If you've been keeping up with the Rio Olympics, or frankly if you just don't live under a rock, you probably have heard the name Simone Biles. Biles is a 19-year-old gymnast, already the most decorated world gymnast of all time and is on the fast track to dominate these Summer Olympics. As many Olympians do, Simone Biles overcame many hurdles (literally and figuratively) in order to make it to where she is today. Many of these feats have been brought to light by sports announcers throughout her road to Olympic greatness, including her upbringing and family structure.
Her father was not in the picture and her mother was a drug addict. This caused Simone and her siblings to be bounced around in foster care until 2001 when she was officially adopted by her maternal grandparents; Ron and Nellie Biles. As time passed Simone and her sister began referring to them as "mom" and "dad". They are, after all, the only parents they have ever known.
This has all been made very public and is brought up throughout the gymnastics broadcasts regularly. It was brought up in a new way on Sunday, however. Longtime gymnastics announcer Al Trautwig addressed the situation on a primetime broadcast referring to them as her grandparents. The Twitterverse quickly responded in an uproar citing that they are her parents and he should address them as such. Instead of responding with grace, Trautwig proceeded to tweet, "They may be mom and dad, but they are NOT her parents." He later took it back and apologized for his rude remarks, but I have news for you Al Trautwig, it's a little too late.
For kids who have been adopted, whether it be by family or not, those are their parents. They are the people who changed their life forever and gave them a forever home. So how can you, someone not in her shoes, say something so inconsiderate? Although Biles chose to pretty much ignore the comment, Trautwig should keep in mind what a statement like that means to her family. You are saying on primetime television that something you know nothing about, is somehow a skewed family structure. They are just as much her parents as yours or mine. So to Al Trautwig, they ARE and always will be her parents. Go for gold, Simone!
For reference and more on this story check out http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/rio-...
