Simone Biles Brings Her ‘Goat’ Status To The Gold Over America Tour
The GOAT, Olympian, and seven-time gold medalist Simone Biles is taking her talents throughout the United States to inspire children and adults with the Gold Over America Tour (you read that right; the acronym is GOAT).
The Athleta Presents Gold Over America Tour (GOAT) stars Biles and the best-of-the-best female and male competitors from the gymnastics world, like Jordan Chiles and Frederick Richard. The high-energy and high-flying gymnastics-meets-pop-concert spectacle kicked off last week in Oceanside, San Diego, with eager fans awaiting to see dazzling dance sequences and intricate gymnastic moves, with Biles at the helm.
Biles mainly describes the Gold Over America Tour (the third tour she’s conceptualized and the second GOAT tour Biles has led, with the inaugural showcase in 2021) as a pop concert-style spectacle, full of high energy and athleticism, meant for pure entertainment, geared towards family fun, not competition. “We tried to decide how this tour is going to look different. We believed the (tour) needed to tell a storyline, something the kids could resonate with and be excited to go home and keep telling their parents, classmates, or teammates about. So that’s really how this idea came about, but it’s sharing that love and passion for the sport we have with the audience and doing a celebration tour after the Olympics,” Biles said to ESSENCE.
For Biles and her cadre of all-star and elite gymnasts, this tour serves as their celebration coming off the Paris Olympics and a victory lap. “We’ve done all the work, and now we just get to sit and have our celebration tour, have fun, and have people celebrate us. Because I truly believe that as much as we do, we never get that time to celebrate. So this time, we get to celebrate every night with an audience. And there’s nothing like it. It’s super special,” she said.
In addition to showcasing her skill as a gymnast, Biles believes this tour will be a game-changer for representation, especially as a petite Black woman. “This tour is massive for representation. And I think every kid in the audience can pick out somebody on our tour lineup who looks just like them, which is remarkable. Sports have evolved, and there’s a space for everyone,” she stated.
Biles continued, “I think that’s beautiful because before, there was always a standard of what a girl should and shouldn’t look like.”
It’s important to note that this tour isn’t one for medals and competition but mainly to highlight the importance of having fun. You can expect tons of dancing, colorful outfits, and high energy regarding routines and sequences performed on the tour; think Barbie meets Beyoncé. “I will say the kids will probably love the Barbie and Ken sequence the most because that was such a popular movie. However, one of the favorites for the tour cast would be our Texas Hold ‘Em number. It’s a little bit of Beyoncé. We get cowboy hats, cowgirl hats, and that one’s really fun,” Biles exclaimed.
If you’re wondering what she does for self-care after dominating the Olympics and wowing tour-goers, Biles keeps it simple. “I would say therapy, weekly. And then if there’s ever an opportunity to go to a spa, love doing that, or just taking a hot bath with Epsom salt bubbles, or just really spending quality time with my husband, going and trying new restaurants, being at home with our dogs or just rotting because we’re always on the go, so anytime we get to sit and rest is so fun, just slow down,” she shared.
