Simone Biles showed glimpses of her impeccable gymnastics ability at a very young age. Well, that’s what the world thought. But in reality, Biles was actually pretty late in realizing her full potential. And the reason for the same was none other than her coach. While this might sound quite astonishing, her childhood coach held her back just a little in order to launch her the hardest. And surely, when Biles announced her arrival onto the big scene, she did it in a grand style. After all these years, when Simone Biles has etched her name into the history books, her childhood coach looks back at her decision with immense pride.
Aimee Boorman took over the charge of Simone Biles at the early age of 7. While she did not perform very well at level 5, Biles was given the nod to move up to the next level. By virtue of her sheer talent, Biles would practice alongside gymnasts four to five years older than her. Yet, Boorman did not want to push her yet. She only made Biles train full-fledged after the gymnastics queen was 16. And the calculation cannot have come at a more perfect time.
Qualifying for her first Olympics at just 16, Biles made merry. She competed in vault, floor, all-around, and team. And much to everyone’s surprise, Biles clinched gold medals in all four disciplines! Four Olympic gold on her debut was like a dream. And all of this would not have been possible without the eagle-eyed Boorman. Speaking to USA Sports Today, Boorman gave her reasoning why she did not push Biles earlier. “If we had focused on the refinement earlier, she could have been winning meets earlier, but there was also the risk of burnout,” said Boorman. But this was not at all an easy task to do. In fact, according to Boorman, these mid-teen years were the most challenging for both Biles and Boorman herself.
Recalling anecdotes from the past, Boorman stated that Biles was never the person who would shy away. She did all the tasks assigned to her diligently. But one thing Biles did was head butt into things when she became overly frustrated. Keeping a cool head, Boorman had to deal with the situation tactfully. “I know this can be construed as you’re kicking somebody out of practice, but there would be days that I would say, ‘I think practice should be over for today because we’re not getting anywhere. Neither one of us is having fun!’” said Boorman. But this was not all. Boorman had a whole other bunch of account of how Biles used to throw varied tempers that her coach had to deal with.
Aimee Boorman unapologetically reflects on the fiery spirit behind Simone Biles’ Olympic greatness
Handling the unstoppable force that was Simone Biles was no easy task—even for her longtime coach, Aimee Boorman. Behind Biles’ dazzling routines and unmatched success lay a fiery, unpredictable temperament that often kept Boorman on her toes. As Boorman revealed, coaching the young phenom was as much about nurturing her spirit as it was about sharpening her skills.
Boorman described Biles as a gymnast who could swing from unshakable passion to sudden frustration without warning. “On any given day, if Simone didn’t have that passion and that love for gymnastics inside of her, she could be like, ‘I’m done. I’m gonna go run track,’” she told USA TODAY Sports. Balancing discipline with patience became a daily challenge, especially when Biles struggled with fears like mental blocks on beam routines. Boorman knew she had to approach each day gently, ensuring Biles didn’t feel like she had let anyone down. Her competitive mindset was equally unique, cause it was not just silent focus, Simone thrived in an atmosphere of relaxed encouragement, ready to leap into action with her rallying cry, “Let’s play!”
Biles’ raw talent was undeniable, but her former coach admitted, “I can’t say she was a tireless worker.” As the stakes grew higher, the stakes with Simone’s moods did too. Yet no matter the frustrations, they always found a way to move forward together.
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