Simone Biles and Dolly Parton have been named “People of the Year” for 2021 by People magazine, for their contributions to “making the world a little bit better.”
On Wednesday, the Olympic gymnast and country singer, as well as actress Sandra Oh and National Teacher of the Year Juliana Urtubey, were chosen beneficiaries of the annual honor.
People reporters Dan Wakeford and Kate Hogan stated, “This year has been a transforming one, challenging us all to create something new and hopefully better for our lives.” “That spirit is reflected in this issue.”
Parton was praised for her philanthropic work, which included a $1 million donation to Moderna that went toward COVID-19 vaccine development.
Parton, 75, said, “It makes my heart feel good to know that I can do something for somebody else.” “So, I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing until I pass out,” she continued.
Oh, a two-time Golden Globe Award winner, earned recognition for her new Netflix series “The Chair.”
“Progress is not just sticking a bunch of people of color [into a show] and having them speak like everyone else,” Oh told the magazine.”The thing that I’m most proud about with ‘The Chair’ is how it’s translated to people of color who are living and working in mostly white spaces. What I hope is that anyone who’s watching it can say, ‘That could easily be me.'”
Twenty-four-year-old Biles — who earned both praise and criticism when she withdrew from the 2020 Tokyo Olympic finals after experiencing what gymnasts refer to as the “twisties,” a potentially dangerous disconnect between an athlete’s mind and body — said in an interview with People, “That’s probably one of the first times in my career where I felt courageous and I felt like I had got to speak up for myself.”
Urtubey was chosen, People said, as a way of representing teachers across the country “whose resilience has been unbelievably inspiring” amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Who is Dolly Parton?
Dolly Parton, a country music legend and actress, rose to fame with Porter Wagoner before launching a solo career that included smash songs including “Joshua,” “Jolene,” “The Bargain Store,” “I Will Always Love You,” “Here You Come Again,” “9 to 5”, and “Islands in the Stream,” among many more.
She has won numerous major accolades and was elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999.
She is a very gifted singer/songwriter noted for insightful tales and a distinctive voice. She has also appeared in films such as 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias, and in 1986, she founded the Dollywood theme park. Parton is still recording and touring on a regular basis.
Who is Simone Biles?
Simone Arianne Biles (born March 14, 1997) is an artistic gymnast from the United States. Biles is the most decorated gymnast of all time, with a total of 32 Olympic and World Championship medals.
Biles is tied with Shannon Miller for the most Olympic medals earned by an American gymnast with seven.
Celebrity Net Worth estimates that she is worth $6 million. Update on the Stimulus Check: Is a Fourth Payment in 2021 Likely?
