Simone Biles’ Grandparents Stepped Up To Raise Her & Her Dad Happily Walked Her Down The Aisle On Her Wedding Day

May 16, 2023 by apost team

Simone Biles is a superstar in the gymnastics world in her own right. One of America’s most decorated athletes, she is the proud winner of seven Olympic and 25 World Championship medals. Her popularity soared during her astounding performances at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, where she picked up gold medals in the vault, floor and all-around portions of the competition. 

Apart from the sporting world, Biles is also an incredible advocate for mental health issues. While she participated in competitions that aided the United States in qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she eventually withdrew from the sporting event. Her decision was lauded by her fans and the sporting community and prompted a debate over how the mental health of athletes should be better cared for.

Now, Biles is set to be a more personal inspiration to her family. She has endured hardships in her personal life, but she has also been there for her family during times of need and joyous moments. And on April 22, 2023, Biles had many reasons to celebrate as she got married to American football player Jonathan Owens. The pair have been together since August 2020.

Before Biles made it to this point in her life, filled with so many wonderful moments, she, unfortunately, endured hardships growing up. Based on Biles’ accounts, her mother did not care for her properly, resulting in her finding a more parental relationship with her grandparents. However, Biles has been able to celebrate good times with family, as her father even walked her down the aisle at her wedding.

Biles was born on March 14, 1997, in Columbus, Ohio. She was one of four children who were all eventually placed in the foster care system. According to Sky News, Biles’ mother often fed a stray cat rather than her children, leaving the kids hungry. "She always fed it but she never fed us," Biles said.

In 2003, her maternal grandparents, Ron and Nellie, found out their grandchildren were in foster care and adopted Biles and her younger sister. Biles’ aunt adopted the other two children. According to PEOPLE, hardships like this inspired Biles to partner with Mattress Firm Foster Kids, which is a donation-driven program that provides items like clothing and school supplies to foster families.

In 2012, Biles made the decision to switch from public school to home school so she could focus on her gymnastics skills and training and eventually went professional. “I’m not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps – I’m the first Simone Biles,” Biles said after she had been compared to other athletes.

Biles thanked Ron and Nellie, whom she considers her parents:

“thanks for making sacrifices since day 1 so I can live out my dream. but most importantly thanks for always being there for me through all the highs and lows. You guys are the absolute best.”

Nellie struggled to care for her adoptive kids as much as her biological kids but said, eventually, “my heart just made room.” Biles called her parents “couple goals.” She also shared heartwarming coming home photos in 2021, where she was seen hugging Ron and Nellie.

With several Olympic medals, Biles has done well for herself in the athletic world. Her personal life has had its fair share of ups and downs, but in more recent years, Biles has had several reasons to celebrate. 

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Biles and her now-husband, Owens, announced their engagement on Feb. 15, 2022, in a post that showed the football player down on one knee. On April 22, 2023, the happy couple tied the knot. Biles shared plenty of photos and videos from that day. In one, she said she was “officially” an Owens. Biles also called her husband her “person, forever.”

Biles and Owens' simple courthouse wedding took place first. According to PEOPLE, the couple got married in a courthouse, and Biles’ wedding attire was ordered that very same week. Her wedding dress cost just under $120, while her shoes cost about $35, although they usually retail for closer to $60.

While some future brides may have found inspiration in Biles’ wedding style, others criticized the gymnast for her appearance on her wedding day. Some people said her hair looked “unkempt,” while others said she “should have laid her edges.”

Fortunately, many of Biles’ fans came to her defense and reminded everyone of what really mattered on that day. One Twitter user said:

“Simone Biles is one of THEE top gymnasts we’ve ever seen, has overcame situations of abuse and other obstacles in her childhood, has defined her own success and found love and is now happily married… And y’all worried about her hair…..?!”

Biles replied to the tweet and said: “i think they also forget i live in HOUSTON TEXAS & I sweat those out!! soon as we stepped outside for pics.” She added, ”but they can keep complaining idc idc idc.”

While it’s disheartening to see that some people could have potentially ruined Biles’ happy day with their harsh comments, the gymnast has proven that her love and happiness with her husband can overpower anything. Biles' courthouse wedding was just the first in a series of wedding events.

On May 8, 2023, Biles and Owens released pictures of their stunning destination wedding in Cabo, Mexico. Held seaside, the couple posed in front of a floral wreath with friends and family surrounding them. An emotional photo of Owens with tears in his eyes conveyed the big feelings that must have taken place that day.

The couple looked stunning as usual, particularly Biles, as she glowed in her lace dress and long veil. Luckily for us, the fashion-forward athlete took us behind the scenes at her final dress fitting with New York-based designer Galia Lahav in a video that was filmed earlier. In the collaboration video shared by Vogue, Biles explained why she and Owens had two weddings: “We had to get married ‘legally’ here in the U.S. since our wedding will be a destination wedding.” 

As she walked into Galia Lahav's New York atelier, Biles exclaimed with a laugh:

“I found my dress in the DMs, (and) I found my future husband in the DMs!”

As she walked through the gorgeous space, Biles explained she always knew her dress had "to be a Galia Lahav. And so once I looked at the dresses I was like this is definitely my style. I like the sheer, I like how it fits, and then the little pearl details, I love the pearls. If there’s something else I wanted at my wedding, it’s flowers and pearls.”

Biles was beaming as she stood proudly in her gorgeous gown. She admitted she was "nervous" about making her "life-changing walk" down the aisle. "It's like everything you've hoped and dreamed of," she said.  

There’s no doubt that Biles felt amazing in her wedding dress. “I think this is exactly how brides are supposed to feel: luxurious, beautiful, kind of on top of the world,” she said. On top of that, she also had a very heartfelt moment with her father as he walked her down the aisle on her wedding day.

On May 9, 2023, Biles uploaded a beautiful video that showed snapshots of her wedding day. She wrote in the caption, “I love being able to relive this day over & over.” The video showed Biles and Owens exchanging vows, as well as Ron walking Biles down the aisle.

The day before, the gymnast had uploaded a series of photos on Instagram that showed more moments from her big day. A photo of Ron walking her down the aisle was especially moving as Biles was beaming.

Over the years, Biles has been sure to talk about how much it means to her to celebrate big moments in her life with the people she considers her parents, so there’s no doubt that this was a huge milestone for her.

Back in 2021, when she was competing in the Olympics, she talked about how grateful she was to have Ron and Nellie’s support, even if it was from afar. She wrote on Instagram, “The olympics is no joke! BUT I’m happy my family was able to be with me virtually 🤍 they mean the world to me!”

We can’t wait to see what else Biles’ future has in store for her!

What do you think about what Simone Biles has been through? Are you happy to see her experiencing so many beautiful moments nowadays? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your loved ones!