The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) and Belize as a destination, more specifically, has been gaining plenty of worldwide attention since it offered a five-day all expenses paid vacation to Olympian Simone Biles and her teammates. Fortunately, though, the 19-year-old lived up to expectations. “When she was a little girl Simone was very hyperactive, always flipping around in the house and always non-stop energy”, Nellie Biles says.
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Shannon Biles was not able to be in Rio to watch her daughter, Simone, compete in the Olympics – rather, she had to watch from her home in Columbus, Ohio.
Her rise to superstar status has been as stratospheric as one of her leaps from the beam, vault or gym floor. “Simone entered her fourth and final rotation with an impressive lead, but in true Biles’ fashion, the 4’8” gymnast wanted to go out with a bang.
When Simone was 6 years old, she was adopted by her maternal grandfather and his wife along with her younger sister. I’m sure most people don’t go into it thinking they can beat Usain Bolt either. “And she said, ‘Hammom, can I call you mom?’ I’ll never forget that”. She has even been invited to competitions and family vacations. She already won the top prize for Team All-Around with the rest of the 2016 USA Olympic team. Her teammate, Aly Raisman, placed 2nd, with a 60.098. She attributes much of her success to her punishing schedule – but insists she wouldn’t be where she is without Ron and Nellie, who she regards as her parents.
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And the Biles family are determined that the Olympian’s rapid superstardom doesn’t go to her head.
