Simone Biles has made history. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she won the individual all-around gymnastics competition—picking up her second gold medal at the Games. The Olympian received 59.131 points in the individual all-around, which combines the scores of vault, bars, beam, and floor.

Biles started off the competition with a Yurchenko double pike on vault, which helped her establish a commanding lead in the competition. She lost that early lead after an error on the uneven bars, but finished strong on beam. However, it was her floor routine—which is set to an instrumental version of Taylor Swift’s “…Ready For It?” off of 2017’s Reputation—that locked in her gold medal.

The gymnast is one of just four American women in gymnastics history to go to the Olympics three times, and at age 27, she is also the oldest one to compete at a Games in 72 years. As if all that wasn’t enough, the two gold medals she has already picked up in Paris officially make her the most decorated American Olympic gymnast ever.

This moment means a lot for the gymnast, who stepped back from competing at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 to protect her mental health. “I am doing therapy weekly to keep everything in tune so that I feel comfortable and confident enough to be competing,” Biles told ELLE ahead of the Games. “It’s been a crucial part of my training regimen.”

Several weeks before the Olympics, Biles opened up to ELLE in an exclusive interview about her marriage, her Olympic mindset, and learning to love her hair. “I understand and realize I have to take care of my physical appearance as well as my mental,” she said.

In addition to therapy, Biles has incorporated hair care into her pre-competition routine—which she says helps improve her overall confidence, both on and off the mat. “I used to worry about [my hair being considered] not professional,” she says. “But I’m not embarrassed about it anymore.”

The secret to her success? Hard work, dedication, and…turtles? “My parents have always gotten me turtle figurines for every meet,” she revealed. “They have little sayings on them, like ‘go at your own pace’ and ‘one step at a time.’ I have one in my locker from my sister. I have a little collection of these turtles.”

In addition to turtles, Biles says her other Olympic good luck charm is her husband, NFL safety Jonathan Owens. She thinks of him as her secret weapon. “He always says, ‘Smile like you’re the best out there. Nobody can do it like you. You have to trust your training [and] trust your process,’” Biles says. “We love the time we get to share together, but we’re always rooting for each other.”