Simone Biles Makes An Honest Confession During Recent Reunion With Brazil’s Rebecca Andrade: “Still Support Me”

It’s a dog-eat-dog world when it comes to gymnastics on the international stage. And yet, sometimes the brotherhood, or sisterhood, between athletes can create heartwarming moments. While 7x Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles is justifiably looked at as competition by gymnasts from around the world, the Houston native confessed that some of her fiercest opponents can have a very different view on the matter.

The gymnastics GOAT recently appeared at the Vtex Connect in New York. There, she shared the stage with Rebeca Andrade, Brazil’s Olympic gold medalist gymnast who also enjoys an iconic status around the world. In her recent Instagram story, Biles shared a brief snippet from the event where the two gymnasts can be seen hugging each other.

At the event, Simone talked about how her first Olympic experience was made easy by the Brazilians. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Biles hauled four gold and one bronze medal, establishing herself firmly as one of the most prolific stars of the Games. But she had people in the foreign land to support her as well. “That was my very first Olympics, and Brazil embraced me as one of their own, even though I was American, they loved on me…and they still support me,” she said about how the Rio Games will always be memorable for her. With that, she also shared praising words for the 2x Olympic gold medalist Andrade.

“I absolutely love and adore Rebeca,” Biles told the crowd, highlighting that the two share a bond that goes beyond their gymnastics rivalry. “The way she paved Brazilian gymnastics, I think is definitely unmatched,” Simone Biles stated further. “I love her, and I love her resilience,” she affirmed with a beaming smile, noting that what they share cannot be quantified, but instead can only be felt.