The Balance

My Years Coaching Simone Biles

De: Aimee Boorman, Steve Cooper, Simone Biles - foreword

Narrado por: Aimee Boorman

From Paris Olympics star and legendary gymnast Simone Biles’s longtime coach, an insider’s look at the making of a champion

With a Foreword by Simone Biles

The Balance is coach Aimee Boorman’s inside account of the growth of a transcendent athlete and the tumultuous events—from the dictatorial coaching of Martha Karolyi to the sexual abuse by Larry Nassar—that upended the lives of many girls, including Biles.

Simone Biles is one of the greatest athletes of all time. She’s won six all-around world championships and eleven Olympic medals (seven gold). Five gymnastics moves are named after her, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom (the youngest recipient ever), and at an age when most elite gymnasts have retired, Biles is not just still competing—she’s dominating. She’s soaring in Paris this summer, bringing home more Olympic gold. She’s having so much fun that LA 2028 is not out of the question.

But when coach Aimee Borman met her at a gym in Texas, Simone was just a seven-year-old kid. An exceptionally athletically gifted one, to be sure, but not yet great. That would take time, care, love, and balance.

Boorman helped shape Biles, both pushing her and holding her back, protecting both her mental and physical health. “She’s like a second mom to me,” writes Biles, and Boorman was the National Team coach in 2016, where the US—and Biles—took home all-around gold.

The Balance combines unprecedented insider perspective on a legend, newsworthy details on gymnastics history, and compelling lessons on coaching, leadership, and development.

“The Balance will be a must-read for any gymnastics fan, providing a compelling behind-the-scenes look at how Simone Biles became the GOAT. It should also be a must-read for any coach, illustrating that compassionate, caring, and sensible coaching works.”—Nancy Armour, USA Today Sports

©2025 Aimee Boorman (P)2025 Recorded Books

Coach the person and the athlete Within will emerge

It is clear that Coach Aimee emulates self reflection, continuous growth, a healthy environment for her athletes and obviously elite level coaching and to hear the path to achieving greatness with its bumps and celebrations was inspiring. To know that Aimee stood up for her athlete to the highest level of scrutiny with Marta who led a regime of intimidation and fear is remarkable as some parents won’t even stand up to toxic coaches for fear that their child will suffer the consequences. Bravo! I hope thousands if not millions of coaches, parents and business leaders read/listen to this book to learn how to truly get the best out of the children and people that they lead