Simone Biles Told Flight Attendant 'I’m 25' When Handed Coloring Book For Children

Jul 18, 2022 by apost team

With four gold medals and a record-breaking career, Simone Biles isn’t only the face of gymnastics. Just as Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt were, she has also become the face of the entire U.S. Olympic team — a star athlete who seems unstoppable and superhuman. Ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Biles demonstrated her superhuman athleticism at the 2021 U.S. Classic in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was there that the 24-year-old gymnast won gold, in part for being the first woman in history to successfully execute a dazzling and difficult Yurchenko double pike in vault.

Biles was born in March 14th, 1997, in Columbus, Ohio. She is one of four children who all were eventually placed in the foster care system. In 2003, after her maternal grandparents found out their grandchildren were in foster care, they adopted Biles and her younger sister. Biles’s aunt adopted the other two children. 

In 2012, Biles made the decision to switch from public school to home school so she could up her gymnastics skills and training. She spent anywhere from 20-30 hours a week practicing gymnastics. She graduated from home school in 2015 and went on to verbally commit to attending UCLA, but eventually decided to take her gymnastics to the professional level. 

Biles went on to participate in the 2016 Olympics, where she won four gold medals. In 2020 she also won two more medals, taking her total to 7. Despite being an internationally known athlete, Biles was treated like a child while boarding an airplane in 2022. She said that she loves moments like this because it keeps her humble.

Biles’s list of accomplishments is very long list that not many people can match. Not only is she an Olympic gold athlete, but she was also awarded the Medal of Freedom in 2022. On top of those achievements, she is also an internationally recognized star and influencer. 

However, one flight attendant didn’t recognize her as such. Biles posted the incident to social media and said, “Not the flight attendant trying to give me a coloring book when I board…I said ‘no I’m good I’m 25,’” she wrote. The picture that was posted on Twitter has caused a reaction seen around the world. The tweet has nearly 10,000 retweets, 2,000 quote tweets, and almost 200,000 likes. 

Internet users commented all types of reactions. One said, “On her flight home from receiving a presidential medal of freedom.” Other users said just because she is famous doesn’t mean everyone knows who she is. “If it was unintentional then I don’t see what the issue is. Just because she is famous does not mean that everyone knows who she is. I don’t follow gymnastics so I wouldn’t even know who she was if I was sitting next to her on the plane,” they wrote.

One Twitter user said they would be happy to receive a coloring book. “​​I’m 47 and would take a coloring book from the attendant,” one person said. Despite being an international athlete and star, you can still get treated like everyone else. Not being recognized does not discredit her multiple medals or her international accomplishments. 

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Biles has been through a lot in recent years after putting her mental health first before anything else. While we aren’t all Olympic gold medalists, all of us can learn something from this trend. Sometimes we need to listen to our minds and bodies, prioritizing our health — one of the most important things in the world — over our work. And it’s important to remember that you’re not alone. Even if you’re overwhelmed, this doesn’t mean you can’t reach out to another co-worker or your manager to help lighten your load.

Biles isn’t the only top athlete at the games who is willing to admit that she’s human and can buckle under pressure like anyone else. Nyjah Huston, an American skateboarder who was an Olympic favorite, posted a heartfelt message on Instagram after he finished in seventh place during the street competition. 

“I feel like I let a lot of people down … I’m human and dealing with all the pressure and expectations really isn’t easy at times,” Huston wrote. 

“Mental health is so important!” the Olympic skateboarder continued. While there have certainly been some criticisms of Biles and similar athletes’ decisions, athletes, commentators and organizations alike have also praised the move to prioritize mental health.

“Working in elite sports like gymnastics comes with unimaginably high levels of pressure, perfectionism, scrutiny, and comparison,” wrote the English mental health charity the Mind on Twitter. “Simone Biles is incredibly brave for speaking out, and highlighting the importance of looking after your mental health.”

Putting one’s mental health above the spectacle of the Olympic Games — or one’s work — shouldn’t be controversial or shameful. After all, even Biles isn’t an indestructible superhero. She’s human.

Would you recognize Simone Biles if you saw her? If you found this story to be funny— send it to other fans who will get a laugh too!