SZA Reveals She 'Used to Be a Gymnast' — and Proves It with Splits and Handstands
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07/01/2024 08:38 PM
The 'Saturn' singer met up with Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and spoke about her past dreams of becoming a gymnast on the national level
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic; Ezra Shaw/Getty
SZA (left) and Simone BilesBefore she became a Grammy-winning artist, SZA had her eyes set on the mat.
In an NBC Sports interview released on July 1, the 34-year-old "Saturn" singer met up with Olympic champion Simone Biles ahead of the 2024 Summer Games in Paris and revealed that she "used to be a gymnast" before transitioning to music.
"I was nowhere near as cool as you," SZA said to the 27-year-old in the video, called "When SZA Met Simone — Part 1." "When it was clear to me that I wasn't gonna be a national gymnast, I was like 'Okay, let me see what I can do.' "
SZA then revealed that she considered singing her "hidden talent" and said that she "needed something to be competitive at."
She also took the opportunity to praise Biles for her prowess and said, "It's [been] my dream to talk to you." SZA told Biles, "You're like my wildest dream. I have never seen anything like you — no one has."
Kevin Mazur/MG22/Getty
SZA arrives at the 2022 Met GalaThe pair then engaged in a friendly handstand competition, where they showed off their gymnastic talents.
"She's going to knock me over," Biles joked during the competition before the singer claimed her victory.
SZA shared the video of their competition on her Instagram page and said that she was "SO honored to hang out with you . @Simonebiles ! 🥹🤸🏾♀️🐐 THIS FELT LIKE A FEVER DREAM."
The "Kill Bill" singer then wished Biles "luck at your THIRD Olympic Games ! 🤞🏾🏅."
While she might not be currently killing it in gymnastics, SZA has earned critical acclaim for her music. Most recently, she received the Hal David Starlight Award at the Songwriters Hall of Fame 2024 Induction and Awards Gala on June 13.
In her acceptance speech, the "Snooze" singer said that this honor "basically validates" her songwriting and career and that she was thrilled "beyond all of my wildest dreams."
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Biles along with her fellow gymnasts Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera officially earned their spot in the U.S. Olympic Women's Gymnastics team on June 30 during the two-day U.S. Olympic team trials in Minneapolis.
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Simone Biles practices ahead of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Gymnastics TrialsThe Paris Games will be Biles' third Olympic Games and make her only the fourth female gymnast in the U.S. to qualify for three teams.
To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, visit TeamUSA.com and come to people.com to check out ongoing coverage. Watch the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, beginning July 26, on NBC and Peacock.
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