Simone Biles Responds to Michelle Obama Naming Her In Mount Rushmore of Athletes

Michelle Obama knows game.

She has been involved in athletics her entire life, and as first lady has led athletic initiatives, such as to combat childhood obesity. She frequently partnered with pro athletes and teams to bring attention to athletic causes, such as hosting the U.S. Women's Soccer Team for a White House lawn clinic and participating in an NBA Fit PSA with the Miami Heat.

Athletics runs in her family too - Obama co-hosts a podcast with her brother, Craig Robinson, who was a two-time Ivy League player of the year at Princeton, was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers, and then coached D1 basketball at Brown and Oregon State.

Obama selects her female athlete Mount Rushmore

Obama recently appeared on Coach Jackie J’s podcast "Is She Game?" on October 20, 2026, where she revealed her current passion is tennis, and then praised the athleticism and impact of women athletes in their respective sports.

Her husband, former President Barack Obama named his Mount Rushmore of athletes, so Michelle stepped up to chose her hypothetical Mount Rushmore of four female athletes.

The former first lady diversified her selection of trailblazing women athletes, choosing those from different eras in their sport and giving them all compliments on not only their remarkable skill but who they are personally.

Obama leaned into her passion for tennis selecting Serena Williams and Billie Jean King, then adding Lisa Leslie with a focus on Simone Biles, as her top four female athletes who provided outstanding contributions to women's athletics.

Michelle Obama Gives Simone Biles Her Flowers

simon biles — Aug 5, 2024; Paris, France; Simone Biles of the United States poses for a photo with her three gold and one silver medal after day three of the gymnastics event finals during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Obama shared how much she loves gymnastics and praised Biles, saying, "She can do it all." She noted that people "don't give gymnasts the credit for the training, the conditioning, the physical ability.

She also pointed out impressive Biles' tumbling run, asking how many feet she can get up in the air. "Is it 13 feet?"

Biles stands at 4 feet, 8 inches tall, and can reach a height of 12 feet off the ground during her floor routine.

SIMONE BILES IS LITERALLY LAUNCHING INTO SPACE. 🚀 #USAGTrials24 pic.twitter.com/bDGMRauCpg
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 1, 2024

Obama continued to admire the mental strength it takes to be a gymnast and how much the sport has changed from a fitness, health, and nutrition standpoint. The former first lady applauded the efforts of gymnasts adding, "To know what they were going through and still performing at that risk level, and conquering it."

She concluded by giving Biles the ultimate compliment: "I think that a Simone Biles has to be a G.O.A.T. I say that for all gymnasts."

Biles Responds To Michele Obama

The 11-time Olympic medalist was in shock about the amount of love Obama gave her for her accomplishments and thanked her publicly for her kind words.

Biles excitedly responded to Obama's praise on her Instagram Story on Oct. 20, writing,

"Mrs. Michelle Obama, you made my year."

Who Else Made Michelle Obama's Mount Rushmore?

In addition to Biles, Obama went on to name tennis icon Serena Williams onto her hypothetical Mount Rushmore.

The tennis icon has 39 Grand Slam titles and four Olympic medals across her four-decade-long career. She last competed in the 2026 US Open, where she played in the women's doubles tournament with her sister, Venus Williams, and in the mixed doubles alongside Carlos Alcaraz.

Obama also named another tennis great, Billie Jean King, noting that not only is she a phenomenal athlete but a "beautiful human being."

The former first lady called herself a "tennis freak" as she has been into the sport more in recent years and is even finding herself on the court playing.

In her final spot, Obama she switched over from tennis to basketball and chose WNBA icon Lisa Leslie.

She also priased Leslie's impact, calling her a "groundbreaking woman of my era."

lis leslie — Sep 20, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Lisa Leslie is honored at halftime during a game between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Portland Fire at Crypto.com Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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