As December 2023 begins, Simone Biles is all geared up for the holiday season. Her festive spirit has been evident ever since she and her husband, Jonathan Owens, had their fall photo shoot in Green Bay. But back home in Houston, things were not merry and bright.

Simone Biles drops a pre-holiday surprise

In the latest Instagram update by Olympian Simone Biles, she shared a captivating pre-holiday surprise with her 7.1 million followers. She posted a 5-image carousel post dressed in an Athleta collaboration, a brand with whom she has partnered since 2021. In the images, Biles exuded confidence with her makeup and hair on point in a soft-neutral glam, complemented by delicate gold jewelry.

The collection featured comfortable sportswear in rich fall shades of red, black, metallic gray, bottle green, and brown, accentuating Biles’s stunning personal style. This holiday post by Biles came as a happy surprise, as just days ago the gymnastics queen faced many hurdles with her casa construction in Houston.

Chaos in casa paradise

Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens have been building their dream home in Houston ever since the lovebirds were engaged. Fans of the couple have also eagerly joined in on the journey of “Home Build,” right from the lot clearing day, foundation pouring, and construction of the framework to the dry walls being installed. But in the latest update by the gymnastics GOAT during a “trim walk,” she was left in distress. She revealed that what was anticipated to be a brief “30-minute thing” turned into an extensive 6-hour stay on the property.

Although the specific issue was not disclosed, it became apparent that challenges had arisen concerning the walls and ceiling during the construction. The situation left her confused and anxious, and she stated, “Called my dad for backup yesterday bc I panicked! but I’ve made so much progress & I’m so proud of myself,” she wrote. 

Despite all the latest chaos, Biles still managed to not let the turn of events get her holiday spirits down, and the collaboration with Athleta came as a happy surprise for fans as well.

American athlete Simone Biles is considered the greatest gymnast of all time after her performance at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. She is the most decorated gymnast in the history of the sport.

Biles is a common household name in the United States and is a fan favorite too. The Texas-born athlete represented the United States national team from 2012 to 2016 and then returned for her second stint between 2018 and 2021.

The 26-year-old gymnast was recalled into the team earlier this year. With 30 medals to her name, Simone Biles has won the most number of medals at the Gymnastics World Championships.

Let’s take a look at five unknown facts about Simone Biles.

#5 She has co-written a book

American gymnast Simone Biles had co-written a book following her success at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She was given the opportunity to write her autobiography, titled “Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance.”

Famous author and editor Michelle Burford assisted Biles in penning down her journey. The book was released in November 2016 and was listed in the New York Times Young Adult best-seller six months later.

Expressing her decision to write an autobiography. Simone Biles was quoted as saying to The Christian Post:

#4 She was adopted by her grandparents

Simone Biles, along with her three siblings were taken care of by a foster mother during a part of their childhood. She and her younger sister Adria were later adopted by her grandparents, who lived in Texas. Meanwhile, her other two sisters were adopted by their great aunt.

Simone’s grandfather Ron was an Air Force veteran, while her grandmother Nellie Biles was a nurse. They adopted Simone Biles and her sister Adria Biles in 2003. The American gymnasts have a strong bond with Ron and Nellie as they have played the role of parents in her life.

#3 She was a school dropout

Simone Biles left school at the age of 15 and was homeschooled by her grandparents. This decision was made to allow the American gymnast to focus more on training and getting better at the sport.

After opting out of school, she increased her training to 32 hours a week instead of 20 hours a week, which also saw her improve at the game.

#2 She fell in love with gymnastics on a field trip

Biles fell in love with the sport while she was on a field trip to a local gymnasium back in 2003. She discovered her love for gymnastics at the age of six and hasn’t looked back ever since.

Her performance at a very young age caught the attention of many, including her instructors, who then pushed her to pursue a career in gymnastics. The rest is history!

#1 Shortest member of the USA Team at the 2016 Olympics

Simone Biles was the shortest member of the United States Team at the 2016 edition of the Summer Olympics. She was 4 feet 8 inches tall at the mega event that took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Gymants tend to have short height and it compliments them in the sport as well. They can complete the toughest of the jumps if they are short.

Building your dream home from the ground up can be time-consuming and frustrating, even for Simone Biles.

People reported that the Olympic gold medalist posted an Instagram update on Nov. 28 about the hurdles she’s experiencing during the construction of the home she and her husband, Jonathan Owens, are building in Texas. In a series of Stories, she revealed that developers uncovered issues on the second day of the “trim walk.”

“Yesterday, I was here from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m……,” she wrote on a video moving across the home’s high ceilings. “I thought it was going to be a 30 minute thing bc I had no clue what I was walking into.”

In the following video, she appeared baffled at the changes. “Me confused as fck..” she captioned the image, according to People.

Although it remains unclear what happened during the six-hour construction day, Biles posted another photo Thursday and said she turned to her father and husband for support “bc I panicked!”

Still, she said, she’s made so much improvement and is so proud of herself. “jonathan will deal with the end result oops……..I hope I did it decently & thought of all the things,” Biles added.

Biles also photographed the patterned floor tile of what looks to be a bathroom, expressing frustration about severe yellow stains bordering the grout.

The Texas native’s home improvement report was more optimistic in a Nov. 17 update, where she shared a photo of one of the larger rooms on Instagram.

According to People, Biles flashed a broad smile as she held the keys to the house in one hand in the first frame of a carousel. She turned the shot upward and revealed the intricate base construction work for one of the room’s walls, roof, and enormous sliding doors.

In another photo, she showed a clearer view of the room, with smaller windows erected near the ceiling and larger glass sliding doors put up below.

She then displayed a photograph of a much smaller room with similar sliding doors leading out to a patio and a view of some foliage and a body of water. The carousel also featured a photo of her muddy construction boots next to a pair of black Prada slides.

Biles and Owens, who plays for the NFL’s Green Bay Packers, started their relationship in March 2020 after meeting on the dating app Raya. They tied the knot in a Houston courtroom on April 22, 2023, and threw a more extravagant second wedding in Mexico a few weeks later.

Biles admitted to Vogue that “my heart was beating out of my chest” as she prepared to go down the aisle, adding that she had never been more nervous.

“Seeing Jonathan at the altar was a dream,” Biles told Vogue. “Our guests were cheering for everyone. I was shocked by the love in the air. The ceremony was so beautiful and dreamy.”

Simone Biles revealed that her in-progress home isn’t going exactly as expected.

On Wednesday, Nov. 29, Biles shared an update about how the build is going, as she and her husband, Jonathan Owens, are constructing a house for themselves in Texas.

In a series of Instagram Stories, the Olympic gold medalist brought fans along on the “trim walk” through the home. Unfortunately, they found some issues, with Biles writing in text over the clip, “Yesterday I was here from 11am-5pm…..🥴 I thought it was going to be a 30 minute thing bc I had no clue what I was walking into.”

In the next image, Biles explained how “confused” she was about the situation, before adding, “Called my dad for backup yesterday bc I panicked! but I’ve made so much progress & I’m so proud of myself. jonathan will deal with the end result oops……..I hope I did it decently & thought of all the things.”

“I CANNOT DEAL ANYMORE🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬,” the 26-year-old concluded while posting the next photo, showing what appeared to be bathroom tiles with yellow stains on the edges.

It’s unclear exactly what the issue was and whether or not it got solved, as Biles’ next Stories update was a look at her many different competition medals.

Previously, on Thursday, Nov. 16, Biles shared a more positive update about the house’s progress, with the Olympian posing inside the home with a big smile on her face. She then posted a few more photos of the house, including a look out the back glass doors at what is either a pond or lake.

Fans love seeing the step-by-step process as the newlyweds create their home together, with many commenting encouraging messages on social media.

“This going to be a beautiful home already. Looks so spacious and going to be fabulous I know. ❤️,” wrote one fan under the Nov. 16 update, as another proclaimed, “I need a whole HGTV show for this! 😍.”

Biles and Owens, who is a safety for the Green Bay Packers, tied the knot on April 22, 2023, at a courthouse in Houston Texas. The next month, they jetted off to Cabo, Mexico for a beautiful wedding ceremony.

On Thursday (Nov. 30), Athleta announced their new partnership with the most decorated gymnast of all time for their holiday collection, dubbed “No Time Like The Present.” The size-inclusive line consists of a variety of athleisure pieces that can be mixed and matched, including comfy leggings, trendy crop tops, bras, and the brand’s Salutation bodysuit that is perfect for all body types.

Biles –who is vying for a spot  to compete in the 2024 games– joins the campaign alongside fellow Olympian Allyson Felix and WNBA star Monique Billings