Simone Biles

November 14, 2023

Simone Biles is widely considered the greatest gymnast of all time. She is the first female to win three straight All-Around World Championships, earning a total of 14 medals, 10 of them gold.

Life was not always easy for Simone. Her birth mother was unable to care for her children. Simone’s grandparents, Ron and Nellie Biles, adopted Simone and her younger sister, Adria.

On a field trip with her daycare class, six-year-old Simone was introduced to her sport at Bannon’s Gymnastix. Very quickly, she started copying the gymnasts, drawing the attention of the instructors.

“I loved the idea of flipping around, and the center saw something in me, so they sent home a letter to my parents encouraging me to join,” Simone explains. “Right from the start, I was fearless and willing to try anything and everything.”

Simone advanced very quickly. At age seven, she began performing competitively. Her debut as an international gymnast was on March 2013 at a World Cup event.

Simone is known for her power and upbeat personality. She often plays to the crowd, flashing a big smile as she performs in the floor exercise. Her coach, Aimee Boorman, appreciates her hard work and personality. “Simone is bubbly. She loves to laugh, is genuine and real. When she wins and is given flowers on the medal podium, she searches out the shyest child in the crowd and gives her the flowers.”

How does Simone handle the pressures of life as an athlete? “It is important to embrace the moment,” she says. “Remember to have as much fun as you can, but keep in mind, win or lose, you still have your whole life ahead. You can achieve anything that you put your mind to.”

Vocabulary

• execute – to do or perform something planned
• pirouette – a fast turn of the body on the toes or front part of the foot
• vault – to jump over something by first putting your hands on it or using a pole
• debut – to appear or perform in public for the first time
• genuine – being what something or someone appears to be; real
• excel – to be highly skilled, and be better than most others

Making Artificial Limbs

November 7, 2023

A pirate’s wooden leg may be one of the most famous examples of an artificial limb. These are devices that replace a body part. But did you know that there are records of replacement limbs as far back as 200 BCE? In Ancient Rome a famous general named Marcus Sergius was said to have a hand made of iron. Unfortunately for the general, his hand couldn’t do much. He wore it as decoration.

In the American Civil War, many soldiers lost limbs from fighting. Scientists and engineers began to design replacement arms and legs to do work. One design helped injured soldiers grasp things with moveable fingers. It was one of the first examples of a controllable artificial limb!

There are many reasons someone might need an artificial limb today. Perhaps they were born without an arm or leg or they were injured and had to have their arm or leg removed in surgery. Scientists and engineers are concerned with making them comfortable for the person and making it act like the original limb as much as possible.

There are also many different types of artificial limbs today for many different purposes. They can be steel arms, legs molded to look like a person’s original legs, or even blades that runners use to compete in races!

The most advanced artificial limbs today work with a wearer’s body and brain to imitate how a normal limb works. This lets the person control the limb with their brain, just like they would with any other part of their body.

Thankfully, artificial limbs have improved a lot since the days of pirates and their wooden legs. We can all say “aye!” to that!

Vocabulary

• artificial – made by people, often as a copy of something natural
• grasp – the act of holding onto someone or something
• suction – the force that pulls an object or liquid inside something else
• diseased – suffering from a disease
• concerned – worried
• imitate – to behave in a similar way to something else