“I’m that girl”, this motto of Olympic athlete Jordan Chiles depicts her undying determination to her sport and continuous effort to achieve her aspirations. In a world where it’s easy to quit when situations get difficult, Chiles uses this motto as a way to continue to improve and prove that she’s more than capable. Jordan Chiles is an Olympic gold and silver medalist, best known for her incredible participation in the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Since the beginning of her career, Chiles has an extensive roster of accomplishments, on the collegiate and professional level. Her most notable victories were winning the team gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the team silver at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Although Chiles’ popularity has skyrocketed in recent years, many people are unfamiliar with her development into an incredible athlete, advocate, and individual.
Jordan Chiles was born on April 15th, 2001 in Tualatin, Oregon, however, she grew up in Vancouver, Washington. Chiles was named after world renowned basketball player, Michael Jordan, and grew up with four other siblings. Chiles began her athletic career at 6 years old due to her parents, Timothy and Gina Chiles, acknowledging her high levels of energy and strong aptitude, even from the very beginning of her gymnastics career. Chiles’ skills in gymnastics hastily improved, officially joining the junior elite team in 2013. She trained at Naydenov Gymnastics, located in Vancouver, Washington for the majority of her early career. 2019 was a significant year in Jordan Chiles’ early career, detailing her ultimate decision to move to Spring, Texas in order to focus heavily on her gymnastics career and training at the World Champions Center. After her participation in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Chiles started to gain recognition as an incredible gymnast, leading to her commitment as a Division 1 athlete at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2022. Chiles’ career at UCLA is still ongoing, the 2025-2026 season being her fourth year as a student athlete. Over the course of her four years at UCLA, Chiles has won a plethora of titles and has brought extensive glory to her school. Chiles’ wins include personal NCAA victories on the uneven bars and in floor routines, perfect scores on her performances, 16 All-American nominations, Pac-12 and Big Ten victories, and won the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association’s (WCGA) West Coast- Gymnast of the Year award in 2023. Throughout her time at UCLA, she has participated in a multitude of championships and demonstrated her immense talent and abilities. At only 20 years old, Chiles participated in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, helping to bring home a silver medal and honor for Team USA. At 23 years old, Jordan participated in the Paris 2024 Olympics, bringing home a gymnastics championship and honor to America. In the recent months, Chiles has broadened her horizons to different forms of athleticism, joining 13 other celebrities in season 34 of the critically acclaimed ABC television show, “Dancing with the Stars”. Chiles participated in 11 weeks of intense training alongside professional ballroom and latin dancer, Ezra Sosa. Chiles dominated the ballroom floor, advancing in the competition all the way to the finale and finishing in 3rd place. Chiles’ journey from recreational sports to the Olympics serves as an encouragement to children who desperately want to pursue their passion in sports and strive to make a difference and bring esteem to their country.
Chiles’ journey to the show-stopping gymnast she is today was no easy feat, dealing with difficult challenges, harsh setbacks, and feelings of unworthiness. In women’s sports, especially sports that emphasize the aesthetic of the body like gymnastics, disordered eating commonly occurs in athletes or is even encouraged by coaches or trainers. Throughout her developing career as a gymnast, Chiles suffered from unhealthy eating habits. According to People Magazine when Chiles did an interview with Teen Vogue, she outlined the severe pressure placed on her when she was younger to conform to a certain body type. Chiles stated, “‘I was traumatized when I was younger,’ she told the outlet. “‘I was getting weighed. I was told I could only eat certain things. There were a lot of things that I was told because I had to ‘look a certain way’” (Chiles/Etienne 1). This represents early hardships in Jordan Chiles’ career and the harsh limitations and destructive mentality that was forced upon her. These restrictions placed on her created a troubling relationship with food, even in her adult years, sometimes being unable to finish a meal because of the intense psychological trauma she endured. Despite the mental roadblocks that Chiles has faced throughout her gymnastics career, Chiles faced a very public controversy at the 2024 Paris Olympics over her receiving a bronze medal. After receiving her first individual medal at the Paris Olympics, Jordan Chiles was stripped of her title because of a dispute regarding the submission of an inquiry report. During the 2024 Paris Olympics, two Romanian gymnasts scored a 13.700 on their individual floor routines. Originally, Chiles scored a 13.666, landing Chiles in fifth place, however, her gymnastics coach filed an inquiry report which after revisions, raised her score to a 13.766. Chiles’ victory was quickly taken away from her, as the Romanian representative went to appeal this revision in scores and ended up getting the bronze medal awarded to their gymnast, Ana Barbosu. According to CNN, Chiles took to social media to express her devastation about the ultimate decision, she states, “‘I have no words. This decision feels unjust and comes as a significant blow, not just to me, but to everyone who has championed my journey’” (Chiles/Bailey 1). This demonstrates the personal athletic setback that Chiles suffered during a moment that was supposed to be the pinnacle of her career. Chiles faced a deep and personal challenge, having to grapple with the false promise of victory only to have it immediately taken away from her. Despite these difficult moments throughout her athletic career and personal life, Chiles has persevered and continued to be a role model for young women around the world who want to pursue their athletic passions.
Outside of being an incredible athlete, Jordan Chiles has done wonders in the realms of philanthropy and activism, helping to raise money and awareness for a plethora of causes. For example, Chiles worked together with Kellogg’s to help accomplish “Mission Tiger”. The mission’s main purpose is to raise money in order to provide food for children in schools. Chiles, in specific, worked together with the mission to donate food to Hawthorne Middle School located in California. Chiles utilized her position as a renowned athlete to give back to her community, depicting her dedication to help others. Additionally, Chiles has used her platform as an Olympian to advocate for different causes, especially mental health awareness. She utilizes her personal adversity as a mechanism to promote helping those who struggle with mental health issues. Also, Chiles used her aunt’s auto-immune disorder as a personal motivator and advocated for those who have Type 1 diabetes. She acknowledged how her aunt’s journey inspires her as an athlete and spreads awareness towards the life-long condition. Therefore, Jordan Chiles is a phenomenal advocate for different causes, helping to provide for the needy and shed light on illnesses and issues pertaining to the health of others.
Thus, in 23 years, Jordan Chiles has managed to be an awe-striking athlete, a courageous advocate, and an inspiration to those suffering from athletic setbacks and personal strife. Her accomplishments are admirable and serve as a reminder to people around the world of what can be achieved through motivation and commitment. Chiles has never faltered in her determination and as she continues to grow in her career and personal life, more individuals will be able to understand the incredible person she is.
