You may know a lot about Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, but did you know how close she is with her younger sister, Adria Biles? The bond between these two sisters is incredibly strong, with Adria even following in Simone’s footsteps to become a gymnast for a decade. “My sister has always been fearless,” Adria said of Simone in a 2016 op-ed for ESPN. “When we were little kids, we’d stand on a railing on the second floor of our house, then jump off onto the couch down below on the first floor. She’d go first, and I’d follow. We were both gymnasts, so we were always trying things around the house. Nothing scared her.”
Throughout the years, these two have proved to be the literal definition of besties. Adria began practicing gymnastics at the age of 9, and by 2015, she was competing at a Level 9, the junior elite level. She pursued the sport for a decade before ending her career in 2016. Despite no longer being a full-time gymnast, Adria still found time to incorporate her love of dance into her life and earned a spot on the professional dance team of the Houston Astros, the Shooting Stars. She announced the news ahead of the 2022 MLB season via an Instagram post, writing, “Number 15 reporting for duty 🧡💙” alongside celebratory snaps.
Despite her little sister moving on, Simone would still love to see her get back on the mat. In 2021, the Olympic winner cheekily retweeted a study published by the Telegraph that read, “When a pair of siblings both played the same sport professionally, the younger one was more successful.” She tagged Adria in her caption and wrote, “Uh oh @adria_biles you better get back in the gym sister,” alongside a laughing face emoji.
Adria has also been on reality television. She was on the inaugural season of “Claim to Fame,” a reality show where each contestant is related to a celebrity but has to keep that relative’s identity a secret. Adria used the pseudonym “Louise,” her middle name, but contestants had a harder time guessing who she was related to since she tried to stump them by saying her sister was a popular former college female athlete. Unfortunately, she had to self-eliminate because a certain musician’s younger cousin correctly guessed who she was. “I played the game and I wasn’t mad about leaving because I did pretty good and stayed longer than most expected,” Adria confessed to USA Today following her departure from the series.
In case you didn’t know, Adria and Simone were adopted by their grandparents. Adria has three biological siblings: Simone, an older brother named Tevin-Biles Thomas, and an older sister named Ashley Biles-Thomas. Both their biological mother, Shanon Biles, struggled with alcohol and drugs throughout their upbringing. After being put through the foster care system for a number of years, their grandparents, Ron and Nellie Biles, formally adopted them when they were six and four. Despite the sisters being only around two years apart, Simone became a motherly figure to Adria at a young age. “I wanted to take care of Adria obviously because she was the baby,” Simone recalled during an episode of her Facebook Watch series, Simone vs. Herself. “I just felt like I needed to look out for her because if family doesn’t look out for you, who’s going to?”
Adria was a bridesmaid in Simone’s wedding, which should come as no surprise considering how close they are. Simone’s April 2023 wedding to football pro Jonathan Owens was gorgeous, and it was made all the more special by her little sister being right there with her. Adria shared pictures of the special day on Instagram, including snaps of her and Simone getting ready and the pro gymnast’s entire bridal party. “Can not express how proud I am of you guys 😭 I just love y’all so much! Congrats to the newlyweds 🤍🤍🤍,” Adria gushed on Instagram.
Adria has always had her sister’s back. When Simone made the difficult decision to withdraw from a number of events at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics after suffering from the “twisties” and chose to prioritize her health and well-being, Adria swiftly came to her sister’s defense. “Thank you for being an inspiration to me and to everyone around you, thank you for making people feel valid about their feelings, thank you for being you and thank you for being the best big sister in the world,” she wrote on Instagram at the time. “Okay gonna go cry now because you’re the best human I know I love you sister.”
Adria and Simone continue to remain as thick as thieves as they venture into adulthood. Adria often gets mistaken for Simone due to their uncanny resemblance. During the 2016 Rio Olympics, fans would approach Adria thinking she was Simone. “It’s been funny to watch her go from normal Simone to famous Simone. Even in Brazil, people came up to me every day thinking I was her. They’d ask for autographs and take pictures,” Adria explained to ESPN. Despite the height difference—Adria is 5’2″ while Simone is 4’8″—people often mistake them for twins.
Adria has also found love with professional softball player Janae Jefferson. The two have been dating since June 2022 and often share sweet tributes to each other on social media. In an Instagram tribute, Adria thanked Janae for “being the best part of my life.” Janae, who plays for the Texas Smoke, has also hinted that they are in it for the long haul.
Adria’s journey has been remarkable, from being an elite gymnast to a reality TV contestant and a professional dancer. Her bond with Simone is unbreakable, and their story is a testament to the power of family and resilience.
Source: ESPN, USA Today, The Telegraph, Facebook Watch, Instagram
