Simone Biles’s husband, Jonathan Owens, a safety for the Chicago Bears, will have the unique opportunity to support his wife at the Paris Olympics thanks to the considerate scheduling by his NFL team.
This will mark the first occasion Owens will witness Biles compete at the Olympics in person.
The timing of the Olympics coincides with the Bears’ training camp, which kicks off on July 19. The United States Olympic women’s gymnastics team, for which Biles secured her spot on Sunday, has its qualifying rounds scheduled for July 28, culminating in the women’s all-around final on August 1.
Coincidentally, the Bears are slated to face the Houston Texans in the Hall of Fame Game on the same day.
Recognizing the significance of the event for Owens, the Bears organization has thoughtfully arranged to give him a few days off during this critical period of training camp. This gesture will allow him to travel to Paris and be present for Biles’s performances on the world stage. “The Bears are actually granting him a couple days off from training camp, so he’ll be there, yes,” Biles confirmed in an interview with Nancy Armour from USA Today. “For just a short little time.”
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Biles expressed her enthusiasm about the support they are able to provide each other, given their often conflicting professional schedules. “Anytime we can show up for one another in support, we just get super excited because our schedules don’t align that much,” she explained. “So whenever it does, it’s really important for the both of us to show up in support.”
This upcoming trip to Paris holds particular significance as Owens was unable to attend the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
During those games, Biles famously withdrew from competition to focus on her mental health after experiencing the yips, a sudden loss of fine motor skills often caused by intense pressure.
The couple, who married last year, has frequently shown public support for each other’s careers. Biles was a visible presence at several Green Bay Packers games last season when Owens was part of the team.
This mutual support underscores the deep bond between them, emphasizing how significant it is for them to be present for one another during such pivotal moments in their careers.
