Simone Biles is widely considered one of the greatest gymnasts in history. Her medals and difficult skills made her famous, but her honesty about adoption, abuse, mental health, and recovery has also shaped her story.
Biles has identified as Catholic and has spoken about prayer and faith in God. Unlike celebrities whose beliefs are mostly private, she has given the public several clear signs that Christianity is part of her life.
Was Simone Biles raised Catholic?
Yes. Biles and her family are Catholic. She was adopted and raised by her maternal grandfather, Ron, and his wife, Nellie. Her family life included Catholic faith and practice.
As a young athlete, Biles said she carried a small statue of Saint Sebastian, the patron saint of athletes, while traveling. She explained that she also prayed on her own. Reports from her early career describe prayer as part of how she prepared for competition.
What has Simone Biles said about God?
Biles has credited God when speaking about her remarkable ability. She has said that she cannot fully understand how she performs some skills and sees her talent as connected to God.
She has also shown that faith does not make life painless. Biles survived abuse in USA Gymnastics and later faced intense criticism when she withdrew from events at the Tokyo Olympics to protect her safety and mental health. She returned to elite competition and continued to speak honestly about therapy and emotional care.
Christians sometimes treat faith as a promise that strong believers will never struggle. The Bible does not teach that. Many faithful people in Scripture experienced fear, grief, weakness, and exhaustion. Trusting God can include admitting that help is needed.
Is Simone Biles a Christian?
Because Biles identifies as Catholic, it is fair to say that she publicly identifies with Christianity. Catholicism is one of Christianity’s largest traditions. Catholics confess belief in Jesus, the Trinity, the Bible, baptism, and the resurrection.
However, Famous Faith does not claim to know the state of Biles’ soul. A public label or quotation cannot reveal everything about a person’s relationship with God. Only God knows the heart.
The careful conclusion is that Biles has a Catholic background and has publicly described prayer and faith in God as meaningful parts of her life.
Does courage prove someone has faith?
Biles has shown extraordinary courage, both in competition and in speaking about painful subjects. Those actions deserve respect. Still, courage and achievement do not earn salvation.
The Bible teaches that every human being has sinned (Romans 3:23). Olympic champions and ordinary people have the same need before God. No medal, charitable act, prayer habit, or religious family can remove sin.
What is the Christian gospel?
The gospel is the good news that God saves sinners through Jesus Christ. Jesus lived without sin, died on the cross, and rose from the dead. He took the judgment sinners deserve and offers forgiveness to those who trust Him.
Ephesians 2:8–9 says salvation comes by grace through faith, not by works. John 3:16 promises eternal life to whoever believes in God’s Son. Romans 10:9 says those who confess Jesus as Lord and believe in His resurrection will be saved.
Christian faith is not confidence in our own strength. It is confidence in Christ. Athletes train to improve performance, but salvation cannot be trained for or achieved. It must be received as a gift.
Simone Biles’ public story includes faith, prayer, hardship, and perseverance. We can appreciate what she shared without pretending to know what only God knows. Most importantly, each reader can personally turn to Jesus and receive the grace He offers.
Sources
Image credit: Ocoudis, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
