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.
Praise
“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
“Aimee Boorman was a transformational coach before the term became popular. Her ability to truly observe and listen with all of her senses was an example of what it is to coach from a place of service to the athlete versus ego. Helping Simone understand that her value as a person wasn’t connected to her medals was a gift .... It takes a lot of inner strength to be able to stay true to your heart, personal beliefs, and gut... Aimee Boorman helped Simone hone all her talents, which allowed her to become not just an Olympic Champion but truly the greatest gymnast of all time by always staying true to her mantra, ‘Simone, it’s just gymnastics.’”
—Valorie Kondos Field, seven-time NCAA champion coach
“Coaching is as much an art as it is a science. Aimee Boorman understands this well ... I think her perspective provides an important guide for all youth sports coaches, athletes, and parents!”
—Bart Conner, Olympic champion and commentator
“In The Balance, Aimee Boorman provides a candid and intimate glimpse at not only the origin story of the greatest gymnast of all time, but the complex world of coaching elite athletes in a sport where speaking your mind and trusting your instincts hasn’t always been welcome.”
—Will Graves, National Writer, Associated Press
“Before Simone Biles was the Simone Biles, she was a young athlete navigating motivation, rising fame, and even the infamous twisties. In The Balance, Aimee Boorman, Simone’s first coach, gives gymnastics fans a fascinating and thoughtful inside look at their journey from first cartwheel to four gold medal wins at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games ... Through stories of resilience, trust, and perseverance, Boorman offers a window into the making of a legend and the personal growth that comes with guiding greatness.”
—Scott Bregman, gymnastics reporter
“There were many Simones—gymnasts who demonstrated the physical capabilities and determination—before Simone Biles, but they didn’t have an Aimee Boorman in their corner to guide them through the system without their leaving the sport prematurely broken mentally and physically . . . In The Balance, Aimee hones in on the personal experiences in life and gymnastics that helped shape her coaching philosophies and provides solutions for how everyone involved in sports and leadership can do better moving forward.”
—Jessica O'Beirne, host of the GymCastic podcast
