At just 21 years old, Simone Biles, a four-foot-eight African-American woman, has won a grand total of 25 medals for her powerful gymnastics artistry; four of which were record-beating Olympic gold medals.

The staggering number of recognitions are what have earned her the title as the first American to win a medal in every World Gymnastics Championship yet.

Raised in Spring, Texas, under the guise of her grandparents, Biles found comfort in a Northwestern Houston gym. She joined the gymnastics world late, as her training with Aimee Boorman began at the age of eight.

Before beginning her competitive career in 2011, she was homeschooled and dedicated several hours of intensive practice to improve her technique.      

Martha Karolyi, gymnastics legend and the coordinator of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team, recognized the power and talent Biles had and aided her in making her national team debut as a senior competitor at the age of sixteen.

In an interview with TexasMonthly, Karolyi recalled, “She was extremely bubbly, extremely bouncy. At the same time, her movements were not very precise, but you could tell that the raw talent was there.”  

Understandably, being so successful this early in life amassed a great amount of pressure from her family, her coaches and the media. Much of her success is attributed to recognizing that perfection comes in more ways than one and that her power as a distinguished athlete can take on a number of inspiring forms.

Earlier this year, she acknowledged the incredible platform she has to speak out against an issue that many individuals experience, but don’t have the means to create massive change in.

Only a week after disgraced USA gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar was sentenced, she took to her personal twitter account to share a moving statement identifying with the #MeToo movement.

Her words aligned with many victims who found themselves aiming to move forward from a similar situation. In her statement Biles said, “I am unique, smart, talented, motivated and passionate. I have promised myself that my story will be much greater than this and I promise all of you that I will never give up.”

In January, Biles announced her partnership with University of the People to create the Simone Biles Legacy Scholarship Fund to help foster children across the world.

Having been in a foster home herself before being adopted at the age of six, she wanted to ensure that other young adults looking to pursue a college education could do so, without being held back by such obstacles.

As a world-class athlete, it’s no secret that Simone Biles has continuously made great strides to become a role model for aspiring gymnasts worldwide.

Her perseverance during the 2018 World Championships shocked onlookers across the nation, when she revealed that less than 24 hours before the competition began, she was in the hospital due to a kidney stone.

Her plans are not slowing down anytime soon.  Biles aims to compete in the London Spring Exhibition in March 2019 and then in Tokyo in 2020. Meanwhile, Biles will continue to train to potentially break even more records and create more consistent routines.