Growing up in a Black household, you likely heard the phrase “don’t jump on my furniture.” And as much as many people tried to adhere to the rule, for some, jumping was a natural passion and interest. That passionate sentiment could be said for Olympic Gold Medalist Simone Biles. With an early interest in the sport since the age of six, Biles, no doubt, took Kriss Kross’ lyrics to “Jump” literally. The Olympic star began competing in competitions by capitalizing on her affinity for gymnastics. It earned her initial first-place prize on vault at the 2012 American Classic, landing her a spot to compete at the 2012 USA Gymnastics National Championships. Biles would be named to the U.S. Junior National Team that same year. After mastering the aerodynamic sport, Biles would earn gold, silver, and bronze medals in the Olympics. She also has won various other world championships. While her sports career is impressive, Biles has leveraged her success as an athlete to make investments and...

Naomi Osaka continues her winning streak. Forbes just released its list of highest-paid female athletes, and once again, the rising tennis superstar tops the list. The outlet reports that Naomi Osaka brought home nearly $60 million in 2021, more than every other female athlete on the list. The list also includes Serena Williams, who took the runner-up spot with a cozy $45.9 million in take-home pay. And according to the outlet, their handsome salaries are due to a new — and exciting — trend of capital infusion in female sports. More than any other year prior, sports insiders are saying that women’s sports are being taken seriously as money-makers. And this also means that other female athletes in different sports are also beginning to dominate the field. “New money and new sponsors are pouring into women’s sports; it’s just that the dollars are being spread among more athletes and finding their way into new leagues. For the first time in at least a dozen years, a gymnast (Simone...

In August 2021, Simone Biles released her first NFT collection with the platform Autograph of 10,000 non-fungible tokens (NFTs), AfroTech previously reported. And might we add, the collection proved to be successful and sold out within minutes. Now, she’s back, and this time the GOAT is paying homage to some of her most famed moves as a part of Autograph’s Mystery GOAT collection. The Olympic athlete’s latest collection will mark a new direction for Autograph NFT’s, as they will be debuting 8-bit style animation highlighting the very moment when Simone Biles’s mother realized the blooming star needed to join gymnastics. Fans can also look forward to seeing Biles’s legendary moves such as the Double Double Beam Dismount, Double Layout Half and Triple Double. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Autograph (@autograph.io) “This collection was co-authored by Simone and it pays homage to trends that we’ve seen in the crypto space and that the existing crypto audience have enjoyed...

Usain Bolt is back with another power move! According to PR Newswire, the iconic Olympic Sprinter will join the advisory board for Autograph, the company leading the charge in partnerships with some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment. The company is on a mission to bring forth a new era of digital collecting and now Bolt will play a role in helping to bring that vision to life. Bolt will not only become Autograph’s Advisory Board’s newest edition, but The World’s Fastest Man will also make his non-fungible tokens (NFTs) exclusive to view through the company. The collection will be available for purchase through the DraftKings Marketplace. “We’re honored to partner with Olympic legend, Usain Bolt, and drop his first-ever NFT collection,” said CEO & Co-Founder of Autograph, Dillon Rosenblatt, in an official statement. “Autograph is committed to celebrating the careers and achievements of our content partners, and we’ll now be able to provide our community with an...

Simone Biles — aka The GOAT — has returned. According to Reuters, Biles stepped on the balance beam for the first time since withdrawing from the Olympic competition and took home the bronze medal. This latest win brings Biles’ medal count up to seven — tying the record for the most medals won by a U.S. gymnast at the Olympics. But Simone Biles told the outlet that she didn’t just hop on the balance beams and knock out the win. Rather, thanks to her well-documented struggles with mental health, she had to subject herself to a battery of psychological exams. “Every day I had to be medically evaluated by the doctors here, and two sessions with the sports psychologists here as well, which helped to keep me a little more level-headed,” she said. “I was cleared to do beam which I honestly didn’t think I was going to be cleared to do last night.” Biles will be remembered not for the number of medals she took home from Tokyo, but for the triumphant way she changed the conversation about...

One of the most decorated gymnasts ever and one of the greatest Olympic athletes has ended her massive powerhouse deal with Nike. Simone Biles has announced that she’s officially ending her six-year Nike endorsement deal to enter a new apparel partnership with Athleta, which she believes will more closely align with her personal values, Wall Street Journal reports. “I felt like it wasn’t just about my achievements, it’s what I stood for and how they were going to help me use my voice and also be a voice for females and kids,” she told Wall Street Journal in response to what attracted her to Athleta. “I feel like they also support me, not just as an athlete, but just as an individual outside of the gym and the change that I want to create, which is so refreshing.” According to the news outlet, Biles’s new deal with Athleta will include her own performance wear line, as well as other sponsorship opportunities where the brand will offer the gymnast a platform to participate in”honest...