Dreams do come true—just ask Simone Biles. Back in 2015, while prepping for the Rio Olympics, the gymnastics GOAT stumbled upon a Vine video that stopped her in her tracks. It featured a pint-sized prodigy nailing a standing backflip with a twist so flawlessly that Biles herself was blown away. Immediately, she tweeted the clip with the caption, “I’m in awe. {perfect}😱😍👯, Some1 help me find this cutie. I wanna meet her, so she could teach me a thing or two.” Fast-forward to 2024, and guess who that “cutie” turned out to be? None other than Joscelyn Roberson—now Biles’s teammate and close friend. Talk about a full-circle moment!
When Roberson first joined Biles at the World Champions Centre, she kept quiet about that viral Vine moment. But fate had other plans: the video resurfaced, and Biles exclaimed, “Oh, I remember this!” Now Roberson’s not just a familiar face on Team USA but a powerhouse in her own right. In fact, when Team USA faced a wave of injuries ahead of Paris, Roberson and Leanne Wong were called up as replacements. After Paris, Joscelyn joined Biles on the Gold Over America Tour, proving herself a vital part of the gymnastics scene.
And just to top off their storybook journey, Simone Biles recently posted on Instagram to finally cash in on her 2015 “teach me a thing or two” promise. Side by side, the two pulled off standing backflips—the exact same one Josc had nailed in that viral Vine years ago—capturing the heartwarming, full-circle magic of their connection. But the story doesn’t end there! Turns out, little Joscelyn was a true fan girl.
Growing up, Roberson idolized Simone Biles significantly. In fact, paying tribute to her impeccable career, little Roberson prepared a feature project on Biles in school. In an Instagram post from May 2015, the now 18-year-old posed in front of her GT (gifted and talented) dressed up as Biles.
Behind her was her project, which had highlighted Biles’ major career accolades up until 2015. To add further intrigue, Roberson donned a Simone Biles special leotard and also had a fake medal dangling from her neck. And now, as she is dreaming of conquering the gymnastics world, Joscelyn Roberson has opened up about how Biles has helped her in maturing as a gymnast.
Joscelyn Roberson speaks highly of Simone Biles
Roberson had always been intrigued by Simone Biles. After feeling saturated at her previous training facility, Roberson decided to move from Texarkana to the World Championships Center in Spring, Texas. After the 2022 US Championships, Roberson got her dreams fulfilled as she got to train with Simone Biles. Roberson also looked elated, getting the guidance of Cecile and Laurent Landi. Speaking about the closely-knit WCC environment, Roberson said, “It was a hard change for me because I was so close with everyone there. I had grown up with them. But this team has really taken me in and I’m so thankful for it. They really are a really close-knit team and l’m so happy that I got to be part of it. And this last year, really, I couldn’t have asked for a better year.”
And after having trained with her, the young gymnast has taken some valuable lessons from the GOAT. Roberson stated that getting to see the training routine of Biles was a blessing. Speaking to the International Gymnastics Media in March, Roberson stated, “Getting to see how she works and how she kept herself fresh and able to do gymnastics was really good. I’ll be taking how she goes down and comes back up, and her training, into my own training.” Impressed by Biles, Roberson incorporated bits of Biles’ training strategies into her own, and that landed her into the Olympics.
However, it was not only the training that left an impact on the 18-year-old. Biles’ advocacy for keeping oneself above the sport made wonders to Roberson’s confidence. In her interview with International Gymnastics Media, Roberson shared her takeaways from Biles’ advocacy. She said, “You can shut it off and do something else or talk about something else. I’m sure that, when I was younger, all I did was talk about gymnastics or think about gymnastics, and it really wore me out once I got older. So knowing you can shut that off for a little bit and do anything else other than that.”
She said to China Daily once, “Getting to know Simone has honestly been so fun.” Speaking about the age gap between the two, Roberson stated that it has never affected their sisterly love for each other. She said, “Yeah, I definitely feel like the age gap doesn’t really necessarily matter in the gym.” Moreover, in Michigan, which was the final stop for the GOAT tour 2024, her teammates decided to gather at the Little Caesars Arena to celebrate Biles’ privileged career.
Roberson stepped up to the occasion, presenting a bouquet and delivering a speech on the team’s behalf. She said, “From the girls, from your teammates, we love you and we can’t wait for you to start a new future.” This was a very emotional moment for Biles as she hugged Roberson with tears in her eyes. Thus, it is evident that Simone Biles remains a GOAT figure, enriching the lives of countless upcoming gymnasts.
