “How am I going to stay active? What can I pick up? What can I get better at or just even start?” There was a sign out there and I was like, I think I’m just going to start horse riding lessons.
What’s it been like being a beginner at something again?
It was kind of scary. Most of the time, if I’m trying to learn something, I research a lot about it. For this, I did absolutely no research, so I don’t even know what the terms are. My trainer will be like, “Do this, do that,” and I’m like, I didn’t read one book, so I have no idea what you’re talking about. Like, we’re gonna have to start from the very beginning. And it’s literally my workout these days. It takes so much core and leg strength. I rode on Tuesday and I’m still so, so sore.
Speaking of Chicago, the girls have been loving your WAG content. How’s it been leaning fully into that role more?
Oh my god, yes, I have to! My husband always wants me on the field. It’s fun and it’s a different way to express ourselves. It’s so fun getting my friends and family out to the games, but really I do it because I’m supporting my husband, and that’s the main priority for me.
The looks have been giving! Is that something that you have planned out or are you kind of running off vibes?
Chicago’s weather is very unpredictable, and we are an open dome stadium, so you kind of have to play it by ear. It’s fun but a little stressful because if you get something made, it might not fit perfectly and if you were wanting to wear it that weekend, and then if the weather all of a sudden changes, then you’re trying to switch your outfits around. I’m a planner—I love to plan—but I can’t really plan these outfits sometimes.
Do you consider yourself Type A?
I’m very Type A. Very, very, very. About everything. I’m in control of a lot of things—not like the TV or what we listen to in the car—but like, are the car services booked, the plane tickets, and hotels. All of that stuff—the logistics. And I need the scheduling!
How would your friends describe you and your husband’s dynamic?
Probably too cute and still in the honeymoon phase—just like, gross. We’re literally on the phone all the time. We were also a Covid couple, so we went from being around each other 24/7 to not. I’ll be quick to call my husband if somebody mentions, “Oh, tell Jonathan this,” and I’m like, “Okay, yeah, he’s on the phone right now—here.”
I love a “my man, my man, my man” kind of girl! In a recent Tiktok, you said that he was only your second-ever relationship. How did you know he was the one?
I have no idea. Whenever I met him, I told my friends, “Oh, my god, I’m gonna marry him.” Anyone that says that, I’m, like, gross, you don’t know that, but I felt something that I didn’t before. And you know, at times you’re not sure, because you’re like, “Should we date more? Should we do all this?” But when you find your person, you find your person. And there’s no limits or numbers you can ever put on that.
I want to transition a little bit to mental health. Your sport is literally rooted in perfectionism. Is there anything you’ve had to unlearn around that?
I’m not so sure. Once you train something for 22 years, I think you’re always going to try to be perfect and to try to attain that. But I think what I have done lately is give myself more grace when I think that I’ve done something and it’s not perfect. My husband gives me extra support there too, telling me, “It’s gonna be okay. You did great.”
What are some nonnegotiables for you when it comes to protecting your peace?
I’m really good at setting boundaries and staying true to that. Therapy, too, and not letting anybody in those sessions, because that is just too sacred for me. A lot of the time, whenever I talk about therapy, people want to know exactly what I’m talking about and what I’m going through, so setting limitations on that is really important for me. Also saying no to things that I feel like are going to take too much energy. If my tank isn’t full and I don’t have energy to give, just not doing it for the time being.
How do you handle when someone pushes back after you’ve set a boundary or said no?
A lot of the time as women, and with me being only 4'8", I feel like people try to walk all over me, and if I say no, they’re like, “Yeah, but…” and they try to kind of beat around the bush as to why I should change my mind. It’s a sternness and how you say it, but it’s so frustrating because I’m so nice and so forgiving, so whenever I say, “Oh no, I’m so sorry. Maybe not today,” some of them get really mad with me. I feel bad, but I also have to protect myself.
What are some ways you've learned to set boundaries online?
I’m really good at blocking people, muting words, and all of that stuff now, because again, I also have to feel comfortable. I feel like people think athletes don’t go through our own things just because we’re really talented, and that’s not necessarily true. I think they think we’re the blueprint and we have it all together. Especially when money’s in the picture, there’s this idea of “how could you be sad?” and it’s like, well, there’s other things in life. That’s a big misconception. But I feel like we’re definitely coming around in respecting athletes’ mental health.
How do you recover emotionally, mentally, and spiritually?
Massages. I’m in therapy weekly and doing things that fill my tank, like horseback riding, walking my dog and having on a weighted vest and seeing friends and family. It’s the little things for me, but it makes a huge impact on my mental health.
What does fulfillment and contentment look like for you on the other side of gymnastics?
Just being a wife and showing up for my partner and supporting one another and getting to spend quality time with him. We’re both really, really busy, so I value downtime together because we don’t get a lot of that. We just watch any TV series together and just cuddle up in bed or on the couch. I love cooking, too. I cook a lot, I cook everything.
Ooh, is she a chef?!
I'm no chef, but I'll keep you alive!
What are your go-to meals?
Stew chicken, rice and beans, some pasta, some tilapia, some salmon, some shrimp. There's a lot. I can make some soups in the winter. I just made homemade chicken noodle soup. Give me a Pinterest [recipe] and I’ll make it. Oh, I make some steak, too! I make some real good steak.
Do you have any dreams that you’re excited to pursue outside of gymnastics?
There are definitely some that I’m not allowed to announce yet, but I feel like right now the work that I do in the foster care system, foster homes, and foster children would be my main priority, and I want to keep that up.
Okay, time for some Cosmo Sports rapid-fire questions. Most random thing you keep in your purse.
My sister got me this little mini Jesus, and it kind of looks like an eraser. It’s random, because I’m like, Why would I need this? But then I got afraid on a plane ride one time, and now it’s in my purse every single time. I have a mini tajin in my purse, too, just in case somebody brings out some tequila.
Speaking of, go-to cocktail order.
A mango margarita with tajin on the rim, or a peach Bellini, mimosa, French 75, or a lychee martini.
One product you can’t live without.
Aquaphor on lips. Or a moisturizer for my face.
Who is the most famous person in your contact list?
Serena Williams.
Okay, I know this became a thing once before, but which actor do you want to play you in a movie or on TV?
The last time I said my answer, I got absolutely toasted and roasted on the internet because I said Zendaya. I don’t wanna get roasted again. I don’t know who I’d want to play me. Maybe Gabrielle Union?
What’s taking over your FYP right now?
What’s that?
Your For You Page?
Is that on TikTok? I’m so bad at TikTok. You know, my content creator posts for me. At first, it was the Louvre heist. But if you were to ask me on Instagram, it’s Dobermans.
Ah, because you’re about to get one—you mentioned that earlier. What’s your comfort movie or TV show?
I don’t have one. I never turn on the TV at my house. I’ll sit in silence all day long. Yeah, my husband thinks I’m a psychopath. I’ll be home for a week and I won’t turn it on once. I’ll never turn it on. I’m not a normal person.
If you could switch lives with any other athlete for 24 hours, who would it be and why?
Angel Reese. She’s everywhere and anywhere.
