Simone Biles: Gymnastics Star

By Lori Mortensen

Simone Biles is one of the country's best female athletes. Learn about her childhood, the challenges she has overcome, and this gymnast's greatest accomplishments. Get the inside scoop on her gold-medal-winning Olympic appearance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
• Release date: May 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781496647627

Lori Mortensen

Lori Mortensen is an award-winning children’s book author of more than 100 books and over 500 stories and articles. Recent titles include Nonsense! The Curious Story of Edward Gorey (Versify/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) and Away with Words, the Daring Story of Isabella Bird (Peachtree), about a Victorian traveler who defied society’s boundaries for women and became the first woman inducted into the Royal Geographical Society. When she’s not letting her cat in or out, Lori is tapping away at her computer, conjuring, coaxing, and prodding her latest stories to life. She lives in Cameron Park, CA.   www.lorimortensen.com Twitter: @lorimortensen

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Women Sports Stars: Simone Biles by Lori Mortensen

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Chapter 1: Moment of Truth

Chapter 2: Backflips and Foster Care

Chapter 3: Perfection

Chapter 4: Mind Games

Chapter 5: Making History

Timeline

Read More

Index

Copyright

Back Cover

CHAPTER 1

Moment of Truth

It was August 18, 2011. Fourteen-year-old Simone Biles was competing in the Visa National Championships. A spot on the USA Gymnastics women’s artistic Junior National Team was at stake. Out of 50 competitors, only the top 13 would make it. It was the chance of a lifetime.

Simone’s heart pounded. She stared up at the huge screen above the arena. After training eight years at Bannon’s Gymnastix in Houston, Texas, it came down to this.

As the seconds ticked by, Simone wondered if she was good enough. Earlier, Coach Marta Karolyi told her to perform one of the hardest vaults in the world — the Amanar.

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