Olympic champion Simone Biles has visited Australia for the first time, meeting fans and inspiring the next generation of gymnasts. Her openness about mental health and resilience has resonated with athletes and supporters alike.

Council of the City of Sydney

Simone Biles, the seven-time Olympic gold medalist, made her first trip to Australia, where she was warmly welcomed by fans of all ages. During her visit, Biles interacted with aspiring gymnasts, signing autographs and sharing her experiences, including her advocacy for mental health in sports.

Biles' presence was described as motivational for young athletes, with many expressing admiration for her achievements and openness about overcoming challenges. While she did not confirm future competition plans, Biles mentioned the possibility of competing at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, emphasizing the importance of mental, physical, and emotional readiness.

Simone Biles inspires young gymnasts during Australia visit

The goat of gymnastics, Simone Biles, has tumbled all the way down under for the first time and the welcome was a perfect ten. I went to Featherdale and that was super, super cute. Despite the weather. I bring rain everywhere I go so it's probably my fault, I'm not going to lie. But rain, hail or shine, kids and adults who've only ever seen their hero on TV weren't going to miss out on the opportunity to meet the seven times Olympic gold medalist in the flesh. She has signed my notebook and I'm going to take that heart forever and take her courage and her persistence to my future state trials. I was just starstruck, like I never thought we'd ever be able to meet Simone Biles, like even people who know nothing about gymnastics know Simone Biles. And not just for what she's done on the mat or the moves named after her. The champion gymnast has charged the conversation about sport, pressure and mental health. Simone Biles is out of the competition tonight. A message that cut deep with other sports stars too. Well personally I've had quite a few injuries and to hear what she went through was pretty cool and to be able to relate in some cases. When something traumatic happens or something out of the ordinary, everyone wants to know how you picked back up and so that's exactly why I tell my story. For the next generation of gymnasts, her visit could help springboard them to greatness. They're going to come back to gym today and they're just going to want to do more and more and more. These kids could be Australia's Olympic stars of the future and while they've got a little bit of time on their side, so too it seems does Simone Biles who's not ruling out a return for LA 2028. It would be a dream come true to compete on home soil but again getting everything in tune mentally, physically, emotionally, everything would have to align. But she's already proven that when dreams and determination meet, anything is possible. Even this. Tallulah Thompson, Ten News.

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