The hugely popular show, Dancing with the Stars made its debut in 2005 – and since then, it has managed to wow audiences by putting all kinds of celebrities in a leotard and a pair of dancing shoes!
One such celebrity super-star competing in its 24th season is Simone Biles, who is better known for her amazing performance in the 2016 Olympics as part of the U.S. Gymnastics team. Much has already been said about her athletic prowess, but it is something that she did on this dance competition that is making her an audience favorite all over again.
Screenshot via YouTube
Week four into her season on the show, Simone was challenged with dancing to a routine that followed the theme of what she considered her “Most Memorable Year.” Of course, the audience had assume 2016 to be that year when she won four gold medals and became one of the most famous gymnasts in the world!
However, what Simone chose to highlight instead was something much more personal from way back in the year 2000 when she was just 3-years-old. For those who might not know, this is the year when she was legally adopted by her grandparents. Simone emotionally recalled:
Growing up, my biological mom was suffering from drug and alcohol abuse and she was in and out of jail. I never had mom to run to. I do remember always being hungry and afraid. At 3 years old, I was placed in foster care.”
What gave her hope as a helpless child were the visits to the foster home from her grandfather, Ron Biles. She waited for those moments intently and for her grandfather, it was no different. Eventually Ron and his second wife Nellie decided to adopt Simone and her three siblings to give them all their love and a permanent home.
This occurred in the year 2000, and it literally changed Simone’s life forever. She started calling her grandma and grandpa, Mom and Dad from then on, and focused on being a kid with the world as her oyster! According to Simone:
“My parents saved me. They’ve set huge examples of how to treat other people, and they’ve been there to support me since day one. There’s nothing I could say to them to thank them enough.”
Watching Simone make this confession to her dancing partner with unstoppable tears in her eyes was perhaps one of the most emotional moments that Dancing with the Stars has ever seen! Before performing a Viennese Waltz to “Good Good Father” as a way to say thank youto her dad, she made this statement to the audience:
“Even though there’s no right words, maybe a dance will say it for me.”
At just the young age of 20, Simone Biles has overcome many obstacles and challenges in her life. Watching her performance on stage that night was like watching her tell her story all over again!
Here is a must watch clip of the dance and reaction from her dad who was in the audience!
Simone’s story of overcoming adversity can be an inspiration to all of us whether or not we ever grace the stage of a dance competition or the Olympics for that matter. The love of family is truly what counts and makes life so memorable and blessed!
