“I wish to be like Simone Biles,” Eric Mayanja says dreamily.

The young boy’s path to becoming a professional gymnast is daunting, given the obstacles in his path. He has to make do with some old mats that he uses outdoors for his flips because he doesn’t have a gym to train in.

What the teenager from Katwe, one of the largest impoverished slums in Uganda, and his American superstar idol share is a deep passion and commitment to the sport.

Mayanja’s love of a sport he discovered only three years ago has him spending most of his time in the open spaces of the slum, located on the outskirts of the capital, Kampala, doing backward rolls and jumping in his bare feet.

He’s one of the children from the area who are part of the Katara Arts Gymnastics Club. They use gymnastics to show the power of going after your dreams, regardless of their circumstances.

Simone Biles’ extraordinary career may have culminated at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she added four more medals to her collection: three golds in the women’s individual all-around, women’s vault and team all-around, and a silver in the floor exercise. As the oldest U.S. gymnast in 72 years, she not only met expectations, but exceeded them, cementing her place as one of the greatest gymnasts in Olympic history.

She’s now tied with Czech gymnast Vera Cáslavská with 11 medals, trailing only Russia’s Larisa Latynina, who holds a seemingly unbeatable record of 18 Olympic medals. Her performance in Paris sparked further debate about where she ranks among the best, leaving fans and critics alike questioning whether this was her final impact on the sport

One of the highlights of Biles’ illustrious career is her signature move, the Yurchenko double pike (now called the Biles II), a move so difficult and dangerous that it has redefined the sport. Cécile Canqueteau-Landi, Biles’ former coach, recently opened up about the tense moments leading up to the Paris Olympics, specifically the high-risk move. The vault, which involves a round-off on the springboard followed by two flips in a pike position, is one of the most complex and risky maneuvers ever performed by a female gymnast.

Despite the immense pressure, Biles executed the Yurchenko double pike flawlessly in Paris, even with a calf injury. A visibly relieved Landi admitted that the atmosphere in the training room before the vault was charged with anticipation, noting that everyone held their breath as Simone prepared to perform.

This G.O.A.T. may have stuck her landing for the last time.

Simone Biles, who won four medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics when she returned to the sport after experiencing vertigo at the 2021 Tokyo Games, recently shared why she likely won’t return to the Olympics when they come to Los Angeles in 2028.

“Because I’ve accomplished so much,” she told Sports Illustrated in an interview published Jan. 2, “there’s almost nothing left to do, rather than to just be snobby and to try again and for what? I’m at a point in my career where I’m humble enough to know when to be done.”

The 27-year-old—who tied the knot with Chicago Bears football player Jonathan Owens in 2023—also noted that it may be time to shift her focus to other areas of her life.

Coco Gauff, of the United States, celebrates after defeating Clara Burel, of France, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Saturday, March 9, 2024, in Indian Wells, California.

Simone Biles, of the United States, celebrates after winning the gold medal at the medal ceremony during the women’s artistic gymnastics individual vault finals at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Paris, France.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, left, signs autographs for Iowa fans after Indiana lost to the Dallas Wings during an WNBA basketball game in Arlington, Texas, Friday, May 3, 2024.

LAUSANNE, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) — The International Sports Press Association (AIPS) on Monday announced that American gymnast Simone Biles and Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis are the AIPS Athletes of the Year 2024, as voted by 518 journalists from 111 countries and regions.

Biles, who won three Olympic gold medals and one silver at Paris 2024, garnered 703 points to win the Best Female Athlete of the Year award for the fifth time, ahead of Spain and Barcelona footballer Aitana Bonmati, who was recently named the Best FIFA Women’s Player for a second consecutive year. Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia, the nation’s first-ever Olympic gold medalist in the 100m and silver medalist in the 200m, rounded out the top three with 263 points.

Duplantis dominated the Best Male Athlete of the Year category with 603 points. The Swede, who had finished second in the 2022 and 2023 editions of the AIPS poll, finally secured the top prize for the first time. Serbian tennis icon Novak Djokovic, who at 37 became the oldest Olympic gold medalist in men’s singles and just the fifth tennis player to achieve a career Golden Slam.

Simone Biles is once again stealing the spotlight, and this time it’s all about a transformation that has everyone talking. After rocking long, braided hair, the gymnastics legend decided it was time for a fresh start, debuting a chic new haircut that has fans buzzing

Biles didn’t just embrace the change-she owned it. Feeling like a brand-new person, she took to TikTok to flaunt her new look, radiating confidence and joy. Her video quickly gained traction, with fans flooding the comments to cheer her on and celebrate this new chapter.