Dear Simone Biles: An open letter to my hero

 Dear Simone, 

I feel like I should begin this letter to you by introducing myself. My name is Karla Culbertson. I am a 36-year-old woman from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I suppose my interest in gymnastics is influenced by my disability. I am wheelchair dependent due to Quadraplegic Cerebral Palsy. As you can probably guess, gymnastics is even more fascinating to me when compared to the average fan because I cannot even walk and to be able to see you defy gravity time and time again is just that much more incredible to me. 

My gymnastics fandom was first inspired by the Magnificent Seven in 1996. Once I watched all seven of those women capture the Gold Medal, I was hooked. I remember buying Dominique Moceanu's autobiography and studying the skills index in the back of the book until I was cross-eyed. A couple of months prior to the 1996 team winning gold, I found out that LSU had a gymnastics team. I have been a loyal follower and fan of the LSU ladies for a good 26 years or so. Seeing gymnastics in person was so much more captivating when compared to viewing it on TV.

I think it is pretty easy to infer that gymnasts are my heroes in life. However, you, my dear, take the definition of a hero to a whole new level. In my 26 years of following the sport of gymnastics, I have honest to God, never seen a gymnast of your caliber. I seriously doubt that I will ever see another gymnast like you. You are blessed with an abundance of talent and skill. Every time I watch you, I am literally left speechless and breathless. You show me and the entire world that it is possible to achieve what most people consider to be impossible. You inspire me to the ends of the Earth. Thank you for showing me that you can go after any dream as long as you possess the spirit, grit, and determination!

You are truly spectacular, and I know you will continue to shine as long as you're still participating in gymnastics. You are the brightest star in the universe. You also seem like a sweetheart and a humble one at that. Given all of your accomplishments, medals, and accolades, this is extremely commendable. Keep up the great work!! I cannot wait to cheer you on in the Olympics! Go out there and get all of the Gold medals! You're more than capable! I would love to see you and Jordan Chiles go 1-2 in the All-Around. No pressure or anything! ;)

With all of that being said, I wish you all of the luck in the trials and beyond. Never forget how amazing you are! Thank you a million times over for being someone that I look up to for hope and happiness. Your positive impact is one that is etched in my heart and will never fade. 

Love,

Karla Culbertson