As gymnast Simone Biles<\/strong><\/a> secured Team U.S.A. a spot for the 2024 Paris Olympics<\/a>, a source tells Life & Style<\/em> exclusively that she\u2019s like a \u201cnew person\u201d from where she was going into the Tokyo games in 2021.<\/p>\n \u201cSimone is back and she\u2019s feeling stronger than ever. Dropping out three years ago<\/a> and the trauma from the whole Larry Nassar<\/strong> mess took a toll on her but she\u2019s grateful for the therapy that helped her with all of that. She\u2019s excited about this new squad and ready to take home the gold,\u201d a sports insider explains.<\/p>\n Simone, 27 was one of hundreds of gymnasts who came forward in 2018 with accounts of sexual abuse by former Team U.S.A. doctor Larry Nassar. He was sentenced<\/a> to 40 to a maximum of 175 years in prison for sexual assault of minors.<\/p>\n \u201cTherapy is still part of her regular routine, which has helped her in all aspects of her life,\u201d the source continues.<\/p>\n \u201cHer support team also includes her husband, Jonathan Owens<\/strong><\/a>, who grounds her and helps keep her focused on what\u2019s really important,\u201d the insider says of the Chicago Bears player, 28. Simone and Jonathan tied the knot in April 2023 after three years of dating.<\/p>\n \u201cSimone is like a new person headed into the Paris Olympics and she credits the stability and determination she gets, being in the zone once again, from being a top athlete. She loves every aspect of her life today,\u201d the source explains.<\/p>\n The Texas native made history when she secured a spot on Team U.S.A. on Sunday, June 30, finishing first in the all-around. At 27, Simone became the oldest female gymnast who will compete for the United States in the Olympics in 72 years.<\/p>\n The seven-time Olympic medalist had been dominant in the lead-up to the Paris games. She won her ninth U.S. gymnastics championship on June 2, and soared over the competition in the Olympic trials.<\/p>\n Simone is hoping for redemption in Paris after having to withdraw from four events<\/a> at the Tokyo Olympics.<\/p>\n On July 28, 2021, U.S.A. Gymnastics announced Simone would not be participating in the final individual all-around competition \u201cin order to focus on her mental health.\u201d Teammate Sunisa Lee<\/strong> went on to win gold in the event.<\/p>\n The following day, the athlete was seen cheering on Sunisa, 21, and fellow teammate Jade Carey<\/strong> from the stands and took to social media to clap back at accusations she was a quitter.<\/p>\n \u201cFor anyone saying I quit. I didn\u2019t quit, my mind & body are simply not in sync as you can see here,\u201d she wrote next to video of her having difficulties on the uneven bars at practice.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think you realize how dangerous this is on hard\/competition surface nor do I have to explain why I put health first,\u201d she continued.<\/p>\n Simone went on to explain how she developed what is known as the \u201ctwisties,\u201d<\/a> in a fan Q&A. \u201cLiterally cannot tell up from down. It\u2019s the craziest feeling ever. Not having an inch of control over your body. What\u2019s even scarier is since I have no idea where I am in the air I also have NO idea how I\u2019m going to land or what I\u2019m going to land on,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n The four-time gold medalist later added in another post, \u201cNo this was not happening before I left the USA,\u201d and \u201cit randomly started happening after prelims competition the VERY next morning.\u201d<\/p>\n On July 30, 2021, U.S.A. Gymnastics confirmed Simone would not be competing in the vault and the uneven bars, which were due to take place two days later. The next day, the organization announced the gymnast\u2019s fourth withdrawal<\/a>, pulling out of the event final for the floor exercise.<\/p>\n Simone was cleared to compete in the final gymnastics event, taking home a bronze medal in the balance beam. She expressed her gratitude afterward, telling reporters, \u201cTo be cleared to do beam, which I didn\u2019t think I was going to be, just meant the world to be back out there. I wasn\u2019t expecting to walk away with a medal.\u201d<\/p>\n In the competitions leading up to the 2024 Olympic trials, Simone shared how much Jonathan\u2019s presence cheering her on in the stands meant to her. \u201cMy whole heart. The best supporter, I couldn\u2019t ask for a better husband,\u201d she captioned a May 19 Instagram photo showing the pair sharing a kiss while she was on the sidelines as he bent over the railing.<\/p>\n The couple got engaged<\/a> in February 2022 and married in a Houston, Texas, courthouse ceremony ahead of a destination wedding in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico<\/a>, on May 5, 2023.<\/p>\n Simone spent the better part of the fall of 2023 cheering on Jonathan as he played for the Green Bay Packers, spending plenty of time in Wisconsin with her husband. She was in the stands as his team beat the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round of the playoffs on January 14, as well as when the Packers lost to the future NFC champion San Francisco 49ers on January 20. Jonathan signed a two-year contract with the Bears in March.<\/p>\n While Chicago\u2019s training camp begins on July 19, the team has allowed Jonathan a few days off so he can be in Paris to support Simone in her attempts at more Olympic medals.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Bears are actually granting him a couple days off from training camp, so he\u2019ll be there, yes. For just a short little time,\u201d she told USA Today<\/em>\u2018s Nancy Armour<\/strong> on June 30, after securing her place on Team U.S.A.<\/p>\n \u201cAnytime we can show up for one another in support, we just get super excited because our schedules don\u2019t align that much,\u201d Simone continued. \u201cSo whenever it does, it\u2019s really important for the both of us to show up in support.\u201d<\/p>\n The key days for the decorated gymnast are July 30 when the team final takes place. The women\u2019s all-around final is two days later on August 1, and Simone is the favorite to take home the gold medal.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Simone](\"https:\/\/www.lifeandstylemag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Simone-Biles-Is-Like-a-New-Person-Ahead-of-Paris-Olympics-1.jpg?fit=400%2C278&quality=86&strip=all\")
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