We Love Simone Biles — and the *Many* Other Houston Women Set to Compete in the Olympics!

We Love Simone Biles — and the *Many* Other Houston Women Set to Compete in the Olympics!

Simone Biles (photo by Kennedi Carter for Glamour)

THE PHRASE "HOT girl summer" has a new meaning for Houston sports fans, who will be cheering for a flock of strong and powerful H-Town females competing in this year's Tokyo games.


Hometown hero Simone Biles' Olympic journey may come to an epic conclusion this August, while others are just getting started, including Houston Dash forward and team captain Rachel Daly, who will for the first time represent her home county of Great Britain. Flyweight boxer Ginny Fuchs also hails from Houston and will be making her Olympic debut. Native Houstonian Anna van Brummen, who now works as an environmental scientist in Santa Barbara, will represent the United States in fencing.

Daly Rachel for CityBook's 2020 Leaders & Legends portrait series (photo by Gittings for CityBook)

Olympic veterans from H-Town include Cy Springs and UT grad Cat Osterman, who will pitch in her third Olympics this summer, and Sugar Land swim star Simone Manuel, who turns 25 during the Games. –ewb, portrait by gittings photography

People + Places
Leadership in Action: ‘Family, Community and Spiritual Connection’ Drives Success for Henry Richardson

How did you get to where you are today? The present moment is a combined history of my family, my time as an athlete, my passion for learning, and my desire to see the world be better. I grew up as a successful springboard and platform diver, however, an injury caused me to seek alternative treatments to heal my body. In that process, I discovered the power of yoga, exercise, meditation, mindset, and nutrition. This holistic approach eventually led me to open a Pilates and cycling studio called DEFINE body & mind. I opened studios around the nation, and after selling most of my business between 2017-2019, I was ready to explore how I could make an even greater impact on the wellbeing of our community. In 2023, I started actively working on a brand new multi-family/apartment concept called, Define Living. The idea focused on offering health and wellness services within a beautiful apartment setting to increase the wellbeing of our residents. Having a strong sense of community is the number one factor in living a happy life, so why not build a community where daily fitness, cooking classes, and social connection are the norm? We opened Define Living in March of 2024, and we couldn’t be happier with how things are being received. We are already looking at building more concepts like this in the Houston area and beyond.

Keep Reading Show less

Photographer Jhane Hoang with two covers she photographed

ONE OF Houston CityBook’s most beloved photographers was recently diagnosed with stage four cervical cancer. Jhane Hoang has been behind the camera for some of the magazine’s most ambitious shoots — including an overnight shoot at the then-new Weiss Energy Hall at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, and a cold rainy shoot at the Houston Zoo where the crew used a concessions stand as a staging area for hair and makeup.

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment

Betty Hrncir, Sidney Faust, Julie Baker Finck

ACTUAL WINTER WEATHER was in the forecast the night of the Winter Ball, benefiting the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation and honoring the Women of Distinction, a festive and fitting detail that sparked a flurry of conversation at the Omni Hotel.

Keep Reading Show less
Parties