In the Windy City, Olympic champion Simone Biles has become a familiar face, frequently cheering on her husband, Jonathan Owens, who plays with the Chicago Bears.
This past Saturday, Biles devoted her time to empowering Chicago’s youth, instilling them with a sense of self-assurance.
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The acclaimed gymnast made a notable visit to connect with some remarkable young individuals in the area.
“It was exciting because I got to ask her a few questions, take pictures, and even get her autograph,” shared Valentine Wallace, a student with Friends of the Children.
Biles serves as an ambassador for Friends of the Children, a national nonprofit dedicated to matching children facing challenges such as foster care or generational poverty with supportive mentors.
Simone Biles, Friends of the Children ambassadorThese mentor-mentee relationships often span over a decade, fostering life-changing impacts that last well beyond the program’s duration.
Biles is an ambassador for Friends of the Children, a national nonprofit working to pair thousands of children facing difficult circumstances like foster care or intergenerational poverty with mentors.
The relationships between the children and their mentors lasts for more than a decade, but the results are everlasting.
Friends of the Children’s Phalon Carpenter said Biles’ presence on Saturday will be a core memory for the children.
“I think it’s very important for our children to see people that look like them be successful outside the normal thing,” Carpenter said. “They are going to remember, they are still talking about it now and I know in the coming weeks they’ll still be talking about it.”
The organization says the program has led to increased graduation rates, job placement and more.
“Oh my gosh, it was so special and I feel like they see me on the TV all the time and it doesn’t seem relatable, but whenever I come in and have a conversation with them, they are kind of like, ‘Oh, she’s just like me,’” Biles said.
Biles, who entered the foster system alongside her siblings at a young age, says she sees herself in the very children listening to her speak.
“Just seeing the kids’ faces light up and having that proper representation and having people for girls that look like me and I was once in their shoes, it truly means the world and I want to continue to do work in the foster care community,” Biles said.
Not one for turning away from adversity or a challenge herself, Biles had words of encouragement for children facing their own daily hurdles.
“Kids are like sponges and around the spaces they are in they can here all sorts of things, so I think it’s really important to start those affirmations young so they fully believe in it and themselves,” Biles said.
They are words of encouragement that all need to hear.
