Their love story is so sweet.
A Complete Timeline of Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens' Relationship
Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens met the way most couples do these days: on an app. The Olympic gymnast and Houston Texans safety connected just before the pandemic, and in the time since have built a loving relationship that's all about lifting each other up.
Besides being incredible athletes—the greatest of all time, in Biles' case—the two have bonded over their shared sense of humor and their love for their pets. (She has two bulldogs, he has one.) "I’ll show up at her house, and her dogs will peek around her looking for my dog," Owens told Texas Monthly in an interview. "They’ve become best friends.”
Biles and Owens are best friends too, of course. “This was a match made in heaven," he gushed to Texas Monthly. "There’s no better person for me. She loves me, she’s so affectionate. I just love that. And it’s just intoxicating seeing how much work she puts into everything.”
See Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens' relationship timeline, below.
March 2020
Biles and Owens connected on Raya just before the pandemic lockdown began. But when they slid into each other's DMs, Owens didn't realize at first that he was in the presence of greatness. “I didn’t know who she was,” he told Texas Monthly. “I just hadn’t heard of her, and when I told her that, that’s one of the things she liked.”
He added that the timing—which easily could have ended the relationship before it even began—actually helped them build a foundation. “We ended up hanging out right before the pandemic," he said. “It was one of the few times in her life where everything was just shut off and she couldn’t do anything. So we used it to get to know each other—really get to know each other. It created our bond and made it stronger. Now I’m so thankful.”
Biles echoed this in her own cover interview with Glamour. “I lived, I traveled, I did things I couldn’t do because of gymnastics,” she says of that time. “I just had fun.”
August 2020
After a few months of dating, the couple made it Instagram official. Biles posted a cute photo of the two with the caption, “It's just us.”
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A few weeks later, she followed that with another photo that was captioned, “The only time I fall is when he's there to catch me.”
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September 2020
Biles made her Instagram debut on Owens's feed a month later. He captioned the post, “Now you rockin with a real one.”
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December 2020
Biles and Owens spent Christmas and New Year's Eve together. “Always good to spend Christmas with the fam,” Owens wrote in the caption of his photo, which showed the couple wearing matching pajamas. In between the holidays, Biles cheered on her NFL player boyfriend at a game.
“Her energy is something," Owens told Texas Monthly. "She’s always happy, giggly, bubbly. If I’ve had a tough day at the office, I wouldn’t want to take that home to her. Her personality, man…”
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February 2021
Biles and Owens celebrated Valentine's Day with an elaborate set up, complete with balloons, a giant “love” sign, and rose petals. “Lucky to be loved by you,” Biles wrote in the caption of her photo.
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March 2021
To celebrate their one-year anniversary and Biles' 24th birthday, the couple took a vacation together to Belize. “I love you more than I love Belize and thats a lot,” Biles wrote on Instagram. (The gymnast holds dual citizenship in the country.) “My travel partner forever,” she wrote on another selfie.
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June 2021
Over a year into their relationship, Owens was finally able to see his girlfriend compete for the first time at the U.S. Gymnastics championships. (Biles won her seventh national all-around title.) “What an amazing experience,” Owens wrote on Instagram. “First time getting to watch you compete in person and you didn’t disappoint. It’s so cool that i get to watch you do what you love, and be the best at that ‼️ I’m so proud of you my lil champ. Trials up next and you already know I’m there!! Love you baby."
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Later that month, at the Olympic trials in St. Louis, Owens showed his support by wearing a T-shirt bearing a quote from Biles. He also brought flowers to celebrate when she qualified for the Tokyo games.
July 2021
After Biles withdrew from two Olympic events, Owens shared his support and love on Instagram. “Imma ride with you through whatever baby,” he wrote. “Your strength and courage is unmatched and you inspire me more and more everyday SB. You always gone be my champ baby and don’t you ever forget that, i love you so much and i can’t wait till you come home and i get to see that beautiful smile again. You know I’m always here for you baby.”
Biles commented on the post, writing, “I love you so much.”
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August 2021
When Biles returned to the Olympic spotlight to compete in the individual balance beam finales, she took home a bronze medal. Owens took to Instagram Stories shortly after to celebrate her win. “Words can't express how proud of you I am right now,” he wrote.
The feeling was mutual. After returning to the United States, Biles stopped by the NFL training camp to cheer on her boyfriend. “Open practices a.k.a. bring your girlfriend to work day,” she joked on Instagram. Owens commented on her post, “So glad you got to come out baby.”
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This post will be updated as more information becomes available.
This story originally appeared on: Glamour - Author:Condé Nast