Jordan Chiles on Authenticity, Self-Care, and Empowering the Next Generation

Since the 2024 Olympics, Jordan Chiles has been making waves outside the gymnastics world. She’s been named to Ebony’s Power 100 list, will be the keynote speaker at the YMCA National Gymnastics Championship and Invitational, and is set to release her memoir, I’m That Girl: Living the Power of My Dreams, which promises to inspire a new generation.

Jordan’s not slowing down! She recently teamed up with Bath & Body Works for its annual Candle Day. In a fun run through NYC and a candle-lighting ceremony, she joined Olympic power couple Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall to kick off the festivities. While the annual Candle Day sale may be over, the excitement continues. Bath & Body Works has more in store, including a semi-annual sale and new product drops.

Chiles, a longtime fan of the brand, reminisced, “Bath & Body Works has been with me my whole life since I remember. My mom had the Limoncello Bath & Body Works candle, which would always be flamed up with the scents and smells. So I’ve been with Bath & Body Works and loved it ever since that timeframe.”

She continued, “Authenticity is something that I really vibe with, and I want everybody to understand that no matter what brand or partnership I’m with, I will always be my true self, and that’s what I feel with Bath & Body Works.”

To get a deeper look into the gymnastics star’s world, the Buckeye Review caught up with the 23-year-old to talk about her life, career, and encouraging message for the next generation.

Buckeye Review: A lot of us use candles to wind down during the holidays, but for gymnasts in particular, this is when you all are starting to ramp up your seasons. The competition season is kicking off in January. How do you integrate self-care during this busy season, even with your candle routine?

Jordan Chiles: Most of the time, as athletes, it’s hard to put yourself in a “self-care regimen” all the time. Yes, we can do things for our bodies, obviously, our hair and our faces, but having a constant one is hard. I’ve gone through different skin, hair, and body care [routines], but my favorite part is sitting in a bathtub, watching Netflix, lighting a candle, and just having that zen time to yourself without thinking of anything. It helps get your mind back in a good mindset.

Most of the time, being with family and friends and having a support system can also help. So, that’s how I implement self-care in what I do. I’m constantly on the go, so it’s hard to put myself in one spot and say, “Okay, today, I’m going to take time to myself.” However, I try to at least take 30 [minutes] to an hour or even an hour and a half of the day to make sure I’m mentally okay and not too overwhelmed.

BR: I love how you have started to branch out and build your brand. Can you talk to me about how you have been able to build your identity beyond gymnastics lately?

JC: I learned that you can separate your two lives as an athlete. It may be challenging, but there are different things within yourself that you can branch out and find. I found out I have a creative side. I found out that fashion is something that I deeply love. I found out that I can enjoy being myself, the Jordan that, as a little kid, I had dreams of doing, and branching out in those ways to show the younger generation that you can have multiple dreams.

You can have the ability to put yourself in different shoes and be like, “I’m going to try this out.” It’s okay to fail because that means that you’re learning yourself. You don’t have to be scared to fail at something because, at the end of it, you’re learning from that, and you’re going to win from it. I see these as opportunities that I get to say, “Yes, I was with the [Radio City] Rockettes. Yes, I’m a SI [Sports Illustrated] swimsuit model. Yes, I got to go to the VMAs and do this, that, and the other.” Those are opportunities I get to enjoy because of the accomplishments that I did within myself, not just as a human but also in my sport.

So, branching out, it’s my brand. I’m named after one of the greatest basketball players, Michael Jordan. He branched out, but who would’ve thought that he would go and play baseball? Who would’ve thought he would play golf? No one. But he knew within himself that he had the ability and the talent to try different things and that basketball wasn’t just his life.

So that’s how I see it. And it’s really cool that people see it, too, because it is hard not knowing what you are doing, especially when you can’t see it yourself. I don’t have the power to come out of my body and say, “Oh, what is Jordan doing today?” It doesn’t work like that. But knowing that people see [me] is very comforting, and I love it. I appreciate everybody’s understanding that I do have a different life. I’m human. I can go to a Halloween party. I can go to a Christmas party. I can do these things because I’m still human, but I can also go on the mat, win medals, and do all these things. I like to separate the two and enjoy both as best as possible.

BR: You’ve previously said that everything you do is for the next generation. When you think about that statement, how are you approaching that responsibility, especially given the history of the sport, but also even as a Black woman having to represent in this sport and in this country? What do you do to really protect that space for them?

JC: There are a lot of things I do, whether it’s within my sport or not, but I didn’t learn that until Simone [Biles] came around. She taught me what it’s like to be that person in your sport and outside your sport. So, for the generation that’s within my sport, I’ve gone through a lot of racial things throughout my life. I got my braids cut by my own coach. I’ve had things that have happened to me that I don’t want to happen to the younger generation, so I will stand on it. I’m going to come out with crazy hairstyles. I’m going to be the only person who has a whole arm sleeve of tattoos. I like to take those things and embrace that it’s okay to be the person you are and change the culture or the game of that sport or that thing you’re trying to do, especially being a woman of color.

At my old gym, I was the only Black girl for a very long time until I moved to Texas, and knowing that I was the only Black girl, everything that I did was on the white prominent side. I didn’t embrace who I was, so realizing those things, I was like, “If I’m trying to become this public figure or if I’m trying to make this brand, how can I fix those things so the younger generation can walk into a gym and be like, ‘Okay, this is who I am. If you’re not going to accept that, then I’m just going to move on and go to a different place, a different career or a different path.'” And so I had to fix that within myself.

I make sure the things I am applying myself to and the things I am being sponsored by are authentic. Authenticity is something I deeply support. If you think I put on a face somewhere on social media or something like that, you’re going to get that same person because the same person that’s on social media is the same in person.

I try to figure out how to make sure the younger generation understands that at any moment, you doubt yourself, look at your mentors, look at what they did, and say, “Okay, this is what they did. How can I fix it in my way.” You say you want to be the next so-and-so, but try to be the next so-and-so in your path. I can’t be the next Simone Biles. There’s no way. But I can be the next Jordan Chiles and try to figure out the things that she was capable of doing and figure it out in my own way.

I try to pursue and not persuade but mentor. I want you to understand the financial side. I want you to realize that going to college is okay; it’s okay, if you are your first generation doing this or that. Embrace it. Show your family or your parents that you know what? I am doing this for myself and want to be happy and grounded in that.

So that’s what I do. Everything is authentic. Everything is true to me. It’s like the saying that you walk so others can run, and then if that person’s running, those people can sprint. That’s how I see it. I had people before me, such as Dianne Durham and Betty Okino. I had all those people who walked for me so I could run. And so now, I’m going to run for you so you can sprint and be okay with everything that you’re doing within your life.