Biles first caught the world’s attention when she competed in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.
She was only 19 at the time and made history when she bagged four gold medals.
She toldEllethat she saw the news on Twitter after a practice session and burst into disappointed tears.
“To have that taken away from us without having any control is very hard,” she said.
“I went through a depressed phase, and it was hard to get out of.”
The delay of the Olympics and her injuries that followed were behindthe reason she almost quit gymnastics.
While the two couldn’t meet up in person, they kept in touch, texting each other regularly.
He’s been navigating life in a wheelchair ever since.
“Hi, Mr. Lee, it’s Simone.
Hope you like it.”
The surprise was a brand-new electric wheelchair, which could be customized specifically for him.
Suni’s father appeared to be completely dumbstruck and at a loss for words.
“Oh my, that is awesome,” he managed to say.
“[I] literally can not tell up from down.
It’s the craziest feeling ever.
But what was perhaps even sweeter than Lee’s win was Biles' reaction to it.
There was no resentment or jealousy, only praise.
“CONGRATS PRINCESS,” Biles posted onInstagram.
“Absolutely killed it!!!
OLYMPIC CHAMPION RIGHT HERE !
So so so beyond proud of you!!!!”
Lee, on the other hand, could barely believe it.
“It feels crazy, it is so surreal,” she said (viaIndependent).
“It’s a dream come true.
I don’t even know what to say.
It hasn’t even sunk in.
… To be here and to be an Olympic gold medallist is just crazy.”
This made her the perfect person to comfort Suni Lee during the 2024 Xfinity U.S.
Gymnastics Championships when the latter made a mistake during one of her routines.
Lee was supposed to do two twists but ended up managing only one and a half.
“After Suni vaulted, I knew exactly what was going through her head.
I dealt with that in Tokyo,” Biles said during apress conferenceafter the championships.
She went on to support Lee during her bars routine.
It is the first time that two Olympic all-around medalists will face off in the finals.
I guess we’ll never know.”
Both their ideas ended up onTikTokand quickly went viral.
