'I'm That Girl' follows gymnast Jordan Chiles' road to the Olympics

Summary

Summary of NPR's Book of the Day Episode: "I'm That Girl" Follows Gymnast Jordan Chiles' Road to the Olympics

In the March 19, 2025 episode of NPR's "Book of the Day," host Andrew Limbong introduces Jordan Chiles, an American gymnast and two-time Olympian, who shares her inspiring journey in her new memoir, I'm That Girl: Living the Power of My Dreams. Conducted by NPR's Juana Summers, the episode delves deep into Chiles' challenges, triumphs, and the profound insights gained from her life in gymnastics.

Early Career and Identity Struggles

Jordan Chiles opens up about her early years in gymnastics, highlighting the discrimination she faced for not conforming to the traditional aesthetic ideals of the sport. She recounts how her unique hairstyles were a form of self-expression but also drew undue scrutiny from those around her.

Jordan Chiles [02:57]:
"I had braids. I had different twists. I had Afro. I had a lot of different things that you wouldn't typically see in gymnastics. And so I think it's really cool to have that ability to recognize that and continue to show that that is my personality. I'm always going to do something that feels comfortable with who I am and that's authentic to who I am."

A particularly painful memory Chiles shares involves her coach cutting her braided hair to fit the "elite international look," an act that left her feeling violated and silenced.

Jordan Chiles [03:52]:
"Now, when I think about it, I wish I used my voice. I wish I used... I told, you know, people that, you know, especially my coach, that that's not right. This is my hair. This is something that I embrace, and this is something that you just took away from me."

Support Systems and Career Decisions

Chiles emphasizes the crucial role her support system played during her formative years. From family and friends to mentors like Simone Biles, their encouragement helped her navigate doubts and stay committed to her gymnastics career.

Jordan Chiles [01:55]:
"So I was like, you know what, maybe this isn't for me. And she came to me and she was like looking at me and she was like, Jordan, like, you have the talent, you have the gift. If you want to do it, go do it. If not, then you know, continue on with your life."

This pivotal conversation with Biles reaffirmed Chiles' belief in her potential, steering her away from thoughts of quitting and towards striving for Olympic success.

Olympic Achievements and Controversy

Chiles shares the highs and lows of her Olympic journey, including medaling in Tokyo and Paris. The joy of winning her first event final medal in Paris is vividly described, showcasing her excitement and sense of accomplishment.

Jordan Chiles [06:05]:
"So I'm jumping for joy. I'm like, yes. Woohoo. Like, I just got my first event final medal. Like this is great. I'm in awe. It's time to go put on, you know, our medal ceremony outfits and everything."

However, this triumph was marred by the revocation of her bronze medal in the women's floor routine due to technical grounds, an event that left her feeling devastated and questioning the fairness of the system.

Jordan Chiles [06:52]:
"I was devastated. I was crying. I felt like every single time I would accomplish something, something would be stripped away from me."

Chiles draws parallels between this incident and previous experiences of having accolades stripped away, highlighting a recurring theme of unrecognized and undervalued achievements.

Coping Mechanisms and Current Life

Despite the setbacks, Chiles remains resilient by leaning on her support systems and engaging in activities that bring her joy and balance. Her life as a UCLA student-athlete allows her to focus on personal growth and enjoy everyday experiences outside of gymnastics.

Jordan Chiles [07:46]:
"I just found ways to keep my mental in the best place as possible."

She embraces a well-rounded life, enjoying time with friends, beach outings, shopping, and her role as a dog mom, which helps maintain her mental and emotional well-being.

Future Plans and Legacy

Looking ahead, Chiles contemplates her future in gymnastics, including the possibility of competing in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. While she acknowledges the uncertainty, her primary focus remains on completing her college education and personal development.

Jordan Chiles [08:31]:
"I'm not going to say they're really, really big. I think right now my biggest thing is just finishing these next few years of college and then going to see it's not a yes, but it's not a no."

Chiles reflects on her impact on the sport, feeling proud of how she has changed the culture of gymnastics by introducing greater individuality and self-expression.

Jordan Chiles [09:00]:
"I feel like I've changed the culture of gymnastics... I've been able to change that perspective of what gymnastics is supposed to be like."

Her legacy is marked by breaking stereotypes, showcasing that gymnasts can embrace unique styles and personalities without compromising their athletic excellence.

Conclusion

Jordan Chiles' memoir and the NPR interview offer a compelling narrative of resilience, identity, and determination. Her story not only highlights the personal challenges and triumphs she has faced but also underscores her significant influence on the gymnastics community. Through her authentic self-expression and unwavering perseverance, Chiles has carved out a unique space for herself, inspiring future generations of athletes to embrace their individuality and pursue their dreams with passion.

Transcript

[Andrew Limbong]

Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbong. I think young phenom athletes have a different relationship to aging and time than the rest of us. Take Jordan Chiles. She's an American gymnast. She's been to the Olympics, she's gotten medals to her name, and she's still in her early 20s. She's got a new memoir out titled I'm that Girl Living the Power of My Dreams. And in it she details some pretty heinous things that happened to her early on in her career simply because she didn't look like other gymnasts. She didn't match someone's aesthetic ideal of a gymnast. And in this interview, NPR's Juana Summers asks how she stayed so clear eyed during all of that. And Chiles says she wasn't clear minded at all between the ages of 12 and 16, as if by 17 she'd reached some greater understanding of the world because I guess by virtue of career, she had to. That's up ahead.

[Juana Summers]

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[Jordan Chiles]

New memoir, the Gymnast Jordan Chiles describes her journey from a hyperactive kid who couldn't talk unless she was bouncing around the house to a two time Olympian decorated with gold and silver medals. But reaching such heights in gymnastics was never a sure thing. She writes that in her mid teens, she thought seriously about quitting the sport until a pivotal conversation with her friend and fellow gymnast Simone Biles at a training camp in Florida.

So I was like, you know what, maybe this isn't for me. And she came to me and she was like looking at me and she was like, Jordan, like, you have the talent, you have the gift. If you want to do it, go do it. If not, then you know, continue on with your life. So I did take that to heart. I was like my idol, who I'm rooming with just told me that I have the potential and the capability of making an Olympic team. So I should really go for that. I wasn't seeing the full potential of who Jordan Chiles could be.

Chiles went on to medal in Tokyo and Paris, but last Year's Olympics were also a major source of anguish for her when the bronze medal she earned in the women's floor routine was stripped away by an arbitration court on technical grounds. She details all of those ups and downs in her book, I'm that girl living the power of my Dreams. And when we spoke last week, she told me about the early days of her gymnastics career and how her hairstyles on the mat helped her express her identity, but also drew undue scrutiny from those around her.

I had braids. I had different twists. I had Afro. I had a lot of different things that you wouldn't typically see in gymnastics. And so I think it's really cool to have that ability to recognize that and continue to show that that is my personality. I'm always going to do something that feels comfortable with who I am and that's authentic to who I am.

Jordan, there's this story that you share about your hair in this book that I have to be honest. It made me incredibly upset, frankly, when I read it. You were 12. You went to this training camp in Texas, and you were there with your former coach, and your hair had been freshly braided, and your coach, she said it wasn't, if I remember correctly, the elite international look. So she takes you into the bathroom as you write and cut your hair, not just the extensions that were part of your braids, but your actual hair. And it just sounded so painful, the way you described it. Can you take us back to that moment and tell us what you were.

Feeling during that time? I couldn't really do that much as being a gymnast because I had to abide by the rules, not being disobedient or just not talking back. Because, you know, a lot of people say as a woman of color, that's basically as having an attitude problem, right? But now, when I think about it, I wish I used my voice. I wish I used. I told, you know, people that, you know, especially my coach, that that's not right. This is my hair. This is something that I embrace, and this is something that you just took away from me. Like, I'm not always going to look the same as every typical gymnast that people see. So I think just I started to embrace a lot more things, and that's when I started to figure out my personality a little more.

And, I mean, that's one of the things that I think, for those of us who have watched your career for all these years, know and see, is just how much of your fun, your personality shines through in every interaction. I. I guess I just wonder. This was one awful moment, one insult, but it feels like it came sort of at the top of this mountain of overt insults and microaggressions directed at you as you were just a kid who was trying to do your best and be your best. How. How did you stay so clear eyed and find your way out of that and keep going?

I could tell you from the age of 12 to 16, I wasn't cleared mind, I wasn't any of those things. I felt like. I always describe it as being in a. In a box. So, you know, the things that I would do is just lean on my support system, whether it's my family, whether it's my teachers in school, whether it was, you know, friends, whether it was God himself and trying just to navigate life at that rate. Because at the end of the day, I just knew I had a talent and I had a gift that wasn't, you know, something I should shy away from and that I should embrace.

I want to turn now to the Paris Olympics and this moment that we all saw when you, your teammate and friend Simone Biles and Brazil's Rebecca Andrade were on that podium together, it was incredibly significant, no matter what came later. With regards to the controversy over the medal, I just want to ask you to take us through what that moment felt like for you. What that was like. That was the last night of gymnastics competition.

So I'm jumping for joy. I'm like, yes. Woohoo. Like, I just got my first event final medal. Like, this is great. I'm in awe. It's time to go put on, you know, our medal ceremony outfits and everything. And a lot of people have told me that I'm known to make history moments throughout my career. So I was just like, wow, this is another history moment that I get to add to, you know, my book. I even got to go to Paris, Disney, Paris the next day. Like I was enjoying life, literally just enjoying life, embracing the moment.

You've talked about this incredible highlight, and yet you also write about coming from this huge celebratory point in your life to feeling this complete desolation as you were learning that your bronze medal had been revoked. I'm hoping you can just tell us what happened next.

I was devastated. I was crying. I felt like every single time I would accomplish something, something would be stripped away from me. And I could, you know, at a part of my book, I do explain that the same thing happened to me at a younger age where I got an award and it got stripped away from me. At a young age. So to me, it was like a full circle moment. My life had kind of spiraled. Oh, Jesus. I didn't want to cry today, but it was just a very hard moment and I never knew that I was going to have to go through that.

Yeah, I know that some time has passed since all of this has been unfolding, but how are you taking care of yourself now as you allow your team, your lawyers, others in your corner to continue to push for that bronze medal?

I have been doing the best that I can on my end. So now I get to just focus on being a UCLA student athlete, competing with my team, having a lot of fun, you know, in California, going to the beach, going shopping, doing all those things as a typical, you know, 23 year old would do and just enjoy being a dog mom and a best friend. So I really just found ways to keep my mental in the best place as possible.

I have to ask, Jordan, what's next for you? I mean, it feels like the 2028 Summer Olympics in LA are just around the corner. As you mentioned, you are an UCLA student athlete. How large are the 2028 games looming in your thinking? How are you feeling?

They're. They're up there. I'm not going to say they're really, really big. I think right now my biggest thing is just finishing these next few years of college and then going to see it's not a yes, but it's not a no.

All right. I do want to ask you, though. I mean, you've done so much. You have created this incredible legacy, you've had this incredible history. You've done so much as a part of Team usa. How do you feel about the mark that you yourself have made on the sport?

I feel like I've made a huge mark. You know, people always say Simone's changed the game of gymnastics and I feel like I've changed the culture of gymnastics. Who would have thought a girl would have this many tattoos, who would have lashes, who would have long nails, who would do crazy things or even dance on the side or get interaction with the crowd? I think it's really cool that I've been able to change that perspective of what gymnastics is supposed to be like.

We've been talking with Jordan Chiles. She is the author of the new book, I'm that Girl. Jordan, thank you so much for joining us.

Thank you so much for having me.

[Juana Summers]

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