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During Sunday night’s VMAs, we had the chance to see a side of Simone Biles and her U.S. gymnastics teammates that we haven’t really witnessed before. They traded in their leotards and ponytails (with the exception of Laurie Hernandez) for colorful dresses and hair done to a T.
And while Biles, in particular, had so much to be excited about (including getting to give an award to Beyoncé), as pointed out by quite a few publications, the night was especially memorable because it was one of the few times she’s been able to have such an experience. As Biles and her mother (known to some as her grandmother) explained to The Washington Post earlier this summer, she missed out on a lot of things young women take part in so that she could focus on gymnastics and be homeschooled. One of those everyday life events includes prom.
As she told Nellie Biles after she received her high school diploma, “I have lost so much. By giving up public school, I lost a lot of friends because we don’t have the same interests. I don’t do this ‘hanging out,’ whatever that is. I’ve never gone to someone’s party, so I don’t know what they do there. And I’ve never gone to a homecoming; never a prom. I gave up a lot, but I made the right decision because look what I’ve accomplished.”
Those accomplishments include five gold medals at the 2016 Olympics (four gold). And after working hard to have that success, Biles was finally able to have her glamorous prom-ish moment. She got gussied up in a mini dress by designer Sherri Hill, who is known for her popular prom dresses, and Biles accessorized with sparkling shoes and a clutch. The hair was on point — as well as those arms!
Check out some of Biles’s favorite VMA moments from her Instagram below. Instead of classmates, she was able to swap them out to take pictures with celebrities. If only we all could have been so lucky…
