Celebrities
Breanna Robinson
Jul 12, 2022
Video
A flight attendant accidentally mistook Simone Biles for a kid and offered her a colouring book.
The 4-foot-8 gymnast, who was heading home after accepting the Presidential Medal of Freedom last week, shared the embarrassing encounter on her Instagram Story.
It was also accompanied by a selfie of her in which she made a face of disbelief.
"Not the flight attendant trying to give me a coloring book when I board….. I said 'no I'm good. I'm 25,'" the seven-time Olympic medalist captioned the photo, which was screenshotted and uploaded on Twitter.
Biles, who is tied for the most decorated gymnast in history and had just been in Washington, D.C., on Thursday to receive the country's highest civilian award alongside 16 other people.
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The gymnast became the youngest person to receive the award when President Joe Biden placed the award around her neck during a ceremony at the White House. She also joked that she would need to find a room for her new medal among her 32 Olympic and World Championship medals.
When the age confusion occurred, Biles was likely on a flight from the nation's capital to her home state of Texas.
She also said that another crew member on the flight gave her an alcoholic beverage but asked if she was the legal drinking age- all after the colouring book mishap.
"The other flight attendant gave me a mimosa so we're in the clear," she wrote.
\u201cI'm saddened at the thought that a flight attendant didn't recognize a recent Presidential Medal of Freedom winner and the most decorated gymnast in US history.\u201d— \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83e\udd1d\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 Monty Boa \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83e\udd1d\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83e\udd1d\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 Monty Boa \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83e\udd1d\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1657539573
People on the social media platform took the comments to share similar experiences as well as express how much they would love to get a colouring book.
"I will now be asking for a coloring book on all flights," one wrote.
"I'm 5'1, and when I was 27, a TSA agent stopped me from going through security because they wanted to know where my parents were. I was going on a business trip," another added.
A third wrote: "LMAO, this reminds me of when I went to talk about biology with some kids at a high school 4 years ago, and a teacher asked for my hall pass when I went to the bathroom!"
Someone else wrote that they felt "saddened" that the flight attendant didn't recognise Biles' or her recent achievement.
"I'm saddened at the thought that a flight attendant didn't recognize a recent Presidential Medal of Freedom winner and the most decorated gymnast in US history," they wrote.
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