Six Olympic Gymnasts You Would Never Think Had Tragic Real-Life Stories About Parental Death and Illnesses
A variety of traumas have been endured by gymnasts such as Simone Biles and Suni Lee.
One athlete was placed in foster care, while the other endured abuse at the hands of a person she trusted.
Despite their struggles, some of these gymnasts have gone on to succeed, while others have retired.
Among sportsmen, gymnasts in particular are thought to be brilliant stars with exceptional talent. But they experience life’s calamities in the same way as everyone else. They have gone through everything, including growing up in foster care and losing loved ones. This is a synopsis of six female athletes who have surmounted major challenges in their lives.
Simone Bales
Simone Biles, then sixteen years old, became well-known in 2013 when she won the gymnastics all-around title and two gold medals from the Antwerp Championship. She used a half-twist double layout maneuver to make her professional wrestling debut.
He would have gained notoriety earlier in 2012 if she hadn’t been too young to participate in the London Olympics. In 2014, Simone won four gold medals at the World Championships; the following year, she repeated the achievement.
She participated in her first Olympics in Rio in 2016. In the vault, team, all-around, and floor exercises, she won gold. She also brought home a bronze medal from the balance beam competition. She will be competing in the Summer Olympics in Paris in 2024 for Team US.
Despite the perception that it is, the famous person, who was born in Columbus, Ohio, hasn’t always had an easy existence. In an interview in 2021, the athlete—who started gymnastics at age six—spoke openly about her difficult past.
growing up in foster care
Born on March 14, 1997, Simone revealed that her parents had always desired for her and her siblings to become self-sufficient individuals. They wanted them to take ownership of and authority over their conduct. The famous person thought that the teachings their parents had taught them contributed to both her and her siblings’ professional achievement.
They learned that even at the top, you should always be pushing the envelope. The artistic gymnast voiced her hope that she and her siblings will someday feel the love and support of their parents.
The man she refers to as her father, Ron Sr., informed her that she was his biological granddaughter. Simone’s birth mother is Ron Sr.’s daughter. The star acknowledged that her mother had taken them away, despite her claims that she couldn’t remember anything about being in foster care.
For the moment, she thought they would be returning home, but that was not the case. It was fortunate that Adria, Tevin, Ashley, and her siblings were put in foster care with her. Adria recalled how, upon their placement, they had appeared so near, so terrified, and so bewildered.
Fearing that Tevin would disappear before morning, the four of them clutched to each other and Simone would run to his room to spend the night together. The celebrity felt obliged to look after and protect Adria because of her advanced age.
Simone’s grandmother Nellie recalled how the athlete looked after Adria and treated her like a mother. Their close bond has remained intact to this day. Adria now understands that Simone was really trying to keep her safe, even though she had always thought her sister was domineering.
The gymnast’s mother was unstable for them since she used illegal substances and overindulged in alcohol. The diva and her siblings focused their childhoods on food because it was sparse. The gymnast claimed that she was “so hungry,” but she also remembered seeing a street cat that came by to get food.
Because of that experience, she might not even like cats anymore, which would make her wonder where her food was. While her kids weren’t fed, her mother made sure the cat was. A social worker finally got engaged in Simone and her siblings’ life when neighbors expressed concerns.
Adria and Simone relocated to Texas after being adopted by their grandparents, who became their mother and father. Their father’s sister, Aunt Harriet, took in their two older siblings, Tevin and Ashley, and they stayed in Ohio.
When the athlete and her sister were brought into the house, Nellie’s family suddenly numbered five. Nellie’s son Ron Jr. brought up the point that his parents had spent eighteen years raising him and his brother before having to start again with Simone and her sister.
The gymnast admitted that she had once placed her heart in a cage and segregated a portion of herself in order to protect herself. Regarding Nellie, she admitted that she struggled when the two children initially arrived because they weren’t her own children.
Even though she was doing everything in her power to mother and nurture the two adopted children, the loving mom prayed to establish a connection with them and soon realized she would do everything for them. But “you still have to be there 100% emotionally, and I wasn’t,” the person said.
During Simone’s professional gymnastics career, tragedy struck again. Following her Olympic bronze medal performance on the balancing beam in 2020 Tokyo, the famous person revealed in August 2021 that her aunt had died “unexpectedly.”
The gymnast admitted that the tragedy occurred while she was in Japan and that she had not planned on passing away during her Olympic competition.
We’ll look at one athlete who was diagnosed with a rare condition next. She urged people to be “a little bit more mindful” of their words on the internet in the wake of the death, saying that “you have no idea what these athletes are going through as well as (in) their sports.”
Shannon Miller
In Atlanta in 1996, Shannon Miller captained the American team that won the gold medal. Seven female gymnasts who set records together were known as the “Magnificent Seven,” and they brought home the first gold medal ever won by a US women’s team.
In the history of the balance beam, the famous person was the first American to earn a gold medal. She took home seven Olympic, 49 national, and 59 international medals. In 1993 and 1994, she took home the World All-Around Championship. She won the gold medal in the Pan American Games All-Around in 1995.
The star competed in the 1993–94 Worlds and took home five gold medals and one silver. With five medals from the Barcelona games, she was the most successful American athlete even if she did not take home the gold in the 1992 Olympics. She returned to competition in 1996, winning a gold medal in the team event and another on the balancing beam.
Shannon attended the University of Oklahoma before completing her studies at the University of Houston in 2003 and earning a law degree from Boston College.
She made the decision to work in television and run gymnastics clinics rather than pursue a career in law. Additionally, the athlete founded Shannon Miller Lifestyle in 2010 with the goal of promoting healthy living for all people, but especially for women.
Shannon also works as a motivational speaker and is the founder of the Shannon Miller Foundation, a group that fights juvenile obesity. Despite her amazing successes, she has overcome a number of hurdles in life, the most notable of which has been her battle with cancer.
Defying an Unusual Illness
Shannon has already talked about her reasons for going public with her ovarian cancer diagnosis. She stated that as an advocate, it allowed her to talk about her diagnosis in a way that focused more on “what we could do with stories like mine” and less on herself.
During her first week of treatment, the athlete recalled being transported back to the hospital, where she lay because meals and liquids were dribbling out of her mouth. She tried maybe nine or ten different anti-nausea medications, but none of them were effective for her.
Her nausea brought on by the chemotherapy was one of the most difficult things she had to deal with; it prevented her from eating throughout the first week of her treatment. She felt “more human again” after doing yoga and getting her illness under control.
She felt unbelievably weak most of the time. For more than ten years, the famous person swung between uneven bars; yet, she was unable to open a bottle of water due to her cancer.
The worst time for Shannon was before she was diagnosed. Her left ovary had a baseball-sized cyst, discovered during a regular inspection, so she did every test possible at the time. She was told by her doctor not to do anything that could distort or explode the cyst.
The gifted gymnast drifted around like a zombie, scared to move as a result. Others made an effort to comfort her, with phrases like “It’s probably nothing” or “It would be okay,” but her main source of worry was comprehending what she was up against.
At the time, her child had just turned one year old, and she kept telling herself that she needed to “get ahead of this” since her child needed her. After the cyst was diagnosed, her gynecologist promptly spoke with a gynecologic oncologist.
He came to the conclusion that the cyst would not go away on its own after two ultrasonography scans. Shannon was informed of her unique kind of ovarian cancer only after she awoke in the hospital, and she was not given a date for surgery until much later.
Despite her conflicted feelings, she was ready to fight for her life because she was able to change from a victim mentality to the competitive mindset she was used to from gymnastics. She perceived the rigorous chemotherapy schedule they had in store for her as a means of retaliation.
Every day, she resorted to the gymnastics methods she had learned to deal with her diagnosis. She used a range of coping mechanisms to get by, such as goal-setting, tenacity, optimism, the importance of teamwork, visualization, and more.
Her struggles with fatigue, neuropathy, nausea, anxiety, and doubt became into a daily routine. Another challenge she faced was recognizing “my old self when my reflection said otherwise with no hair, no lashes or eyebrows, and skin as pale as could be.”
But she did learn from her sport that hardship often brings out the best in individuals. Shannon, 42, went on, “We find out that we are much stronger than we ever imagined we could be.” In March 2020, Shannon overcame her illness.
She advocated for women’s health awareness while also being a mother of two. Celebrity said that she was raised in a quiet household and did not speak much when doing gymnastics. But she realized that she had to talk about her ovaries all day if she wanted to get someone to get checked out.
Throughout her gymnastic performance, she ran into problems and became hurt. Although goal-setting and other strategies greatly aided her, particularly throughout chemotherapy, “the mental and emotional lessons she learned from the sport” proved to be more beneficial.
She was able to overcome her diagnosis by making tiny goals. She didn’t always achieve these objectives, but for her, a successful day during chemotherapy was characterized as “getting up, getting dressed, and walking twice around the dining room table.”
Having a top-notch medical staff during her cancer treatment was important to her. But she also had friends, family, and neighbors who were willing to help her with little and big jobs. Shannon exercised by walking for a full five minutes.
During her battle, she had moments when she felt like she had lost her identity and uniqueness, but she was able to feel like herself again since she could move her body. Her goal was not to get fit, but to preserve her strength. “It was more life-sustaining than thinking about fitness as being in shape,” the athlete said.
Sunisa Lee
Sunisa “Suni” Lee was born on March 9, 2003, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, to her mother Yeev Thoj. When she was two years old, her mother met John Lee, a newly divorced man with two children, Jonah and Shyenne.
Together, the couple welcomed Noah, Lucky, and Evionn. Suni used to flip around the house and lawn until her parents’ friends began enquiring as to whether or not she was a gymnast. Because she could have a gift, a family friend arranged for her to meet with a coach from the Midwest Gymnastics Center.
Yeev once stated that prior to the center deciding to keep her, her daughter underwent testing. She started training when she was six years old. In honor of her dedication to the sport, the governor of her native state declared July 30, 2023, to be “Suni Lee Day.”
The mayor of Saint Paul, where a bronze bust of Suni was unveiled during a ceremony and is currently located in a park, issued the same proclamation. She was named the 2021 Sports Illustrated Female Athlete of the Year and the 2022 Individual Sportswoman of the Year by the Women’s Sports Foundation.
When she competed in the 2020 Tokyo Games and won the all-around competition, she became the first Asian-American female gymnast to win an Olympic gold medal. She is also the first American Hmong athlete to represent her country in the Olympics.
Because of her teamwork, Suni won both a bronze and a silver medal in the uneven bars. She has faced family difficulties in addition to personal health issues during her gymnastics career.
Fixing Issues with Renal Health
John saw Suni, who placed second in the Olympic Trials behind Simone, secure her place in the Tokyo Olympics scheduled for June 2021. The dad was filled with emotion because it was one of the few times he has been able to watch her perform live since his accident in 2019.
That year, two days before the athlete competed in the August 2019 US National Gymnastics Championships, her father was involved in an accident. He slipped and fell off a ladder while he assisted a neighbor in trimming a tree. John could no longer move his chest.
The gymnast was identified as having two hereditary renal illnesses after receiving a diagnosis of them as a child. Yeev revealed that her brother passed away at the age of 45 and her mother, who was sixty-nine, suffered from renal failure.
Suni’s doctor initially thought that she was having an allergic response. Subsequent testing, however, indicated that her kidneys were not operating normally. At the time, the famous person confessed to them that she had “barely urinated for about two weeks.”
There were two renal issues that she chose not to mention. To determine if they could control her symptoms, Mayo Clinic doctors examined a range of drug combinations. Regretfully, because of changes in her treatment, she put on weight and become tired.
The gymnast revealed that taking a medication for her issues would not help her recover. She will always have to take medication, therefore she will always be affected by her illnesses. She initially took a five-month leave of absence and spent weeks in bed.
During that time, she gained forty-five pounds and resumed her workouts. She started clothing in giant or extra-large sizes, and occasionally her hands got so big they wouldn’t fit through the grips on uneven bars.
Suni even flew off the bars due to her “puffy and weak” hands. A large amount of water was retained by her body, which shifted her center of gravity and made it challenging for her to flip, twist, and balance. Her tendons and ligaments deteriorated as a result of the medicines she used. She had swelling all over her body, and doctors told her she would never be able to go back to gymnastics.
One of her coaches, Jess Graba, wanted to make sure she wasn’t going overboard. Suni’s instructor said that the most difficult part was getting her head to believe that she could keep performing on a regular basis even when her body wasn’t ready.
She had once called off her commercial engagements and stopped her Olympic preparations in Paris. She had to support herself and her siblings, so she was worried about not being able to work. The famous person began putting money aside for her siblings’ college tuition and discovered frugal living with what little was left over.
In 2023, she returned to the sport and won two medals at nationals. Her coach wanted her chicken cooked to perfection and at the time was on a strict low-sodium diet, so she bought air fryers in every place they visited.
When the world championship selection camp began, she declined the opportunity because she needed more time. At the time, she had said she would come back for the Olympics, but she was worried she wouldn’t be able to.
But when the athlete altered her perspective, she realized that competing for other people’s approval was the wrong kind of motivation. Since then, her ailments have subsided. She qualified for the US Olympic trials in June 2024, less than six months after she started training again, by finishing second in the all-around competitions.
Suni’s parents arrived to see her triumph. The athlete said at the trials, “A year ago, I didn’t even think this was possible,” and she broke down in tears. Unfortunately, the 21-year-old’s fame caused her to feel depressed and alone.
She often sobbed herself to sleep, missing the normal life. In addition, Suni struggled with the notion that she wasn’t worthy of an Olympic gold medal, a notion that was frequently bolstered by online critics.
After competing in Tokyo, the gymnast had to fast grow up in order to deal with her issues. But as she seized control of her life, on July 11, 2024, she launched a new endeavor.
The famous person revealed on Instagram that she and the American Kidney Fund were working together on the #KnowYourKidneys campaign. Although the athlete admitted that her experience had been challenging, she persevered in order to represent the US in Paris.
She attested to the reality that kidney disease can afflict people of any age and frequently has no known cause. Suni asked her fans to stay informed about kidney health issues and to advocate for kidney-healthy treatment choices that allow them to “live their best lives.”
She promised to share more details about her encounters and the tools the fund provides to assist anyone in need of a diagnosis. Jessica Hogg is the next former athlete to go down in flames.
Jessica Hogg
Jessica Hogg, an artistic gymnast, represents Great Britain. It is October 12, 1995, her birthday. In 2013, she participated in the championships in Britain, Wales, and Northern Europe. The following year, she participated in the Welsh Championships as well as the Commonwealth Games. She retired after that.
Jessica’s tale is comparable to Simone’s in that she experienced another disaster when she was a teenager, right when she was starting to feel a little more stable.
Being Richly Divorced
When Jessica was eighteen months old, her mother Karen, who was 29 years old, passed away from a brain tumor. Since her father had not been around since her birth, the former athlete was raised by her mother’s parents, Pamela and Sid Downing.
Her grandparents were given care of her and her elder sister, Charlotte. Charlotte underwent the change when she was six years old. Jessica’s grandmother was a rock until her sudden passing in December 2010.
Her twenty-year-old Charlotte and her ailing grandfather were the only persons left to take care of her. Jessica kept herself busy to help her deal with the catastrophe. After her grandmother passed away, coach Tracey Skirton-Davies allowed her to miss as many practices as she wanted.
The athlete made a surprising comeback after two days. Jessica’s coach said she had a different kind of love for gymnastics than most people.
Like Jessica, the following athlete also lost a parent. But because of her perseverance and strength, she was able to compete in the World Championships and win gold.
Shilese Jones
Shilese Jones, an artistic gymnast, has been a part of the US National Gymnastics team since 2017. The youngster from Auburn, Washington, rose to fame in 2014 when she became a junior elite gymnast at the age of twelve.
At the age of four, Sylvester Jones Jr. and his mother Latrice Bryant saw her skill while she was “just flipping around the house.” When they eventually made the decision to have her enrolled in a gym, she did poorly at the needed levels. She stated that she “wasn’t really paying attention, lost everything.”
But she quickly understood the idea and became a gymnastics prodigy. In 2018, she participated in the Pan American Championships held in Lima, Peru. She then competed in the World Championships in 2022 and 2023.
In 2022, she won a silver medal in the uneven bars and a further bronze in the all-around competition. Her disaster occurred a few years ago.
Loss of a Profound Loved One
Dec. 21, 2021, Shilese posted sad news on Instagram. Next to a picture of herself lying on her father’s chest while he lay in bed, the actress stated that she was “heartbroken beyond words” about losing her father the previous day.
She described him as her “everything,” her inspiration, a discussion partner, and a shoulder to weep on. They were bound together in an unbreakable way. She was in terrible pain every day after realizing she couldn’t cure him of his kidney condition.
Sylvester made a heroic effort to ensure her success and gave it everything he had. Shilese reflected on how Dad had taught her morality and other valuable life lessons. Regretfully, she believed he deserved to live to be a robust elderly man and didn’t know what she would do without him.
The athlete promised that he would always have her heart and promised to keep making him proud. She referred to him as the “best father” and thanked him for being able to witness her at the “highest stage of my life.” She also expressed thanks and honor.
In concluding, the famous person expressed her gratitude to him for always giving her the love and support she needed. At the time, twenty-one-year-old Shilese said that winning gold at the Summer Olympics in Paris in 2024 “wouldn’t just be for me and my team, but also for my dad.”
Shilese revealed that her father, a frequent gymgoer, will receive a medal dedicated to him. Before losing her father, the athlete finished ninth overall in the US Olympic Team Trials in 2021. She went back to Seattle after losing him.
Sarah Korngold, her coach, who started working with her in 2022, saw the impact of the loss on her. The teacher claims that Shilese realized she is practicing gymnastics for herself after losing.
She knows now why she took that action. After failing to make the 2020 Tokyo squad, the athlete went on to succeed and established herself as a legitimate competitor in the gymnastics world, which Sarah felt demonstrated that she had “what it takes to do it because she’s done it before.”
McKayla Maroney
McKayla Maroney currently resides in Laguna Niguel. Because she was always active as a child, she was homeschooled and eventually started gymnastics. She won gold in the vault, floor exercise, and team events at the 2010 Pan American Championships.
The next year, she participated in the Visa Championships. She won gold in vault and silver in all-around competitions, ranked fifth in floor exercises, and eighth in balance beam. In the same year, she took home gold for the team and the vault at the World Championships.
At the 2012 US Olympic Trials, she finished fifth in floor exercise, eighth in vault, and first in vault. Sadly, she experienced trauma at the hands of the person who was supposed to be watching out for her health.
An Inaccurate Examination
In an interview with Savannah Guthrie of “Today” in 2018, McKayla opened up about having her sex violated by a doctor when she was thirteen years old. The teenager was told that Larry Nassar, the former physician for the US Gymnastics team, would be performing a check-up at that time.
However, there was the first instance of abuse—not attending to her health. The doctor told her that no one would understand what had happened to her or the sacrifice she had made to qualify for the Olympics, so she couldn’t tell anyone.
The athlete stated that she didn’t believe anyone would get it, but that made sense because he didn’t say it in an offensive manner. She represented the United States gymnastics team in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, saying, “I don’t want to tell anybody about this.”
Regretfully, over the years, it happened “hundreds” of times and “every time I saw him.” Thankfully, justice was served and the doctor was eventually put behind bars.