Jordan Chiles had dealt with plenty of challenges: body shaming, diet struggles, and the pressure of elite gymnastics, but nothing prepared her for the moment her aunt was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D). “It was very devastating… I used to just think every day, is she going to be able to live?” she shared last November. Chiles is built for high stakes but this was something personal. So how did she step up for her aunt?

After all, this wasn’t a competition. This was real life, and it hit hard. And if you’re wondering, wait, what exactly is T1D? It’s an autoimmune condition where the body destroys its own insulin-producing cells. Thus making insulin therapy essential for survival. When Jordan Chiles was 10, her aunt April moved in with her family, and at first, she thought it was going to be awesome. More family time? More laughs?

Maybe even someone to team up with when sibling arguments broke out? But pretty quickly, that excitement turned into worry. Her aunt wasn’t just tired; she was sick. Some days, she was too weak to even get out of bed. “It was a very devastating thing to see, especially being 10 years old,” Chiles said. “She’s coming to live with us—I thought it was going to be all fun and happy and bubbles. But no, we were trying to figure out what was going on with her.” It was not the family sleepover she had imagined.

A few months later, doctors finally gave them an answer—April had type 1 diabetes. It was a relief to have a name for what was happening, but it also left Chiles’ family with a million questions. “Type 1 diabetes doesn’t run in our family, and it was just a sudden thing,” Chiles said. No one saw it coming. And while there’s no way to prevent T1D, catching it early makes all the difference.

That’s something Chiles recently talked about with Beyond Type 1 when they hit her with a big question: “Do you have any advice for the loved ones of people diagnosed with diabetes?” Such a query holds significant importance.“My aunt is like a sister to me,” Chiles shared. “When one person is going through something, we’re all going through it.”

Every aspect of April’s life shifted within a short period after her diagnosis because she needed to monitor her blood sugar, adjust her diet and exercise habits, and establish a support network for care. It was a lot. Chiles recognized that actual physical presence offered the most essential kind of aid. “The biggest piece of advice I can share with loved ones of those diagnosed with type 1 diabetes is to just be there—physically and emotionally.”

Being there as a supporter also involves understanding the specific challenges someone experiences. Chiles emphasizes the need for people to obtain knowledge about T1D. Learning about symptoms, management of treatments, and daily T1D challenges improves assistance to patients but it also reinforces to T1D patients that they are not facing the condition alone.

Chiles remains mesmerized by her aunt’s resilience throughout her troubles.

Through life and competition, Chiles knows how to provide support to others.

As his way to do more service, Chiles formed a partnership with Sanofi to support the Screen for Type 1 movement which focuses on early detection awareness. And if there’s ever been a question about how much her family means to her, just think back to the Paris Olympics trials. When Chiles got emotional, it wasn’t just about the competition—it was about remembering her late Aunt.

Jordan Chiles wild four-year ride buckle up

The last four years? Pure chaos—in the best and toughest ways. Jordan Chiles completely immersed herself at UCLA in 2021 by joining the team and finding delight in creating original routines as a UCLA gymnast. And let’s not forget that viral sophomore-year floor routine—hip-hop-inspired, full of personality, and loaded with perfect 10s.

But in 2023, she made a huge decision: leaving UCLA and heading back to the World Champions Center in Houston to focus on the Paris Olympics. What she didn’t expect? Just how tough the transition would be. She struggled to get back into elite shape, missed her college teammates more than she thought she would, and on top of that, faced two heartbreaking losses

She lost her aunt Crystal Oliver and her grandfather, Gene Velasquez. “They always believed in me before they passed, that if I could do one Olympics, I could do another,” she shared. Even in her grief, she pushed forward, carrying their belief in her every step of the way. She even got a tattoo in honor of Velasquez on her left forearm: “Where you are, I have been. Where I am, you will be.”

And about her aunt Oliver, she said, “Would be to when my aunt was alive and apologize for a lot of things that I wish I would have been able to say before she passed.” She added, “My aunt,…I’m just going to continue my dream and continue to push as hard as I can.” So when Jordan Chiles heard her name called for Team USA at the Olympic Trials on 2024 July? Cue the waterworks.

She remembered the past 15 months: brutal, mentally, physically, and emotionally. Not being picked for the World Championship team in 2023 stung her. She knew she wasn’t quite ready, but it still hurt. But she never let that define her. In Paris, she delivered. Chiles helped Team USA bring home gold and came this close to earning a bronze medal on the floor.

Until the reviewing controversy stripped it away from her. A gut punch? Absolutely. But Chiles has never been the type to back down. Paris was just another chapter in her story, and let’s be real—this story is far from over. But with the NCAA season also in full swing and the Jordan-led UCLA at #2, she has some other silverware to think of right now.