News Americas, New York, NY, August 5, 2024: Simone Biles’ adopted mom, Nellie Cayetano Biles, was in the stands at the 2024 Paris Olympics, alongside her father Ronald Biles and Simone’s husband, NFL player Jonathan Owens, as the gymnast, 27, walked away with four medals.
Family members of Simone Biles of Team United States, (L-R) her husband Jonathan Owens and parents Nellie and Ronald Biles look on prior to the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Team Final on day four of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on July 30, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Nellie Biles, mom of Simone Biles, was born Nellie Cayetano in Belize City, Belize. She is the daughter of former Belize Senator and well-known businessman Silas Cayetano and Evarista Cayetano, a teacher and grocery store owner. At 18, in 1973, Nellie left Belize to attend nursing school at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. Until then, she had never seen a television in person, used a phone, or flown on a plane.
In 1976, she met Ron, who was stationed at Randolph Air Force Base outside San Antonio. They married in January 1977. At the time, Ronald was serving in the Air Force, and Nellie was in nursing school. She became a nurse and co-owned multiple nursing homes in Texas, while Ron became an air traffic controller.
Nellie Biles, Simone Biles’ mom is technically her biological grandmother, but she and her husband adopted Simone at age six after she and her siblings were placed in foster care by Ronald Biles’ daughter, Shannon, who is Simone’s biological mother. Shannon had four children, including Simone, but struggled with addiction. The siblings were placed in foster care when Simone was about three years old. She and her sister Adria were eventually adopted by their grandparents, while her two other siblings, Tevin and Ashley, were adopted by their great aunt and raised in Cleveland, Ohio.
In “Simone vs. Herself,” Nellie shared how she prayed for bonding after bringing the girls into her home. “You wake up one day, and you realize that you would do anything for these children and that you would die for these children,” said Nellie. “And when that feeling comes, that’s when you know you are truly a mother.”
Ron and Nellie raised Simone and Adria as their own and enrolled Simone in gymnastics at age six upon her request. A daycare trip to a gymnasium revealed Simone’s talent, and coaches encouraged her parents to get her lessons. Nellie noted in a 2016 interview that Simone “never missed a practice,” even when sick.
The parents haven’t missed any of Simone’s competitions, except for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to COVID-19 restrictions, and continued to support her after she withdrew from the games to focus on her mental health.
Simone holds Belizean citizenship through her adoptive mother and considers Belize her second home.
Belize, located on the eastern coast of Central America, boasts stunning Caribbean Sea shorelines to the east and dense jungles to the west. Offshore lies the expansive Belize Barrier Reef, dotted with hundreds of low-lying islands called cayes, teeming with rich marine life. Belize’s jungles are home to remarkable Mayan ruins, such as Caracol with its towering pyramid, the lagoon-side Lamanai, and Altun Ha, just outside Belize City. Belize is part of the Caribbean Community, CARICOM.
Approximately 16% of Belizeans live abroad, while immigrants make up about 15% of Belize’s population. Many Belizeans seek job and educational opportunities in the United States rather than in former colonizer Great Britain due to the U.S.’s closer proximity and stronger trade ties with Belize. Belizeans also emigrate to Canada, Mexico, and English-speaking Caribbean countries.
Canada is urging nationals to exercise a high degree of caution when traveling to Belize. The government specifically advises avoiding non-essential travel to Southside Belize City, south of the Haulover Creek River, due to gang and drug-related violence, including murders and shootings.
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