Courage to Soar by Simone Biles with Michelle Burford

Courage to Soar by Simone Biles with Michelle Burford
256 pages

"Simone Biles’ entrance into the world of gymnastics may have started on a daycare field trip in her hometown of Spring, Texas, but her God-given talent, passion, and perseverance have made her one of the top gymnasts in the world, as well as a four-time winner of Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro.

"But there is more to Simone than the nineteen medals—fourteen of them gold—and the Olympic successes. Through years of hard work and determination, she has relied on her faith and family to stay focused and positive, while having fun competing at the highest level and doing what she loves. Here, in her own words, Simone takes you through the events, challenges, and trials that carried her from an early childhood in foster care to a coveted spot on the 2016 Olympic team.

"Along the way, Simone shares the details of her inspiring personal story—one filled with the kinds of daily acts of courage that led her, and can lead you, to even the most unlikely of dreams." --from the publisher

I enjoyed getting an overview of Simone's story and rise to greatness. Pretty amazing! I give it four out of five stars.

Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance by Simone Biles

Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance by Simone Biles-250 pages

I enjoyed watching Team USA gymnastics (and all the USA event teams) at the Olympics, so when I saw this on the shelf at the book store I decided I wanted to read it. It chronicles Simone Biles from childhood, when she was adopted by her grandparents (now her "parents") and moved to Spring, Texas at a young age because her biological parents were unable to care for her or her three siblings, to winning three straight World gymnastics championships and Olympic Team and All-Around Gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Her journey along the way, including some tough decisions, makes for a cool, inspiring story for kids and teenagers.