It's been a whirlwind week for Simone Biles. With her Gold Over America Tour on a one-week break, Biles unveiled and was named the . She attended the Los Angeles premiere of the second part of her Netflix docuseries, "Simone Biles: Rising.
" And on Thursday night, she donated $50,000 at a gala for Friends of Children, a nonprofit that provides mentors for kids facing adversity − including those in the foster care system, as Biles once was. "It's so important to me because I can see myself in these kids and what they go through and what they grow through," Biles told USA TODAY Sports. ".
.. Sometimes the statistics can be against you, but having someone like me advocate for these kids, and knowing I went through some of the same similar situations that these kids have gone through and come out of it on top really inspires them.
" During an interview at a luxury hotel in Santa Monica, California, Biles spoke with USA TODAY Sports' visual journalist Sandy Hooper about her philanthropic work and a wide range of other topics. Biles has been open about . She has said she spent about three years in foster care before she was 6 years old, as her biological mother, Shannon, struggled with drugs and alcohol.
"Growing up in foster (care), the statistics are just against you and it is what it is," she said Thursday. "But coming out on top of that, rising above − obviously I had my family to help, but I am who I am today because of foster care. And so I want the kids to also cherish and .