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Finding Your Why with Jordan Chiles

48m 16s

Finding Your Why with Jordan Chiles

Jordan Chiles shares a deeply personal and powerful journey of resilience, identity, and healing as a two-time Olympian and world champion. After being stripped of her Olympic medal due to a human error in scoring—rather than doping—she confronts the systemic racism and emotional toll embedded in the system, especially as a Black woman in a predominantly white, narrow-gendered sport. She speaks candidly about the racism she faced, including being dismissed as “not Black enough” and encountering hostility in everyday spaces like restaurants. Through her memoir, *I’m That Girl*, she transforms pain into empowerment, embracing her Afro-Latin identity and reclaiming her narrative with honesty and grace. Jordan highlights the importance of sisterhood, family support, and self-compassion, crediting her parents and sisters for their sacrifices and her own growth. She shares her journey of self-acceptance, including overcoming body image struggles, finding balance with food, and rejecting rigid athletic standards. As a mentor through her "Shiro" initiative, she empowers young athletes to understand themselves and their lives beyond sport. Ultimately, Jordan redefines strength—not as gold or victory, but as resilience, authenticity, and the courage to show up for oneself and others. Her story is a testament to the power of visibility, vulnerability, and personal legacy in the face of injustice.

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(upbeat music) Y'all, I am so honored to sit down with two-time Olympian, world champion, and all around force of nature, Jordan Chiles. This conversation right here, it is about what it takes to fight for your place and your peace. We're talking about everything, what it felt like to have an Olympic gold medal given and then taken, the races back last she survived, and how she found her voice again in her memoir, "I'm That Girl." Jordan does a whole back. This is bigger than gymnastics. It's about the emotional toll of injustice, the power of sisterhood, the courage to keep showing up, and the beauty of family saying, "I'm enough." Through joy, grief, love, and legacy. Jordan is teaching us it all. The strength doesn't always look like gold. (upbeat music) ♪ No matter what we doing in the car ♪ ♪ Just chilling a couple MSI music ♪ ♪ Sit back and listen ♪ ♪ Like love, sex, science, hovering at all ♪ ♪ Especially the back is money, y'all, we keep on ♪ ♪ No matter what it is, we can make it make sense ♪ ♪ Nothing else to do but kick it with the homies again ♪ ♪ So grab you a drink and a snack, you a joy ♪ ♪ You get into the vibe that only points ♪ ♪ You know it's your greatness ♪ ♪ This is kick it ♪ ♪ Baby, this is kick it, home, yeah ♪ Before the holiday rush kicks in, I'm partnering with Airbnb to help you plan that perfect autumn escape from Dreamy Mountain retreats to spacious homes, perfect for gathering with friends and family. Airbnb has amazing spaces for every kind of getaway. Now let's get into it. Girl, what's up? - Hello. - It's so good to be with you because I feel like I know you. I see you everywhere online in the media. You're so talented, amazing doing your thing. How are you? I mean, you just did a huge Nike Super Bowl ad. I mean, time, woman of the years, sports, illustrated swimsuit edition. You're just killing it. How do you feel in this moment? - I feel actually really good. I definitely can say it's been a whirlwind since after Paris and I've just been enjoying the time, the presence, you know, definitely didn't think I would have two covers in one year. Not something I thought, you know, I thought one cover was like gonna be the golden, but I'm just been being me and just having fun, really. I feel like this time of era being 24 is just having fun, finding your identity, finding who you are and just enjoying life. - Yeah, I'm really getting your brand out there. I mean, I know you were doing can as well, doing stuff. How was that experience, you know, being so front-facing? - It was really fun. I mean, a lot of the things that I did in Can, obviously were like speaking panels about sports and marketing and, you know, brands and how as athletes, we see, you know, brands and how brands see us as athletes. So it was really cool. It was fun, you know, meeting CMOs, CEOs, different marketers and just really get to dive deep into how they build their brand and how they could help us and how we can help them. So actually, women in sports, that's a huge thing right now. - Yeah, absolutely. And I love to see it climb, honestly. I feel like when I was a kid, we didn't get to see enough of it. We knew a couple of falls, Lisa Lez is you doing a thing, you know, but it's so good to see more of you in all these different fields doing y'all thing. Now, I know you don't know your victory 'cause I asked you before you guys started an interview, but you aren't Aries. And you said you're on the tour, you're like Taurus Cups. - Yeah. - How do you feel the Aries energy showing up in your life and in your sport or not? 'Cause I mean, you're a leader. I mean, Aries are known to take turns. - Yeah, we are, we are. I mean, there are some moments where I'd be like, oh, that was an Aries move, but I think being able to have that leadership role and standing on it makes it even better. But when it does come to relationships, friendships, I can't see where people are like, y'all Aries are something else. But I am very, a lot, you know, I'm kindhearted. I'm gift, I am. - But y'all are so loyal. - We are very loyal. - So the most ridiculous point, where it's like y'all to stand in. - Yes, I love it about my Aries friends. I've gotten told that a bunch of times where it's like, we like to help others before we help ourselves. And, you know, I feel like I've understood that as I've gotten older, but when I was younger, man, I'd be the, you know, I'd be in high school being the first person to be like, okay, so guys, like, how are you doing? What's going on, you know, so. - But also just getting into this look, your nails, your, I do feel that Taurus energy. 'Cause Taurus's are so cute. They always give you a little flirty vibe. You know, I feel the energy. So I see a little of that Taurus cuss. - Okay, I have to ask, because I know you're always in the gym. What is on your playlist? And I see you be dancing on TikTok. So like, what, what do you be listening to Jordan? - I listen, well, I'm a girls girl. - Period. - So I'm very much, you know, I have Megan. I have Yonsei recently, I've been playing. - Texas. - K-Lonnie's folded. - So everybody's been playing that. - It's stuck in my head. Like, it's been on repeat. - So I have her, sometimes I do go, you know, men, don't go there. I know all the men. Yes, I do listen to you guys. I really just kind of, you know, just as the feeling feels like. - And it feels like arm B. - Yeah, hip-hop, hip-hop. - That's right, my play. You open my phone and you're gonna see mostly arm B on that. - Here is what you need to get into that new, just kick you out of 'em. Got to drop a little tracks for you on a playlist. - I'm a boy with you. - Period. - Okay, period. - Okay, so I want to talk about pairs. I don't want to go into a negative space, but I really want to understand this more as much as you can because I know there's still a legal investigation going on with you being stripped of your medal, which is horrible. I'm so sorry that you had to experience that. So with that being said, I want to understand, especially for those that maybe don't get the intricacies of the Olympics and how they do these kinds of judgings, what exactly happened that led to you getting your medal stripped? - So on the day, I found out that my coaches had put in an inquiry, and that's normal. It's a common thing. There were two other athletes that put in inquires before me, Simone and on Rebecca and Joj, and theirs got denied. So I found out that it was kind of a quick second. I was, you know, interacting with my teammate and all of a sudden I hear I put in an inquiry, and I was like, okay, inquires, they can go up, they can go down or they can say the same. So there's three different ways that your score can, you know, do its thing. And I found out that my score went up, and obviously, you saw the uproar, everybody was excited, everybody was, it was a huge day. It was a really cool experience. And then afterwards, I found out that they wanted to reevaluate what was happening. And my coaches had 60 seconds to put in an inquiry. And 60 seconds isn't, you know, it's not a long time. After my Floreteen, and basically, there's a person that we have to go to, to be like, hey, we want to put in an inquiry, and that person didn't stop the clock fast enough. - So it was a human error, they caused it, actually. - Exactly. - Not really what happened in real time. - Exactly. And so that's why there was, you know, a whole thing that was happening, where it was four seconds, and, you know, there's video proof and all this stuff. So it was a devastating time. And then it became such a huge, I mean, they've just made everything so intense. I feel like the only time I heard about somebody to get a metal strip was 'cause they was dopey. - Yeah, that's another thing that I was just like, I'm confused, I'm confused all I did was my, you know, my job, it's the biggest stage of your life. And you want to, you know, have fun. And like you were saying, the only other time I've heard people get their metal strip is because of dopeing, or is because, you know, whereabouts are something crazy. So I was just an awe and I did go to a deep, deep, deep, deep, down under. - And then I mean, the thing is, I think anytime you as a black person living in this world, you're thinking to yourself, I'm not, I don't want to always make myself feel low and think everything's against me. Like a part of being able to excel in life as a minority is you trying not to think about all the odds that can be against you. You kind of always thinking about, I'm moving forward, I'm gonna do my thing. Hey, whatever, you like me, you don't. But this is an instance where the whole world was saying, we just saw you experience racism. - Mm-hmm. - Did you take that, did you accept that? Were you kind of like, did you find yourself trying, like no, no, no, maybe it's, you know, the rule books are, like how did you deal with that? - I honestly, at first I didn't think of it in that way. And so I started almost literally getting racist comments and saying this and saying that. And basically telling, like people were telling me to kill myself. And it got to a really, really tough point. I had to get off a social media for a while. - Go for you. - Because it was, you know, it was really hard to even see that as an athlete. Like let alone an athlete, I'm up there. Yes, it's an all black podium, which is very rare. It's obviously something that people just don't like because we are dominating in areas that, you know, systemically we've been removed from. - Even the sport alone is expensive to do. - Exactly, you know, as being a woman of color, I was just, you know, I started singing more. They didn't want to see that. They didn't want to see three beautiful black women standing on that podium. They didn't want to see the fact that we were just dominating and I really took that to heart. And again, I just went deeper into what already had happened. - It's deep what you're saying, too, because it makes me think about the craps and the barrel concept, because what you're saying leaves me to the fact of there can only be one, you know. So it's like y'all can't handle the two aisles. Y'all can't handle the child in the box. Y'all need only one, that that really is interesting because I'm thinking about it, yes, it's the collection of as opposed to only one gets in. And that creates not just something in terms of black and white racism, but also intercultural stuff where it's like we're always fighting for more than one position. I also remember you had spoken something 'cause you're a biracial, right? - Yes. - You're Latinx and I don't know exactly what, black and what you're Latin, okay, yes. And um. You said you were accused of not being black enough sometimes and dealing with that. So I mean, when you experience this, but then also have that experience, how do you grapple with that? I honestly just look at it as, well, it's my life, I'm writing my own narrative, I'm writing my own book, I'm writing, you know, things that not. I get it while people say those things because how I see is every single time I get some type of comment or something, it's some, I look back and be like, you know what, this person is probably going through a tough time and they don't like something about themselves. That's a powerful and important way to look at it because it's true. Because it's like, okay, you can, you know, obviously what you don't like about yourself, you're going to go to someone else and be like, I'm just going to ruin their day because I don't like something about me and I'm just going to move on with my, you know, my life. Yeah. And so with things like that, I had to deal with it at a young age, actually, it's actually my book. My coach didn't believe my mom was my mom because I was black, but she, my mom was Latin. So it's like when she came and picked me up or something, my coach was like, that's not your mom. Wow. Why can't that be my mom? Like, I'm my mix. It's my mom. Or she's like, I have no other mom. What else do you want me to say? So I had to deal with it at a young age, but then I started to realize my identity is something that I am still finding and I'm getting to choose and I get to explore and I get to, you know, embrace. I just started embracing my Latin side even more because I was like, yes, people only see me as black within. It's like, if I tell them I'm Latin, they don't, they only see me as Latin. And I'm just like, okay, y'all got to pick and choose, I'm like, I'm both like. So I think having the understanding of being Afro Latina, I really enjoy it. I really like to, you know, discover both cultures and just really find that diversity and just, you know, be me. Yeah. And there's also so much going on as well within the Latin community right now. There is. And there is atrocities being done. It literally is. It's devastating. It's devastating. So then you have, you know, your communities, your two communities that you're speaking out for. What do you say to the young woman like you that is dealing with seeing that on a day-to-day basis? And maybe it doesn't have any metals even be taken from them, like they're still working to find that thing and achieve something and know that the odds won't be against them. Because when you do see stuff like this, it can make you say, it can make the people watching us say, well, why should I even try? You know, Jordan been doing this since she was seven. She got there and then what do we tell them to make them have faith that it's worth fighting for? I mean, every single day we're fighting for our lives. I don't think, you know, there's one day you're going to wake up and be like, oh, this is, you know, this is going to be a normal day. I how I see it is. If that was the case, we'd all be living in the utopia. Okay. Drinking coffee the same, driving the same car, like it doesn't work like that. Like no. And I don't think people want to see yourself. You don't want to see your own identity and somebody else because you're going to want to change something. So I always tell even, you know, little girls who do a sport, don't do a sport is, you know, always believe in the power of your dreams. Your dreams can take years, they can take months, they can take the next day, but it honestly has something to do with your own personality, your own, you know, you're being authentic to who you are. Yeah. I continue to fight for what I do every single day because I understand my why. What is your why? My why is always understanding that I didn't wake up to sprint for the younger generation for no reason. I didn't wake up to, you know, talk about what I'm going through for no reason. I didn't write a book for them to read for no reason. So they get the ability just to wake up, look at themselves in the mirror and no point it didn't say, I'm not girl, right? You 100%. I'm living for everything coming up your mouth. Okay. You are giving it everything you say I didn't do it for no reason, no reason, and it's about the belief that your life is worth it because why else am I here? God didn't create me just to walk on the earth. He didn't create me just for me to have this resilient, like just for me to be in my bed and be all pretty. No. That's not how it works. Like it doesn't work. I think builds this kind of spirit, the spirit that you have. This is tenacity, even just sitting in the room with you, I feel it, there's this discipline, this confidence and this knowing. What do you think helped you cultivate that? Definitely. Well, one the discipline part came from my sport at the age of 12. I was traveling to Italy like, who does that? I don't think I can ask any other 12. You was the lady. Yeah. We lost the lady. So I think really it was, you know, my parents. My parents taught me how to be very humble and how to understand that if you want to create a life for yourself, then you have to work. You have to be dedicated and strive and you know, conquer. I didn't grow up in a family of quitters. I know that's probably crazy to say, but we don't quit in things, you know, failing, yes, we can fail 100%. That's how life goes, but quitting, no. So I continue to, you know, understand myself. Each day we learn something new about ourselves. Each year, you know, it's our birthday, but that's not going to be the same year that I was 23. It's not going to be the same with me being 24. Yeah. So I think constantly understanding that I'm growing and I'm understanding myself and I'm always authentic. I'm going to be straight for I'm a blunt person. I will tell you the truth. If you walk out the house with two separate socks on, I will tell you to go back in the house and change your socks because you're not doing that. No, no polka dots and stripes. No, it does not work. Like, that's just how I am. Oh my gosh. Just, you know, put my, my feet in front of each other and continue to walk. I, you know, walk my faith literally, that's kind of how I just let God create something for me. Another thing I want to mention, because I think it's important, especially when that point that you made about seeing all of these minorities, specifically black people up here, dominating spaces that you wouldn't expect, that can create intercultural, you know, competition. But you uphold a sister who was among vials. She's one of the main people that came out of support of you. I mean, what do you think the importance is of us to see that as well and how it didn't impact you during this typical time? It was kind of like a swap in Tokyo, you know, I helped, I stepped in for her. And I think that was when I first was like, wow, you know, I'm actually being seen. I actually feel something, you know, that confidence came in. And so her being able to support me in this situation and giving me, you know, tactics and being like, look, I'm here for you. I understand what's happening, we're going to do everything we can and make sure and we're going to continue to fight. So seeing that, I think having that sisterhood is definitely a huge thing because not everybody gets that. Not everybody has that friend that is also your teammate. They get, yes, they give that gets it exactly. So it's been, it's been pretty cool to see that she's, you know, been there for me and that I can, you know, do the same for her, support her, do whatever I need to do to make sure she's doing good because when you have that relationship, you can kind of, you know, feel like, okay, we're both going in the same direction and we can conquer in both spaces. And healthy competition, when you rise, I rise, so I'm really proud of you guys for that and for showing that. Now, we do got to talk about this book on that girl. I mean, did you see yourself writing a book or did you just know, yeah, okay, okay. I did. Yes, I did when I was young. Oh my gosh. I love that. I live for the dreams coming true. Yes. I did. It was something as a little kid how I see it is, right? We have these imaginations. You have your little imagination, friends, right? And you're like, one day I'm going to have real friends, right? So that's how it was with this book. I, you know, understood my story was crazy. I'm a rainbow baby and a miracle child. Oh, wow. And I've named after Michael Jordan. So put all three things together and said, we got high hopes and they was right though. Talk about manifestation. Exactly. So I kind of really took that and made my story and being like, okay, you know, I've had the flu game. I know that's pretty crazy to say, but I've had the flu game. I've, you know, kind of been able to understand failing the thing in life and you have to learn from them. So, you know, writing this book was really just something that I wanted to tell my story. People have narratives, right? You can go on Twitter and they can say this down the other. I've gone through a lot of crazy things within my life, which, you know, I, I can say, thank you. But at the same time, why? Why me? God, why am I your strongest? Right. Like, thank you. I appreciate it. We shouldn't have to put me through that. Um, so knowing that I was able to finally lay everything out. Yeah. I didn't realize within the time of me writing my book, that trauma that I went through, whether it was me getting smoked out in a car, whether it was me getting my braids cut off, whether it was me getting told I look like an oompa, oompa, and keep in mind, I was like this big. Yeah. So there was a lot of trauma that I was had to retell. I just want to talk about this hair chopped off really quickly. Yeah. So this is what you wrote in your book about one of your coaches. Yes. Coach X. Coach X. Chop off your hair. Yeah. What did your mom do? What was she? What was she? And what was the reason? I mean, there's no reason for me knowing it. To her there was. So in gymnastics, obviously, there's a typical, well, not anymore. I've kind of changed the culture of that, you know, with my tattoos, my nails, all those things. Come on. I'm an amateur junior. So. Why would I say that the stuff I say, I'm tired of myself? Because what? But y'all know he changed the game. Oh, anyways. 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That's why I said so much things need to be updated systemically that allow us to exist in our fullness. Because so much of it, I mean, even to nowadays, I still go to Atlanta, I go to a restaurant. They literally say everything but black skin can't come in. I mean, it's like no hat, no anything that you would imagine a black person be wearing. They got up on that list. I'm like, just say you don't want nobody but no Air Force one specifically. Like what? Like what? Like it's everything. No gold chain. Right. Like what? It's so crazy. So anyway, yeah. So basically when I wrote the book, and I was finally able to close it, I was like, all that trauma I finally can let go. Like I don't have to deal with it anymore. I people ask me about go read the book. You want to really know you can go read the book like, you know, and but what's also so cool is like when I close my book and you like, I'm not girl. Obviously it came from the song from the song. Beyonce and so basically I got to, you know, that was my model all of 2024. So when I get to close my book and I get to look at and understand all that trauma is inside. But when you look at the front cover, I get to say, you know, I would, I am not girl. I am not person that went through all of that. But I get to still be, you know, it's not about pearls. It's not about, you know, change. It's not about the money. It's not about any of those things. But it's about who I am and that resilient, independent woman that I get to carry around and, you know, let people see. So it was a fun process. How has it been seeing the reception of that and people getting it? Because another thing I really liked that you talked about in your book was the body image stuff. And some of the eating disorders and things like that, which I think my best friend and I were talking about how in this world eating food inherently can become an eating disorder. Because we don't know if we should be more, we don't know if we should be less. We don't know based off our goals or what does this, you know, it becomes so confusing. So I love that you spoke about it because I think we need to really talk about it a little bit more. And how did you find balance, you think, with that? It took me a while to find balance with food. At first, obviously. Because also attached to your career. Exactly. But as gymnasts, it's a little different. Like we don't like drinking too much water because we can fill it when we flip. I know that's weird. We can fill it in our stomach. So like even water was kind of, she said nothing. Like even water, we were like, okay, during competitions, we would be like, okay, I'm parts, but like, let me just take a little sip because I don't want to fill it. So it was something that I had to get used to. As a little kid, my mom actually realized I did not know how to function without food. Like it was, it would be the weird, like I had more injuries and it would be like, I think you need normal portions, right? Right. But it was like healthy food. Like couldn't function, couldn't do it. But the moment you gave me a cookie or like a honey bun or something, it was like, wow, like she perfectly good. I can do anything. So like I had to figure out, yes, me and food were not friends. It came to a point to where I found out I was lactose intolerant, which I still am. But you know, ice cream on the days can, you know, add to it. Right. I found out I was gluten free at one point in my life. I couldn't eat certain food. I found out I was allergic to lemon grass. Like there was a lot of things in, I would get like really, really sick. So it was like, what is going on? The moment my mom realized that things weren't going there. I would get cramps out of the blue like it was bad. So then she was like, okay, let's see what happens. You just go eat whatever you want. So what did I do? Oh, I went to the red lobster. The manager of red lobster done added bags of all. I just seen it on the news, girl. They're about to update the damn menu. Yeah, there is a red lobster about to give you whole dump bags of seeded food. No way. That man came in there swinging. I know that's right. Anyway, back to it. I started thinking about the new menu. The menu. The menu. The menu. Boy, I read lobster. And I know they better pay us both. For real. Today. Let's go. Clack it. Ah. Anyways. If you see me and Keegan, red lobster, don't worry about it. Don't worry. Anyways. So yeah, I had to mind with the opposite. A lot of athletes you asked, do you have a diet? Do you have this? And it's like, yeah, I do. But for me, I don't have no diet. Yes. I don't do any of that. What you found was best for you. Exactly. And I think that's like that's the really key piece for any one of us. Sometimes you could look online. You see, I love watching what I eat today. But it's like, I can't really eat what you could eat today. Or you can't really eat what I can eat today. And those portion sizes. We are fist and that makes no sense to me because it's like not everybody's hands are the same size. Okay. So it's like, how does that work? And if your hand bigger than mine, I'm using yours. Right. Pick up, pick up this for me. That's how much I'm eating. Can you give me a fist real quick? Literally. Appreciate it. That's what I'm eating today. But yeah, it was, you know, love, love hate relationship. Yeah. Now I always do say that. Because people, you know, they always ask me with your body. What do you like body positivity and partial syndrome? That we're women. It's going to happen. It's just that's just life. Seriously. Like we're just going to wake up one day and feel really skinny. And the next day we're like, what happened? No, seriously. It just happened. So I always tell people, you know, create your mind to understand that your body is always going to change. The older you get. And it will get to its form when it's needed. And so I think that's what I created in my mind is like, yeah, I have days where I'm like, I feel like this. But then I'm like, you know what girl? Slate today. You're going to put these shoes on. You're going to feel like this and you're going to walk out the house. I was put to make them on and let's go. - Yeah. - Like, you know, and it's just a part of it. - Exactly. - Embracing those moments just as much as we embrace the good moments. - Exactly. - Now you speak a lot about your family, your parents, your sister. I mean, they've been vocal and visible and I know because my family is the same way girl. So what role have they played you think in helping you build not just your career, but who you are as a person? - They played a huge role. My family had sacrificed a lot. Especially my sister is at a young age. They literally would have to take me to practice through all these things. Like, they hated it though. - Yeah, my sister was tired of it. - It's tired of it. Like, why I gotta take you to this place? I wanna go hang out with my friends and I'm sorry. Like, I gotta go to practice or mom's gonna kill us both. Like, it doesn't work like that. So they played a huge role. Obviously, my older sister, both my sisters actually work for me, which is pretty cool. - Wow, my older sister. - My older sister, she's my HMU. She does my hair and makeup for a lot of events. - And you look so good. - Thank you. - Thank you. - And then my other sister, she's my personal assistant, which is also cool 'cause it's like, "Hey, excuse me, I need this and the other." Like, so having them both with me, especially 'cause our relationships weren't too close when I was younger. - Yeah. - Knowing that now I have them within my life when we kinda can dominate. I'm always love giving back. - Yep. - My family is something that I want to get back because they had to sacrifice. So the first thing I did, which is pretty crazy to say, I didn't even buy my own self a house. I bought my parents a house. Like, it was-- - Period. - It was something that I felt so proud of because it was like, "You should." I was able to live in your house for 18 years and you sacrifice everything. Work this, that-- - And I really wanna talk about this and take a moment because I feel like very related to athletes. Even though I didn't start doing this for-- - It's okay, I feel like I'm related to you. - You know what I mean? Because like, it's visorous. Starting young, it becomes a family business. Everybody got to support you. Everybody got to put something on hold. And then you know, you're doing your thing and a lot of people are just looking at you. But you're like, at the end of the day, it's my support system that's making it happen for me. So being kind of like the one in your family, it seems like something that you, and then this is how I feel, especially as I got older, really take responsibility for and feel proud of. Not burdened by. When you were younger, did you always see it that way? Did you grow into that perspective of like, "No, this is my role and I'm proud of it." - It took me, I didn't like it at first because I was like, I feel bad, like I feel bad. - You feel good. - Yeah, we can't go on vacations because I have a competition. My sister's birthday is in August and typically that's when our vacations were and that was her birthday. And I just always felt like it was something we couldn't really celebrate 'cause I had competitions like that. But then I started to realize, well, maybe the role that I've given is because when her birthday comes, I can go get her a Louis Vuitton bag. - Okay. - But I can go do this for her, you know? Like all those things. So I did, like, as I got older, started to realize, okay, I am in this position for a reason. - Yes. - And not only am I in this position, I'm going to be able to help everybody around me. - And that's why I'm so glad we talked about 'cause I think so many people out there, whether they are in our fields or something else, especially when you think about minorities, like a lot of times for us, like that generational lineage of wealth isn't there. So whoever decides to build it or who finds a way to build it, it's like, don't feel guilty for that. Don't feel burdened by that. Yes, it's tough, but what do they say? Heavy is the crown that they made you wear. - You know what I'm talking about, y'all. - So it's important to uplift that person. - The tearies in the family, you know, so food. - Yeah. - So, I mean, you're also a student. - I am a UCLA. - Girl, that's a senior year coming. - Congratulations, Bull. - Thank you. - You're building a brand. I mean, and you're essentially redefining what an athlete entrepreneur looks like. How did you find the language for that, right? 'Cause we're always trying to figure out how, how do I articulate? - I don't know who I am, but how articulate who I am, y'all. How has it been discovering that and then sharing it with the world? - It's been fun. First off, at the age of 16, 17 years old, I understood what a W-tooth was. And a W-4, and a 1099. All those taxes thingies, I understood those because business, it runs in my family. My mom used to own property and. - Here we are. - Crazy places, I'm gonna. She just enjoyed business. That's just what she did. And so I understood, I would go in her office. I remember I'd go in her office and be like, "Okay, so what are we doing today?" She's like, "Well, I'm filling this out because there's a 10-it." And then I was like, "Oh, okay, I would retain that." So a lot of the business things that I know now, and that I get to explore and let the younger generation understand, it's fun. Because now I get to mentor. I actually have this new athlete initiative that's coming out. - One minute. - It's called Shiro. I'm mentoring two athletes who get to not only understand themselves in the sport area, but also their life. I have this, one of the athletes, she likes nails. So I'm like, "Okay, well, what can we do with that?" Do you wanna come and nail tech? But, you know, all those things and teach them ways before they get into college of understanding that, "Yes, college is gonna be hard. It's hard for everybody." Don't worry about it. We live life, right? But you'll be able to retain more information because I was able to mentor you in that you can kind of guide yourself. A little better than most college students. So basically, I can give you a little background on Shiro. Basically, Shiro, my aunt passed away who was really dear and close to me. It was on my dad's side. And she always told me I was her hero. But she was like, "That's a man." In her eyes, she was like, "That's a man." So she was like, "But you're my woman hero." So that's where Shiro came into play. And it's basically just something that she felt, I was dominant in things that she understood I was gonna be able to conquer. And she actually told me that before even Paris was even a thought in my head that I would go to a second Olympics. And a year before, she passed away. And it was everything that I did. All of 24 was really, it was for her. - Oh my goodness, what's your grandpa? - My grandpa, they passed away a year apart. - Shout out to grandpa. Shout out to your auntie as well. I don't know her name, but rest in peace. I'm sure they're really so proud of you. - Yeah, they are. - They are. - Seriously. - But yeah, that's where Shiro came from. - So I'm excited. - So Shiro, this is gonna be huge. And then also, I mean, I just wanna get into a little bit of tea with you. Are you dating a girl? Oh. ♪ Baby, it's this geeky poem, yeah ♪ - Y'all know your girl is busy. Hosting my podcast, memorizing my scripts, and running after my little one. Breaking through this busy season requires equipment that's working as smart as I am. And that's why I'm obsessed with the new Peloton cross-training tread plus. It's cross-training, re-imagined with features designed to help you reach your goals effortlessly. Giving personal trainer meets tech genius meets motivation station. Listen, this thing is so smart. Peloton IQ provides intelligent strength coaching, watching my every move in the best way possible. The movement tracking camera counts my reps, corrects my form, and suggests weights that'll challenge me at the exact right moment, helping me achieve more in less time. And don't even get me started about the swivel screen situation because it's everything. One minute, I'm conquering a 45-minute run. Then with one smooth spin, I'm flowing into a five-minute stretch. The personalized plans, though. That's the real showstopper. Peloton IQ creates these custom workout plans that have me feeling like the main character in my own fitness journey. Matching you with instructors who get your whole vibe, whether you need that extra push or just some real talk motivation. Let yourself run, lift, skull, push, and go. Explore the new Peloton Cross-Training Tread Plus at onepeloton.com. Oh, Kiki. No, I'm not. These are the questions that the girls want to know. No, I'm single. Everybody, I am single. I am single. Do you feel like you get to date a lot with your schedule? People ask me this, too, all the time. Because it's like, yes, I'm busy. - Ciao. - Dating. - Dating, schmating. - I mean, okay, I was in a relationship. I can tell you that. A lot of people were like-- - How long? - It was for two years. - It's a relationship? - But it was like, on and off. So I don't even know if that was two years, but two years on and off. - Yeah. - It's still valid. - Yeah, I guess. So since then, it was a communication thing for me. I'm a very, I'm an airy. So just because I'm all lovey-dovey and queuing, you know, you gotta communicate. I need to know that you're okay. I don't care if it's just a good morning. You gotta communicate. - Yeah. - So it was just something that, you know, he played overseas and that was getting harder. - Yeah, both harder. - Yeah, it was getting harder and harder. So kind of just, you know, it's like we can go our separate ways. So right now, I've just been living life. I'm single, though. - Do you like dating people in your field? Because I don't really like it. Sometimes it could feel too much. I mean, obviously he can be athlete, but play a totally different sport. So there's maybe differences there. - Sport wise. I mean, I don't mind. Now in gymnastics, I don't think I would date another gymnast. - Yeah. - Like I could be an NBA wife. - I could be. - Okay. - Yeah, I could be an NFL wife. You know, all those things. So minus, no. - Period. - Pop off. - Okay. - We'll see how those, we'll see how those DMs are about to get popping off, right? - It happens every time. - Yeah. - Every time. - I live, girl. I just live. - Okay. - Are you ready to play a game? - I am. - I play a game always with my guests. And I really like wanted to make sure this one felt very you like. - Oh jeez. - So it's called spill the beams. We're gonna stand on like these little kid balance beams while playing a game of truth or dare. - And can you balance? - I mean, if I can't, you're gonna teach me right? - I got you. - Yes, if I can't, you're gonna make sure I'm good. (upbeat music) - Okay, either truth, dare, or wild card. - Which first, I'll do it truth. - Okay, truth. What is something petty you're still holding onto and what absolutely we do again? (laughing) - Something petty? Ooh, what did I do that was petty? - I think I would probably ignore one specific person again. - Just because they probably took. - Oh, I stopped eating my food because somebody stole a fry from my plate without asking. - Ooh, that is stubborn. That is that cusp stuff going on because that is the tourist I (beep) do. - Okay, my turn. - Uh, truth. - Truth, or dare, oh, I want dare, I want dare. - Oh, now you have to spill. - Actually, let me get my spill things. Okay, walk the beam like it's Love and Hip Hop reunion stage. - Oh, reunion stage? Wait, what even happened? - What? - Baby swinging and wagging around. - Okay, that's what baby doing. - Yes! (laughing) - Okay, Jordan, you are too funny, girl. - She's almost so. - Okay, there's some crazy, uh, you can ask me any of 'em. - Reciate toxic text you would absolutely still fall for. - Look, it's been a long time. The only thing I wanted just to see you in talk. You ain't got to say nothing. - Okay, I'm on the way. - From the right person down the hit. - That was good. - That was like (beep) you just want to talk. - You just want to talk, you just want to hear me. - I ain't even, I didn't get out the car. - No. - He said he wanted to talk. - That's it. - I'm gonna go. - I'm gonna go. - Okay. - Truth the dare. - Dare. - Dare? - Yeah. - Okay. Do a beam strut while saying your favorite made up excuse to cancel plans. - My favorite one. I use it all the time. - I know mine too. - I always do this. So basically what happened was there was this one dude who really couldn't even pick up the phone and I just had to stay home because he told me he was pulling up in like three seconds. - Now that's a good ass one. That's a unique one because every girl is gonna be like, oh (beep) get your man. Like that? Like, oh wait, oh, I already get it girl. Let me know, that's a good one. I do the same typical one that every mom does. Oh my gosh, the baby girl. The baby just, the baby. - I get that one. - Literally just the baby. - I get that one. - Worth like a charm. - And if I sit it to you girl, it really was the baby. - Okay, truth are there. - Okay, truth are dare. I feel like the dares are really fun. So, I'm doing the truth. I'm doing the truth. I'm doing the truth. - What's one song you performed that you now wish you passed on? That I now wish I passed on. The one song I performed that I wish I passed on. So, this is about to be crazy to some people. I don't necessarily wish I passed on it, but I can be honest that it's like one of my popular songs that like I didn't really want to do was keep it moving. I know, isn't that crazy? I didn't want to do keep it moving. I actually didn't want to do. And it's really like the main jam. People be like. - Thank you so much over. Thank you having a nice day. - And I feel like this is every artist storyline. Like, I feel like every artist be like, "Oh, you know, the one song I hated was rainy alarm." And it's like, "Huh?" So, yeah, I guess, yeah. - Well, that's what you're talented. - Truth. - Okay. What's a red flag that you completely ignored multiple times? - Attachment issues to my parents. - Yours, your attachment issues to your parents. - Like my own red flag? - Yes. - For somebody else's, somebody else's. - Somebody else's red flag? - I'm also attached to my parents, so. - Same. I'm not laughing. Don't abandon me, please. - Somebody else's red flags that I noticed would probably be them saying the same thing over and over again, but trying to reword it. - Yeah. At that point, your head gets so tired that you just agree. - 'Cause then I start saying the same motivational thing over and over again. - And that this one, y'all gotta script. I'm the same. - It's almost like we like the rock. - We like to go up and down. - And then when somebody changes it, you'd be like, wait a minute. - Yeah. - This is the part where, anyway. - Okay. - Strike three poses you do at the Met Gala on the steps. - Okay. - Right here. Okay. Okay, what? - Two. - Oh my, I'm not. - Okay, period. - Period, period. Okay, let me do you now. - Wow. - Perform your, I just saw my ex and public, but I look good striped. - Yes, Jordan! - I know you see me. - Oh! - Come on, listen to "Wirefall." Jordan, you're absolutely amazing. - I had so much fun with you on the park and you're too fun. - Well, to many more beamings. To many more beamings, that's not a word, but it's okay, we make one today. - Red lobster. - Yeah, if you see us there. - You? - Yep. - See you for it, bro. - Bye. - Jordan Chow's angels tell her story. She's taking the pin and writing the whole book herself. With honesty, boldness, and grace, she is confronting the systems that try to break her and reclaiming her power through visibility, vulnerability, and truth. Whether she's flipping across the mat, modeling in her own image or mentoring the next generation. Jordan is showing us that strength is layered. Legacy is personal and healing is revolutionary. She is that girl. Not because anyone else said so, but because she knows it for herself. See y'all next week for more. 'Cause baby, this is Kiki Palmer. ♪ Baby, this is Kiki ♪ ♪ Baby, this is Kiki Palmer, yeah ♪ - Baby, this is Kiki Palmer is hosted and executive produced by me, Kiki Palmer. Lucas Siegel is our host producer. Our producers are Lauren Hampton and Molly Nestor. Hillary Estee McLaughlin is our executive producer. Production services provided by Evolution Media. Our original theme song was written and performed by me, Kiki Palmer. For team Kiki, my producer is Sharon Palmer. For Wondery, our Managing Producer is Olivia Fonte. Senior Managing Producer is Nick Ryan. And our executive producers are Emily Feldbreak, Aaron O'Flarity, and Marshall Louis. [MUSIC]

Podcast Summary

Key Points:

  1. Jordan Chiles reflects on the emotional trauma of losing her Olympic medal due to a human error, not doping, and how it exposed systemic racism in sports and society.
  2. She emphasizes the power of sisterhood, especially with teammates, as a source of strength and support during adversity.
  3. Jordan’s journey of self-acceptance includes embracing her Afro-Latin identity and challenging narrow standards of beauty and success in gymnastics.
  4. Her memoir, *I'm That Girl*, serves as a testimony to resilience, trauma, and healing, allowing her to reclaim her narrative and assert her identity.
  5. She advocates for body positivity, self-care, and individualized wellness, rejecting rigid diets and affirming that each person’s body and needs are unique.
  6. Jordan credits her family—especially her parents and sisters—for their sacrifices and emotional support, and she takes responsibility for giving back through actions like buying her parents a home.
  7. She mentors young athletes through her initiative "Shiro," honoring her late aunt and emphasizing the importance of legacy and personal growth.
  8. Jordan redefines the athlete-entrepreneur model by blending sports, business, and personal authenticity, showing that strength is not just gold, but resilience and self-belief.

Summary:

Jordan Chiles shares a deeply personal and powerful journey of resilience, identity, and healing as a two-time Olympian and world champion. After being stripped of her Olympic medal due to a human error in scoring—rather than doping—she confronts the systemic racism and emotional toll embedded in the system, especially as a Black woman in a predominantly white, narrow-gendered sport. She speaks candidly about the racism she faced, including being dismissed as “not Black enough” and encountering hostility in everyday spaces like restaurants.

Through her memoir, *I’m That Girl*, she transforms pain into empowerment, embracing her Afro-Latin identity and reclaiming her narrative with honesty and grace. Jordan highlights the importance of sisterhood, family support, and self-compassion, crediting her parents and sisters for their sacrifices and her own growth. She shares her journey of self-acceptance, including overcoming body image struggles, finding balance with food, and rejecting rigid athletic standards.

As a mentor through her "Shiro" initiative, she empowers young athletes to understand themselves and their lives beyond sport. Ultimately, Jordan redefines strength—not as gold or victory, but as resilience, authenticity, and the courage to show up for oneself and others. Her story is a testament to the power of visibility, vulnerability, and personal legacy in the face of injustice.

FAQs

Jordan Chiles' medal was stripped due to a human error during a re-evaluation process. Her coaches submitted an inquiry within 60 seconds, which wasn't enough time to stop the clock. This led to a score adjustment, and the incident was ultimately caused by procedural oversight, not misconduct.

Jordan faced intense racist online comments, including threats to harm herself. She had to take a break from social media and found strength in her identity and faith. She emphasized that the experience reinforced her resilience and commitment to representing Black and Latina women in sports.

The phrase 'I'm not girl' is a powerful declaration of self-identity. It reflects that despite enduring trauma, she is not defined by the pain she’s faced. Instead, she is a resilient, independent woman who stands firmly in her truth and self-worth.

Jordan believes strength isn't always visible through medals or success. It’s found in resilience, authenticity, and the courage to continue showing up despite adversity, especially in the face of systemic racism and personal trauma.

Jordan’s family, especially her sisters, provided emotional and logistical support. They sacrificed time and resources to support her training. In turn, she built a legacy of giving back by buying her parents a home and mentoring young athletes.

She shares that gymnastics imposed strict dieting and body image standards, leading to trauma. Over time, she embraced self-compassion, discovered food sensitivities, and learned that her body is a gift, not a product to be controlled.

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