Aileen Weintraub - We Got Game!: 35 Female Athletes Who Changed the World

AMAZING FACTS AND UNBELIEVABLE STATS

SIMONES INTEREST IN GYMNASTICS BEGAN AT AGE SIX ON A FIELD TRIP.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NAMED HER 2019 FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR, MAKING HER THE FIRST GYMNAST TO WIN THE AWARD TWICE.

SHE IS AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST IN VAULT, FLOOR, INDIVIDUAL, AND TEAM ALL AROUND.

S imone Biles held her breath. It was the moment she had been waiting for her whole life. She was fourteen years old and trying out for the USA Gymnastics womens artistic junior team. The results were in: Simone didnt make the cut. She was convinced it was the end of her career. Little did she know it was only the beginning.

She continued to practice, and a year later, Simone won first place all around at the US Classic, a competition for elite female artistic gymnasts in the United States. The following year, she became the first African American to win the All-Around Champion title. She also became famous for her now signature move known as The Biles: a double twist with a half flip and a front-facing landing on the floor exercise. She won the All-Around Champion title four more times, making her the first gymnast in history to earn the title of five-time World All-Around Champion.

Simone was unstoppable. In 2016, she qualified for the US Olympic team nicknamed The Final Five. She became the first US female gymnast to win four gold medals at a single Olympic Games. Two years later, she won all five events at the US National Championships. At the 2019 championships, she became the first gymnast in history to land a double-twisting double somersault from the balance beam. Then, during the floor exercise, she wowed the world again by landing a record-setting triple-twisting double somersault. After this amazing performance, people began calling her the GOATthe Greatest of All Time.

As of 2021, Simone holds six national titles, has racked up twenty All-Around victories in a row, and has earned twenty-five World Championship medals, nineteen of them gold! She is the most decorated American gymnast in history! Time magazine called her one of the most influential people in the world.

But life for Simone hasnt always been easy. She spent her early years in foster care until her grandparents adopted her and her sister. Thats why she now brings attention to the needs of children in foster care. She talks about her own experiences and the importance of making sure children have proper homes. She set up a scholarship fund for foster kids and others, and has also teamed up with Mattress Firm Foster Kids to donate clothing and school supplies.

When her medical records were released without her permission, it was discovered that she had a disability called attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). She began talking about ADHD and how she treats it with medication. As one of the most famous athletes in the world, Simone inspires her fans to dream big!

EXPERT SNOWBOARDER, BORN 1981

AMAZING FACTS AND UNBELIEVABLE STATS

WHEN GRETCHEN LANDED THE CRIPPLER 540, SHE CHANGED THE IDEA THAT SNOWBOARDING WAS A MENS-ONLY SPORT.

SHE IS A WORLD SUPERPIPE CHAMPION AND A FIVE-TIME X GAMES MEDALIST.

HER LOVE OF THE OUTDOORS BEGAN IN THE SIXTH GRADE, WHEN SHE AND HER CLASSMATES CLIMBED A FOURTEEN-THOUSAND-FOOT MOUNTAIN.

WHEN GRETCHEN WAS A KID, SNOWBOARDING WASNT EVEN ALLOWED AT MOST MOUNTAIN RESORTS.

W hen Gretchen Bleiler was ten, her family moved to Aspen, Colorado. She loved the outdoors, building igloos, and skiing with friends. One day, she took a snowboarding lesson. She had so much fun, she began practicing and teaching herself new tricks. By the time she was fifteen, she was so good, the Aspen Valley Snowboard team invited her to compete.