Michelle Obama Reveals Her ‘Mount Rushmore’ of Female Athletes

Michelle Obama has a lot of respect for Simone Biles, and the former first lady made that clear while naming some of her favorite female athletes who have impressed her the most.

During a podcast interview with Coach Jackie J shared in a clip released Tuesday, Oct. 20, Obama was asked to name her "Mount Rushmore" of female athletes, meaning the four women she thinks are among the greatest of all time in sports.

Her first picks included tennis players Serena Williams and Billie Jean King, along with former WNBA standout Lisa Leslie. Then, she also said Biles was one of them and sang the gymnast's praises.

"She can do it all. There are no words," she said on the show, called Is She Game? "Not only do I love gymnastics, I do think we don't give gymnasts the credit for the training, the conditioning, the physical ability. When she's doing her tumbling run, how many feet up in the air? Is it 13 feet?"

Obama also discussed what makes Biles such a great competitor, marveling at how high the gymnast launches herself into the air during her floor routine. She also touched on the incredible physical and mental pressure gymnasts face, including the abuse some athletes have experienced in the sport.

"To realize how young they have to be and how little the sport has evolved from a fitness, health, nutrition standpoint," she said. "These kids were boot camped, many suffered abuse."

"To know what they were going through and still performing at that risk level, and conquering it," she added. "I mean, the mental stamina that it takes, I think that a Simone Biles has to be a G.O.A.T. I say that for all gymnasts, but if I have to pick one, you pick Simone."