Suni Lee: How the Olympic Gymnast Fights Self-Doubt
Named after fellow sports great Michael Jordan, Jordan Chiles started gymnastics at the age of 6 and quickly progressed through the competition levels, accumulating trophies along the way.
Despite her success, the 23-year-old didn’t always feel accepted.
“Every time I entered a competition, I wondered, ‘What will they say this time?'” Chiles remembered in a July 2024 interview with ELLE. “I faced racial attacks. I was constantly told, ‘You’re not the typical gymnast. You look like a man. You’re too muscular.'”
Feeling like gymnastics didn’t welcome her, Chiles thought about quitting the sport. However, Biles invited her to train at her Texas gym in 2018.
“I wish I could erase that part of my past,” the athlete from Washington expressed, “but it shaped me into the person I am today. It made me stronger, more confident, and helped me embrace my identity. It took time for me to find that love again.”
Fast forward a few years, both athletes competed at the 2020 Olympics—Chiles stepping in after Biles withdrew from the team final—and they secured the team silver.
Chiles, a UCLA gymnast, went viral for her 2023 NCAA Championship routine set to 90s hip-hop, earning a perfect 10. She also secured a spot at the 2024 Olympics with her routine inspired by Beyoncé.