4 Things We Learned In Simone vs Herself Episode 3

4 Things We Learned In Simone vs Herself Episode 3

Simone vs Herself episode 3 dives into the personal and family life of Simone Biles, from childhood to preparation for Tokyo 2020.

Jul 7, 2021 by Amanda Wijangco
4 Things We Learned In Simone vs Herself Episode 3

Episode three of Simone vs Herself, titled "Who Am I?", dives into the personal and family life of Simone Biles and how it's shaped her into who she is today. Viewers learn about her boyfriend, her family and her experience with foster care and adoption.

Here are some top takeaways from the latest episode of Simone vs Herself, available on Watch on Facebook:



Simone's boyfriend initially didn't know who she was.

Unlike most sports fans, NFL player Jonathan Owens actually didn't know who Simone was before they began dating. In the episode he says he had never watched gymnastics before. When he looked at her social media and saw how large of a following Biles has, Owens realized she's a big deal.


It's safe to say he's aware of her legendary status and who she is now. Biles says they're "like best friends that are dating." He's even visited her in the gym and tried his hand at a few gym skills and drills, as shown in the episode.

A common occurrence, Biles was afraid of Owens meeting her mom at first. Now there's no fear, because "Now they invite him over." She added, "One time he went there without me."


Biles looks for her family in the stands at meets.

Nellie and Ron Biles have been very supportive in Simone's career and have been to every one of Simone's meets. But even before she officially made the Tokyo team, they all knew foreign spectators wouldn't be allowed at the Olympics. For the first time, Simone will not have her family in the stands, and her parents will have no choice but to watch from home. Simone admits this worries her.


"I think what I'm going to have to do is just try not to locate them in the crowd," Simone said. "Because I have a bad habit of doing that. Like I don't feel set and comfortable until I find where they are in the crowd. I just feel like really antsy, and then once I see them, I feel like it just calms me down to know that they're in the arena."

Furthermore, Nellie described the thought of not being at the meet to watch Simone as "heartbreaking."


Simone doesn't like cats.

In the latter half of the episode, Simone discusses her early life with her biological mother and foster care. Simone and her siblings ended up in foster care because of their mother's improper use of alcohol and drugs. Simone details one result of that in the episode:

"I remember that there was this cat around the house, and I would be so hungry. They would feed this cat, and I'm like, 'Where the heck is my food?' So I think that's where it stemmed from. This freaking street cat — she always fed it, but she never fed us."


It took Nellie Biles time to bond with Simone and Adria. 

Towards the end of the episode, Nellie admits she "had (her) own barriers" to being a mother to Simone and her sister Adria. The sisters are biologically Ron Biles' granddaughters — not Nellie's. This caused her to struggle even though she knew how to be a mother.

"You do everything that's nurturing, that's mothering," Nellie said. "But emotionally, you still have to be there 100%, and I was not. I remember praying for that bonding, because telling them that you loved them and you cared for them, that's all words. But you wake up one day and you realize that you would do anything for these children and that you'd die for these children. And when that feeling comes, that's when you know you're truly a mother."


At the end of the episode, Simone recognizes the impact being adopted by Ron and Nellie had on her life. Without it, she would not be who she is today, including the greatest gymnast of all time.

"I definitely got a second shot at life."


Follow @religionofsports @facebookwatch @simonebiles