Simone Biles receives Presidential Medal of Freedom

This is why Simone Biles was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Transcript

00:00Simone Biles is adding another medal to her already extensive collection.

00:04The 25-year-old Olympic gymnast just became the youngest person to ever receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

00:10Biles received the honor for her contributions to American gymnastics and her advocacy work for foster care,

00:16athletes' mental health, and sexual assault survivors.

00:19At the ceremony, she was recognized as a former foster child who became a once-in-a-generation athlete.

00:24Over the course of her career, she has earned 32 Olympic and World Championship medals.

00:29During the 2021 Olympics, Biles led the movement for athletes to prioritize their mental health.

00:35She was one of the first high-profile figures to vocalize the stress professional sports puts

00:39on athletes. Last year, she joined three of her Olympic teammates to testify before Congress

00:44regarding the abuse they suffered by former U.S. gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.

00:49President Biden noted that Biles was able to, quote,

00:52turn personal pain into a greater purpose.

00:54She is now one of six women sports figures to ever receive the award.