Simone Biles Says Husband Jonathan Owens Got 'a Couple Days Off' from NFL Practice to Support Her at Olympics
Owens and other members of Biles' family were in the stands at the U.S. Olympic Trials over the weekend in Minneapolis
Carmen Mandato/Getty
Jonathan Owens will be keeping score in Paris!
On the eve of his debut with the Chicago Bears, the NFL player is set to support his wife Simone Biles as she goes for (more) gold at the Olympics later this month, the gymnast told reporters on Sunday, June 30 following her decisive win at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Minneapolis.
Biles confirmed that Owens put in for vacation time with his new team.
“The Bears are actually granting him a couple days off from training camp, so he'll be there,” the heavily-decorated Olympian, 27, said. “Yes, for just a short little time.”
Having the support of her husband of more than a year means a lot to the G.O.A.T., who earned a spot on her third Olympic team on Sunday and became just the fourth female gymnast ever to do so. Only Muriel Grossfeld, Linda Metheny and Dominique Dawes have previously pulled off the feat.
Related: Simone Biles Will Compete at Paris Olympics, Only the 4th Woman to Make 3 Gymnastics Teams
“I think it's super exciting that we get to be in each other's elements and supporting each other's dreams and goals,” Biles said. “And yeah, it is these memories that we make that we'll never get back."
She added, "So anytime we can show up for one another and support, we just get super excited because our schedules don't align that much. So whenever it does, it's really important for the both of us to show up and support.”
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Last month, Owens, 28, was in the stands at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Fort Worth where he was seen on the edge of his seat — and keeping score.
Following her win, Simone spoke with the media during a press conference and explained why he was writing on a piece of paper as she competed.
“At the last meet Jonathan saw my parents doing it [keeping score] and said ‘where’d you get that? I need one of those.’ Because whenever he learns about something he wants to like, really dive in…so if he’s gonna learn about gymnastics, he’s gonna learn about it. So, that’s what he was doing, keeping score of everybody and adding it up and stuff like that,” she said.
On Sunday, Owens again cheered on his wife — something she did proudly while Owens played for Green Bay last season.
Last fall, Biles opened up on the Today show about how her perspective on gymnastics has changed since getting married.
“Gymnastics is just something I get to come in and have the privilege of doing. I don’t feel like it’s the end all be all anymore, as before I kind of felt like that,” Biles explained at the time. “I get to go home to my husband, to my dogs, to my house and all of the things. So it feels really good.”
To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, visit TeamUSA.com and come to people.com to check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. Watch the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, beginning July 26, on NBC and Peacock.
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