Meet Simone Biles' parents: The family behind the gymnastics star
If not for my parents and adoption, I wouldn't be here today.
This quote, made after Simone Biles' monumental four-medal win at the Paris 2024 Olympics, showed her appreciation of her upbringing. Simone Biles' parents, Ron and Nellie Biles, adopted her after she was abandoned by her biological parents, Shanon Biles and Kelvin Clemons.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Simone Biles's biological parents are Shanon Biles and Kelvin Clemons.
- Simone Biles’s early life was shaped by her biological parents’ struggles with drug abuse, which led to her and her siblings entering foster care before being adopted.
- Simone and her younger sister, Adria, were adopted by her maternal grandparents, Ronald and Nellie Cayetano Biles.
Profile summary
| Full name | Simone Arianne Biles Owens |
| Nickname | Simone Biles |
| Gender | Female |
| Date of birth | 14 March 1997 |
| Age | 28 years as of 2025 |
| Zodiac sign | Pisces |
| Place of birth | Columbus, Ohio, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Current residence | Spring, Texas, United States |
| Ethnicity | Black |
| Religion | Christian |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Height in centimetres | 142 |
| Height in feet | 4'6" |
| Weight in pounds | 103 |
| Weight in kilograms | 47 |
| Hair colour | Black |
| Eye colour | Brown |
| Biological parents | Shanon Biles and Kelvin Clemons |
| Adoptive parents | Ronald and Nellie Cayetano Biles |
| Siblings | 4 |
| Marital status | Married |
| Spouse | Jonathan Owens |
| Profession | Professional gymnast |
| Elementary education | Benfer Elementary School |
| University | Washington University |
| Net worth | $25 million |
| Social media | Instagram, Threads, TikTok, Facebook, X (Twitter) |
A closer look at Simone Biles' parents
American gymnast Simone Biles Owens was born on 14 March 1997 to Shanon Biles and Kelvin Clemons. At age three, Simone Biles and three of her siblings were placed in foster care as her parents struggled with substance and alcohol addiction.
Simone and her sister, Adria, moved to Texas to live with their grandparents, their adoptive parents, Ronald and Nellie Biles. Two of her older siblings, Ashley and Tevin, were also adopted by their father’s sister.
Source: Getty Images
Shanon Biles and Kelvin Clemons: Her unseen roots
Simone Biles' biological parents, Shanon Biles and Kelvin Clemons, were unable to care for the artistic gymnast because of their addiction issues. While Shanon has made her desire for reunification known, Clemons has stayed out of the limelight.
Kelvin Clemons
According to In Touch, Simone Biles' biological father, Kelvin Clemons, was allegedly never in the picture.
Shannon told the Daily Mail that although he has no contact with his daughter, he has expressed an interest in being in her life. Clemons, who lives in Cleveland, also struggled with his own addiction problems in the past.
Shanon Biles
Source: Twitter
Shanon Biles is Simone Biles' biological mother. Due to a long battle with chronic drug addiction, she was forced to give up her children. In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, she recounted how hard the process was.
It was hard to give up my kids, but I had to do what I had to; I was not able to care for them. It took me six years before I saw my children again. I was respecting my dad's wishes to let the kids transition... I was still using, and he didn't want me coming in and out of their lives when I wasn't right.
In the 2016 interview, she expressed her desire to reconnect in a deeper manner with her daughter. A Times article in the same year revealed that Biles speaks to her birth mother when she calls on birthdays and holidays, and has met her a few times at her adoptive mother's suggestion.
In the article, Biles disclosed her view of her relationship with her mother,
I wonder what my life would be like if none of this had happened. I want to know why my mother did what she did. But those aren’t questions for me because that was her lifestyle when I wasn’t even born.
Ronald and Nellie Biles: The grounding anchors in life
In 2002, Shanon's father, Ronald Biles, adopted two of his grandchildren, Simone and her sister, Adria. Simone credits her success to her grandparents, who became her adoptive parents and enrolled her in gymnastics classes at the age of 6.
Ronald Biles
Source: Facebook
Ronald Biles, also known as Ron, was born in August 1949 and is 76 years old as of 2025. He had four children before adopting Adria and Simone Biles. His older children include Ron Biles, Shannon Biles, Adam Biles, and Ron Biles Jr.
Before his retirement, Ron served in the Air Force and was an air traffic controller. He raised Shanon as a single father prior to meeting Nellie.
Ronald and Nellie Biles met while he was stationed at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, USA. The pair got married on 16 January 1977.
In 2014, Ron and his wife, Nellie, opened the World Champions Centre, an artistic gymnastics academy, in Spring, Texas. Simone trains at the facility that offers gymnastics, tumbling, cheer, and parkour.
Nellie Biles
Source: Getty Images
Nellie Cayetano Biles was born in Belize. She attended a Belize public school and later studied nursing in San Antonio, Texas. She met Ronald Biles while studying at the nursing school.
Nellie shared her experience with the adoption process in the Versus On Watch series, Simone vs. Herself. She said,
I remember praying for that bonding. Because telling them that you love them and you care for them. That’s all words. But then you wake up one day, and you realise that you would do anything for these children. And that you would die for these children. And when that feeling comes, that’s when you know you are truly a mother.
FAQs
- Is Simone Biles adopted? She was adopted as a toddler by her biological grandparents.
- Who is Simone's biological mother? The American athlete's birth mother is Shanon Biles.
- Are Simone Biles' parents her real parents? Simone was raised by her adoptive parents, Ronald and Nellie Biles.
- Does Simone Biles have a relationship with her biological mother? The pair have a relationship.
- Does Simone have a relationship with her biological father? Simone's biological father, Kelvin Clemons, has reportedly been absent from her life.
Simone Biles' parents, Shanon Biles and Kelvin Clemons, struggled with drug abuse, prompting the Child Protective Services to take Simone and her siblings into foster care. Their adoptive parents, Ronald and Nellie Biles, have been vital to Simone's success.
Legit.ng recently published an article about Simone Biles' siblings. The American gymnast has five siblings: Ashley, Tevin, Ronald Jr., Adam, and Adria Biles.
The artistic gymnast who holds 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals was adopted and raised alongside three of his siblings, Ronald Jr., Adam, and Adria Biles. Her older siblings, Ashley and Tevin Biles, were raised separately by another relative.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
