She got a mimosa instead
After collecting her Presidential Medal of Freedom, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles was mistaken for a child on a flight and offered a colouring book to pass the time.
The 25-year-old four-time gold medalist was collecting the Presidential medal on July 7 before boarding a flight home.
Taking to Instagram to share the story, Biles wrote: “Not the flight attendant trying to give me a colouring book when I board… I said ‘no I’m good, I’m 25.'”
i’m crying at the thought of a flight attendant giving simone biles the most decorated gymnast in history a coloring book because she is 4’8” pic.twitter.com/s03QHpUUH8
— matt (@mattxiv) July 9, 2022
Biles did not reveal which colouring book it was, nor whether she accepted it.
“The other flight attendant gave me a mimosa so we’re in the clear,” she added, though we would’ve taken the colouring book.
I'm 37, can I get the coloring book?? https://t.co/6iHbiPPnCX
— Robotbeat
➐ (@Robotbeat) July 11, 2022
YouTuber Matt Bernstein sent the story into overdrive after tweeting: “I’m crying at the thought of a flight attendant giving Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history, a colouring book because she is 4’8.”
The post has since been liked more than 130k times, with thousands turning to the comments to share their disbelief.
“Some flight attendant went to the back and said to a colleague, ‘I’m so embarrassed, I just offered a colouring book to an adult!’ And the colleague went, ‘um, not just *any* adult,'” one person pointed out, after all, it is THE Simone Biles.
https://twitter.com/redcemetery1/status/1546446794481348610
Others thought that Biles’ height may have played a part and are sharing similar short-person stories.
“Checking in at 5′ tall and currently 36 years old. Within the last couple of years I was offered the children’s menu and crayons when out to dinner with my now-wife and a friend,” one person said. “Makes me wonder what strangers think when I answer the door at my own house.”
Related links:
- Simone Biles wins bronze in women’s beam final
- How Simone Biles showed us all how to prioritise our mental health
- Simone Biles points to historic abuse from coach in retweet attacking critics