Simone Biles celebrates her 23rd birthday on March 14, 2020 (Saturday). Born in 1997, Biles at such a young age is already the most decorated American gymnast of all time and the world’s current third most decorated gymnast. Her tally 30 medals from the Olympics and World Championships is only behind Vitaly Scherbo (33) of Belarus and Larisa Latynina (32). Biles has already qualified for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics in Japan and will be eager to break that record. At last Olympic event – 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro – Biles had completed the “Final Five” by winning gold medals in individual all-around, Vault and floor, another gold with the United States team and a bronze in the balance beam event. International Women’s Day 2020: Shafali Verma, Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff, Sunisa Lee and Other Rising Female Sports Stars to Watch Out.

Biles is already a five-time World all-around champion winner, a five-time World floor exercise champion and a member of United States National all-around winning team . Things, however, weren’t as sweet to him and his siblings. Born to an addicted murder, Biles had to struggle to make it to the gymnastics. As she celebrates her 23rd birthday, take a look at some lesser-known facts about Simona Biles.

  • Simone Arianne Biles was born to Shanon Biles in Columbus, Ohio on March 14, 1997

  • Biles was adopted by her maternal grandparents Ron Biles and Nellie Cayetano When She was three-year-old

  • At 16, Simone Biles became the first African American and seventh American to win the all-around title

  • With a total of 30 Olympic and World Championship medals, Simone Biles is the most decorated American Gymnast and world's third most decorated gymnast only behind Belarus' Vitaly Scherbo (33) and Russia's Larisa Latynina (32)

  • Biles is the most successful Gymnast in World Championships history with 19 Gold and a total of 25 medals in the event

  • She is the first Gymnast since Lilia Podkopayeva in 1996 to win individual world all-around title in both the Olympics and World Championships

  • Biles is also the first gymnast since Daniela Silivas in 1988 to win a medal in every event at a single Olympic Games or World Championships

Mary Lou Retton once called Simona Biles the “greatest gymnast ever’ and with Tokyo 2020 Olympics set to be rescheduled later this year, Biles is on track to complete another “Final Five” and celebrate herself as one of the greatest gymnasts of all-time.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 14, 2020 08:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).