On Thursday night, Simone Biles faced sky-high expectations. Despite the odds — going head-to-head with the best gymnasts on the world — she exceeded them all.

Dubbed by many “the best gymnast who has ever lived,” Biles was the favorite for the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. But the pressure of the spotlight — and all those expectations — can be daunting. Yet Biles rose to the occasion and, unlike several other champions at the Games, she kept her humility and good character intact.

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At 19, Biles had worked her whole life for the moment, climbing to the top in one of the most grueling Olympic sports. The chance only comes every four years, and for most young women, they only get one shot.

The eyes of the world were on Biles Thursday as she competed in the Olympic Women’s Gymnastics All-Around event. She looked strong in the team competition on Tuesday, and helped the USA win its gold medal – but Thursday was her real moment to shine.

She waited patiently for her final scores to be posted, clutching her teammate and fellow competitor Aly Raisman as they watched the big board. Raisman won the silver medal, so they truly were competing for the pinnacle of recognition in their sport.

And when the scores were posted, the tears began to flow and Raisman hugged her teammate in a genuine display of true sportsmanship.simone-biles-aly-raisman-win-all-around-individual-finals Biles jumped up on the mats to wave to the crowd – she had done it, a gold medal at the Olympics. But no sooner was she saluting the crowd than she was waving to Raisman to join her in her gold medal moment.

This display of humility and sportsmanship shows the true heart of  Biles. An Olympian, a gold medalist, and an amazing woman, Biles does not hesitate to live up to the expectation of being a role model as well. When asked about her victory, Biles’ individuality also shined through — she knows who she is.

“I’m not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps. I’m the first Simone Biles,” she said Thursday night.

Biles will go down in history and her Olympic moment will be remembered for years to come. But her character is what will catapult her through life, much further than gymnastics — or even Olympic gold.