If you’ve ever watched Simone Biles stick a landing—that thud of absolute finality—you’ve probably seen the camera pan immediately to the stands. There they are. Ronald and Nellie Biles. They’re usually clutching each other or holding their breath, looking exactly like any other nerve-wracked parents watching their kid do something terrifyingly dangerous.
But the internet has a weird way of making things complicated. For years, people have tripped over themselves trying to "correct" the narrative of simone biles mom and dad, often using clinical terms like "adoptive grandparents" or bringing up her biological history as if it’s a gotcha moment.
Honestly? It’s not that deep, and yet it’s way deeper than a Wikipedia sidebar. To Simone, the woman who took her to the mirror to practice saying the word "Mom" is her mother. The man who sat in those foster care waiting rooms is her father. End of story. But for those who want to understand the actual human grit behind the GOAT, we have to look at the messy, beautiful, and sometimes painful reality of how this family actually came to be.
The Ohio Years: A "Second Shot at Life"
Before the gold medals and the Nike deals, there was a house in Columbus, Ohio. It wasn’t a happy place. Simone’s biological mother, Shanon Biles, was struggling hard with drug and alcohol addiction. It’s a story we hear too often, but for a tiny Simone and her three siblings, it meant the kind of hunger that stays with you. She’s talked about a stray cat getting fed while the kids went without.
Social workers eventually stepped in.
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Simone and her sister Adria, along with their older siblings Ashley and Tevin, were shuttled into foster care. This is where the story of simone biles mom and dad really starts—not in a delivery room, but in a series of foster homes where Simone remembers feeling "hungry and afraid."
Ronald Biles, Shanon’s father, wasn’t about to let his grandkids disappear into the system. He was an Air Force veteran and an air traffic controller—a man used to high-pressure situations. When he found out the kids were in foster care, he and his wife Nellie started bringing them to Texas.
Moving to Texas and the Mirror Moment
By 2000, the kids were living in Spring, Texas, with Ron and Nellie. Initially, it was supposed to be temporary. A "let’s get things sorted" kind of deal. But life is rarely that tidy. It became clear that Shanon wasn't in a position to take the kids back.
This created a fork in the road for the family.
The two older siblings, Tevin and Ashley, moved back to Ohio to be adopted by Ron’s sister. But Simone and Adria? They stayed in Texas. In 2003, Ron and Nellie officially adopted them.
There’s this incredibly moving story Simone tells about the transition. One day, Nellie sat the girls down and basically said, "If you want to, you can call us Mom and Dad." Simone, being a kid who didn't want to get it wrong, went upstairs and literally practiced it in the mirror. Mom. Dad. Mom. Dad. She went back downstairs, saw Nellie in the kitchen, and tentatively said, "Mom?"
Nellie’s response? "Yes!"
That was it. The labels changed, but the bond had already been forged in the three years of stability they’d provided.
Who is Nellie Biles, Really?
A lot of people don’t realize that Nellie isn’t Ron’s first wife, nor is she Shanon’s biological mother. She met Ron while she was a nursing student in San Antonio and he was in the Air Force. She’s originally from Belize—a fact Simone honors by holding dual citizenship.
Nellie is often described as the backbone of the family. She’s the one who realized that for the adoption to work, they couldn't just pretend the trauma hadn't happened. She insisted on family counseling for two years.
"I knew I had my own barriers because these were not my biological children," Nellie once admitted. That’s such a refreshing bit of honesty. She didn't just wake up one day with a "World's Best Mom" mug and feel it instantly. She had to pray for that bond. She had to work for it.
Breaking Down the Family Tree (The Non-Confusing Version)
- Ronald Biles: Biological grandfather, legally her father. Retired air traffic controller.
- Nellie Biles: Step-grandmother, legally her mother. Former nurse and business owner.
- Shanon Biles: Biological mother. She has been sober for years and lives in Ohio.
- Kelvin Clemons: Biological father. He’s never been in the picture, though reports say he’s proud of her from a distance.
- Adria Biles: Simone’s younger biological sister, also adopted by Ron and Nellie.
Dealing with the "Biological" Noise
Every time the Olympics roll around, some commentator inevitably messes up. In 2016, NBC’s Al Trautwig got roasted for saying Ron and Nellie were "NOT her parents."
The backlash was instant and deserved.
Family isn't just about DNA. It’s about who shows up. It’s about who paid for the gymnastics lessons when they were $300 a month and the family was budget-crunching. It’s about who opened a whole-ass gym (World Champions Centre) so their daughter could train in a safe environment.
Simone has been very clear about this. She’s said that her "mom and dad" are the ones who supported her through the "twisties" in Tokyo and cheered the loudest in Paris.
What About Shanon?
It’s easy to cast the biological mother as the villain, but the reality is more nuanced. Shanon has spoken out about how hard it was when Ron "flipped a switch" and limited contact after the adoption. From Ron’s perspective, he was protecting the girls and giving them a chance to bond with their new parents without the chaos of addiction loitering at the door.
Today, things are... okay. They aren't best friends, but they talk. Shanon watches the meets. She’s expressed regret and hope for a closer relationship. Simone, for her part, seems to have found a peace that works for her. She doesn't owe the world a "happily ever after" reunion with her biological parents just because it makes for a good TV segment.
The Actionable Takeaway from the Biles Story
The story of simone biles mom and dad isn't just celebrity gossip. It’s a blueprint for what "kinship adoption" looks like.
If you’re looking at this story and seeing reflections of your own family, here are a few things that worked for the Biles family that experts say are crucial:
- Counseling is a Tool, Not a Punishment: Ron and Nellie didn't wait for things to break. They went to therapy to bridge the gap between "grandparent" and "parent."
- Honesty About the Past: Simone knows her story. She isn't shielded from the truth of her foster care days, which has allowed her to advocate for other foster kids.
- Stability Over Everything: The reason Simone is the GOAT isn't just her leg strength; it’s the psychological safety net her parents built. She knew that whether she won or lost, that house in Spring, Texas, was her home.
The next time you see Ron and Nellie in the stands, don't think "adoptive grandparents." Just think "Mom and Dad." Because at the end of the day, that’s exactly who they are.
Next Steps for Readers:
To truly understand the impact of the Biles family's journey, you can look into the World Champions Centre in Texas, the gym Ron and Nellie built. It’s a physical manifestation of their commitment to their daughter's dream. Additionally, if you're interested in the logistics of kinship care, checking out resources from Generations United can provide more context on how families like the Biles' navigate the legal system.