Olympic champion Simone Biles has gone viral after her recent cover shoot for Glamour’s June issue turned out nothing short of stunning.
In the shoot, Biles dons a collection of stunning gowns as photographer Kennedi Carter showed off her natural beauty.
During the candid interview, Biles shared that she was not immune to the negative impacts of last year’s lockdown. Biles says that she became depressed and even contemplated quitting gymnastics.
“I wanted to give up,” Biles tells Glamour. “But it would have been dumb because I’ve worked way too hard.”
She was able to work through her depression.
“Before I would only focus on the gym. But me being happy outside the gym is just as important as me being happy and doing well in the gym. Now it’s like everything’s coming together,” she says.
The positive reception to Biles’ Glamour shoot is a far cry from her shoot with Vogue imagined for the magazine’s August 2020 issue. Photographer Annie Leibovitz took the helm, but fans were unhappy about the way Biles was styled.
The year has been a great one for Biles. In April, she announced that she would be leaving Nike Inc . for a new apparel partnership with GAP’s sportswear brand, Athleta.
In an interview, Biles had nothing negative to say about Nike, instead sharing why she decided to take the leap over to the smaller brand.
“I felt like it wasn’t just about my achievements, it’s what I stood for and how they were going to help me use my voice and also be a voice for females and kids,” she said. “I feel like they also support me, not just as an athlete, but just as an individual outside of the gym and the change that I want to create, which is so refreshing.”
Nike is worth a reported $204 billion, while Gap is valued at $12 billion.
Last month, she made history by becoming the first female gymnast in history to ever successfully complete a Yurchenko double pike. The Yurchenko double pike consists of a round-off onto the springboard, back handspring onto the vaulting table, and traditionally, a single flip.
