Simone Biles, an elite female athlete, Olympian, and seven-time gold medalist, travels the United States to encourage children and adults alike on her Gold Over America Tour (yes, you read that right; it’s acronym GOAT).

This Athleta Presents Gold Over America Tour (GOAT) stars Biles and the most effective of the most effective gymnasts, including Jordan Chiles and Frederick Richard. The high-energy, high-energy gymnastics-meets-pop-concert show kicked off last week in Oceanside, San Diego, with eager fans waiting for dazzling dance sequences and complex gymnastics moves, with Biles on the helm.

The tour showcases stunning athletic brilliance, high-energy choreography and galvanizing messages of hope, strength, resilience and determination. Every fall, spin and gravity-defying trick may have audiences on the sting of their seats during every performance. Biles’ longtime apparel partner, Athleta, returns as title sponsor, supporting the brand’s rallying cry of “Find Your Movement” and its mission to construct confidence, strength and belonging through movement. This tour is timely, especially after the impressive success of the U.S. gymnastics team on the Paris Olympics.

Biles describes the Gold Over America Tour (the third tour she has conceived and the second GOAT tour Biles has hosted, with an inaugural show in 2021) as a pop concert-style spectacle, filled with energy and athleticism, designed for pure entertainment, focused on family fun somewhat than competition. “We were trying to decide how this tour would look different. We believed that (the tour) had to tell a story, something that kids could resonate with and be excited to go home and tell their parents or classmates or teammates about. So that’s really where the idea came from, but it’s about sharing the love and passion for the sport that we have with the audience and doing a tour that celebrates the Olympics,” Biles told ESSENCE.

For Biles and her group of stars and elite gymnasts, this tour is their celebration after the Paris Olympics and their victory lap. “We did all the work, and now we can just sit back and do our celebration tour and have fun and let people celebrate us. Because I honestly believe that as much as we do, we never get to celebrate. So this time we get to celebrate every night with the audience. And there’s nothing better. It’s super special,” she said.

In addition to showcasing her gymnastics skills, Biles believes the tour will probably be groundbreaking when it comes to representation, especially as a petite, black woman. “This tour is huge in terms of representation. And I think every kid in the audience can pick someone from our tour lineup who looks exactly like them, which is amazing. Sports have evolved and there’s room for everyone,” she said.

Biles continued, “I think it’s beautiful because before there was always a certain standard of what a girl should look like and what she shouldn’t look like.”

It’s essential to note that this tour is not about medals and competition, but somewhat to emphasize the importance of getting fun. You can expect tons of dancing, colourful costumes, and high energy when it comes to the routines and sequences performed throughout the tour; think Barbie meets Beyoncé. “I’ll say the kids will probably love the Barbie and Ken sequence the most because it was such a popular movie. But one of the cast’s favorites on the tour is our Texas Hold ‘Em. It’s a little bit Beyoncé. We get cowboy hats, cowboy hats, and it’s really cool,” Biles exclaimed.

If you’re wondering what she does for self-care after dominating the Olympics and wowing the competitors, Biles keeps it easy. “I would say therapy, every week. And then if I ever get the chance to go to the spa, I love to do that, or just take a hot bubble bath with Epsom salts, or just spend some really quality time with my husband, go and try new restaurants, stay home with our dogs, or just rot, because we’re constantly on the go, so anytime we can sit down and relax, it’s so nice to just slow down,” she shared.

Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson continues her historic streak by being named WNBA Most Valuable Player Kia 2024announced the league on Sunday. The award marks Wilson’s third profession MVP honor, tying with WNBA icons Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson. Wilson is barely the second player in league history to receive the honour unanimously, joining Cynthia Cooper, who completed the feat in 1997.

Wilson’s dominance on the court this season far exceeded her scoring average. She totaled 1,021 points, 451 rebounds and led the league with 98 blocks. Her scoring average of 26.9 points broke Diana Taurasi’s 2006 record of 25.3 points per game, and her 9.8 defensive rebounds per game set a brand new league single-season record.

Among the highlights of the season, Wilson had two of the league’s highest-scoring games, scoring 42 points against the Dallas Wings and 41 points against the Phoenix Mercury. She became only the second player in WNBA history to record 25 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and five blocks.

Additionally, Wilson’s community involvement earned her the 2024 Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award. This special award is close to Wilson’s heart, as Staley coached her during her college years on the University of South Carolina, where they won a national championship together.

Wilson’s MVP campaign capped a historic 12 months for the Aces, who’re well on their way to becoming a WNBA dynasty. Her impact helped the Aces (27-13) earn the fourth seed within the 2024 WNBA Playoffs, and Wilson is the backbone of a team that’s looking for a 3rd consecutive championship.

Wilson credits the fourth MVP vote she received last 12 months as motivation. “It kind of fueled me up when I started working out in the offseason, but around February I got fed up with it,” she said. “I didn’t want to give that person that energy, and that’s when I started to shut down.”

The 6-foot-4 forward’s legacy as one of the vital decorated players in WNBA history continues to grow as she also leads Vegas in scoring and rebounding. Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier finished second in MVP voting with 467 points, followed by New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (295 points), Indiana Fever point guard Caitlin Clark (130 points) and Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas (83 points).

In recognition of the MVP award, Wilson will receive $15,450 and a specially designed trophy from Tiffany & Co.

Last week, the celebs gave us a glimpse of their first moments of autumn beauty. From Beetlejuice style bangs from pixie cuts to 2-toned smokey eyes, it’s clear that this season’s hair and makeup is all about sophisticated punk. That means kitten cuts and a move away from daring pink are all in.

Jourdan Dunn closed out LFW’s fortieth anniversary with cropped bangs that were sculpted Balmain hair products and luscious lashes on the Icons Party. Not far behind, Jodie Turner-Smith and Gabrielle Union-Wade, each sporting glazed lips, attended the Burberry show in grunge and glitter eyeshadow respectively. Tracee Ellis Ross, then again, went for a festive vibe with red lipstick, deep mauve eyeshadow and a touch of blush.

For FKA Twigs, the “Kitty Kat” hairdo was the primary in a series of Eusexua wigs — a mood Kelela captured together with her cropped bob Okuzawa’s Kabuto on set with ESSENCE. Meanwhile, Doechii had her eyebrows removed, but compensated with an additional-long, teased ponytail, secured with an equally long bow. To end the week, Sabrina Elba wore barrel-shaped curls in a bob — bringing a summer favorite to fall.

In case you missed it, take a look at the 13 best celebrity beauty moments of the week.