Simone Biles has truly earned her time off this year.
After bringing home three Olympic Gold medals from the Paris games and completing her wildly successful Athleta-sponsored Gold Over America Tour, the most decorated gymnast in history is ready to settle into the season and embrace new holiday traditions.
We caught up with Biles as she prepares for a sports-filled, intimate holiday season with her hubby Jonathan Owens, and got her to dish on all things festive, her recently released capsule collection with Athleta, and sharing some of her holiday must-haves from the brand’s Season of Sets.
ESSENCE: You’ve had an amazing, whirlwind 2024, bringing home medal after medal and touring the nation. How are you planning to unwind now that the holidays are quickly approaching and you have a bit of downtime?
Simone Biles: For me, unwinding is not too much of a thing! I do have a couple of days off leading up [to the holidays], but nowadays, my life kind of revolves around football. So [Chicago Bears games are] when I get to unwind, have some fun, go support my husband and just learn more about football. So that’s kind of what it looks like these days.
Have you and your husband established any new favorite holiday traditions?
It’s actually so funny with holiday traditions now because my husband either plays on the holiday or right after. So those are kind of not a thing anymore, either! But I am excited to spend the holiday just the two of us. Most of the time our family flies in or we’re visiting, but this is the first time Thanksgiving and Christmas will just be the two of us. So it will be a little bit more intimate, but so much fun.
So it sounds like Bears football is pretty much your holiday tradition these days. You mentioned that you’re still getting acquainted with the sport. As a master athlete in your own right, how has it been learning so much about the game in real time?
It’s actually so much fun because it’s something to look forward to, and I know my husband loves playing on those holidays because it makes it special for everyone in the U.S. and everybody watching. So, it’s actually really exciting. It’s a new tradition, and we’re getting used to it, but we love it.
Now tell us about your Athleta capsule collection! We all pretty much live in athleisure these days – whether we’re engaging in something athletic or not. Why is this particular brand of athletic wear so special to you?
I think what was so important was they supported me as a person – as just Simone rather than “Simone Biles.” That legacy has built everything, but they really wanted to get to know me as a person; what my aspirations are and what I want to do to give back to the community. So that was what was so special.
How did you settle on the particular items you chose to go into your capsule?
First and foremost, it’s just like me! The material is incredible. It’s this beautiful, rich navy color, and coming off the 2024 Olympics, I feel like that was super powerful. The minute I saw the Powervita Shine fabric, I fell in love. We wanted to make sure that it was super soft but still supportive. Again, we’re always moving and on the go!
One of my first Athleta collections was with young girls in mind because we know that they live in that athleisure gear. You can go from school straight to your after-school activities. But then the women were really begging for a collection, too. So we thought, “You know what? Let’s spread the love! So that’s why we did this collection for the adults – but there’s still two pieces for the young girls this time around, so we did not forget them! We wanted to make sure it was still high-performance, super soft, had an elevated look, and was just special. I think that’s what Athleta is so good about: making each individual person feel special. Inclusion.
Now we noticed that you’re modeling a few of the pieces yourself in this gorgeous red color that looks amazing on you. What made you gravitate toward that particular hue for your product shots?
Oh my goodness. I feel like that color makes for a perfect holiday set. You cannot go wrong. I mean, it’s perfect for lounging, errands, working out in the gym, and personally, it celebrates strength and resilience that are reflected in my bold personal style. Honestly, for me, red is a power color. I wanted everybody to feel powerful.
So, what items make it into the Simone Biles-approved gift guide? What would you say are your top Athleta pics for holiday gifting?
Oh my goodness! Okay, you can absolutely never go wrong with the Elation Ultra High Rise Legging. I have probably 20 to 30 pairs because they’re that good. The Train Free Bra is great if you’re doing cardio in the gym because it dries so quickly. And then these are my favorites because I’m always traveling in them and wearing them around Chicago because it’s so cold: the Athleta Fleece sweat sets. The Forever Fleece High Rise Jogger and Easy Fleece ½ Zip Hoodie are perfect for gift-giving, lounging, or wearing. That’s literally my favorite.
That’s awesome, and we’re definitely taking notes! To wrap things up, after such a momentous 2024, how are you planning to make 2025 just as memorable if not more? What do you have coming up in the New Year?
My husband and I have a couple of vacations planned, but other than that, I’m really trying to give back and be involved in the community because they’ve supported me on my journey for so many years. So just sharing any insight and tips I can to give back.
