Simone Biles just added a new type of medal to her collection.
The Olympic champion was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden on July 7. And while Simone has made history before by becoming the most decorated American gymnast of all time, the 25-year old just made history once again by becoming the youngest person to ever receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Reflecting on this milestone, Simone noted that it’s “a huge honor” to accomplish so early on.
“It’s kind of scary because it is the best award you can receive for your whole life so now it’s kind of scary like, ‘Oh, what do I do now?’ But it’s a huge honor,” she told reporters at the White House. “I’m excited to be here especially with my family, my agents [and] all the other recipients. So, it was an exciting morning.”
According to The White House, Simone was selected to receive the Nation’s highest civilian honor amongst 16 other individuals for her history-making accomplishments in gymnastics, as well as her advocacy work for the mental health and safety of athletes; children who are in the foster care system; and victims of sexual assault.
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