Simone Biles stood on a gold podium, addressed a crowd of thousands and admitted she was a little nervous.
Biles then gave a performance several minutes longer than any of her gymnastics routines.
She spoke for 12 minutes at Washington University in St. Louis, giving the commencement address on a rainy Monday. She did so at Francis Olympic Field, which held competition in several sports during the 1904 St. Louis Olympics.
The whole speech is here, about one hour and 45 minutes into the ceremony.
“You might think I’m used to the spotlight, but I would probably feel more comfortable if they had allowed me to vault onto the stage or do a little floor routine,” she said with chuckles, drawing applause. “But really, today is your day. While I may be considered an elite athlete, I know that you are elite students.”
Biles was also bestowed an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.
“I always dreamed of going to college, not just to be part of a collegiate gymnastics team, but to study medicine, to become a children’s nurse or a pediatrician, and to enjoy all the fun of a college campus,” said Biles, who committed to UCLA before turning professional at age 18 and forgoing college gymnastics. “But for me, that dream bumped up against others, and ultimately I chose a different path. But I do think my path and yours have a lot in common, although mine probably included a few more sequins and leotards.”
Biles last competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics, winning three gold medals and one silver medal. She has repeated this spring that she doesn’t know if she will return to competition to bid for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
To close her address Monday, she said, “The world doesn’t need you to be perfect. It needs you to be bold. It needs you to care and to keep going even when things don’t go as planned.”
