Simone Biles' College Career Had A Surprising Twist
As the most decorated gymnast in living history, Simone Biles has every reason to call herself "the GOAT." Not only does she hold a record-breaking number of medals and is the originator of several (incredibly complex) signature moves — more officially known as named elements – but the unstoppable athlete has also undergone her fair share of mental health struggles. In 2020, Simone Biles was forced to retire from the Tokyo Olympic games after experiencing a phenomenon known as the "twisties," a condition where gymnasts can lose spatial awareness and control over their bodies, typically in mid-air, and is the reason why Simone Biles took a two-year break from gymnastics.
This was a massive setback, and for some time, it looked like everything the Olympic medalist had sacrificed for her athletic dreams, including a UCLA acceptance, might come into question, as her gymnastics career was caught in the balance. Before deciding to take the jump and compete professionally, Simone Biles had planned to attend university and participate in college gymnastics. She sacrificed this path, choosing to go pro instead.
The gymnast's scholastic journey hasn't been the most traditional and is perhaps one of the contributing reasons why Simone Biles has been able to hone such incredible strength and gymnastic skills. But the dedicated athlete also didn't let her laser-sharp focus on training distract her from pursuing further education. In 2018, it was reported that the athlete began her studies at the University of the People, an online college.
Simone Biles was bent on going to UCLA
Set to follow in a long line of athletes with impressive college degrees, Simone Biles originally planned to attend UCLA, and in 2014 the gymnastics star signed her letter of intent. However, she chose to defer enrollment because, at the time, one of the biggest events of her athletic career was looming on the horizon: the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. During an interview with Voice of America, Simone Biles shared, "I was committed to UCLA before I went to the Olympics, and unfortunately — I deferred. And then I didn't go because after the Olympics things got crazy. I traveled so much."
Making the decision to prioritize her career as a professional gymnast wasn't an easy matter for the indomitable athlete. In an Instagram post, Biles said, "It was a hard choice at the time, but it taught me important lessons about trusting myself." Fast forward a few years, and it's plain for all to see that her tough choice certainly paid off and gave the world one of the greatest gymnasts of all time.
After mental health setbacks prevented her from advancing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Biles took a hiatus, only to bring the heat (and height) just as hard in the 2023 World Championships. Hot on the heels of qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics, the resilient and dedicated gymnast also received the Best Comeback Athlete ESPY Award.
She ultimately decided to pursue a business degree with the University of the People
Simone Biles definitely isn't someone to let the grass grow under her feet, and it didn't take her long to carve out a new educational path for herself. And this time, it was in a less traditional tertiary territory. One of the things you probably never knew about Simone Biles is that she started homeschooling at the start of high school in order to free up more time to train. So it's not surprising that the athletic legend opted for remote learning when it came time to pursue her college degree in earnest.
Instead of enrolling at a traditional university, Simone Biles decided to skip the pomp, costs, and in-person classes and plump for an online program. She chose to go with the University of the People, a tuition-free, American-accredited online university that caters to students around the globe. During an interview with Forbes, Biles said, "University of the People opened up an opportunity for me that didn't otherwise exist, accommodating the flexibility I need to fit in my college studies around my career." The online university also launched a scholarship fund in the Olympian's honor the same year.
And her degree of choice? A Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA degree). Not only should this stand her in good stead once the tireless athlete steps off the professional gymnasium circuits — but her enrollment in a non-traditional educational environment has once again rendered her a role model. In 2018, Biles became a global ambassador for UoPeople, championing the cause of equal access to education for all.