“I’ll be the same Jordan Chiles on the mat and off the mat,” Jordan Chiles said. Still, she wants to tell her story to everyone—those who admire her and those who criticize her. With a vision that stretches far beyond the mat, she’s crafting a legacy that mirrors the success of Serena Williams. As she balances the pressures of elite competition with long-term ambitions, Chiles remains focused on building her empire. With that being said, Chiles has showcased all her struggles and achievements in her book.

But behind her rising influence lies a journey shaped by both triumphs and deep personal struggles. But beyond that, Chiles has made a business decision or what may be called her way to showcase herself. Any guesses? Well, the Olympic medalist has launched her book, and the business mind comes from none other than Serena Williams. Yep, read that right. Chiles reveals that “business-wise, I have to say Serena Williams. Serena Williams has done so much—so much.”

Chiles recently appeared on the Forbes YouTube channel with Senior Writer at Forbes, Jabari Young, and reflected on her business inspiration and also shed light on her book—I’m That Girl: Living the Power of My Dreams. Michael Jordan has a book, and so does Jordan Chiles. But why pick up hers? What will you find inside? asked Young.

Well, Chiles beautifully explained her part, “Well, first off, the cover of the book is immaculate. It gives an eye-opener—like I’m screaming. The photo they chose is me screaming, and it’s literally like, ‘I’m that girl,’ right?” Jordan Chiles isn’t just telling her story—she’s making a statement. From the moment you lay eyes on her book, it demands attention.

She further adds, “And then it says, Living in the Power of My Dreams. First off, that little quote on the bottom—it’s just like, okay, what dreams? What dreams is she talking about? What dreams has she accomplished?” Indeed, the statement says it all: how inspiring is this that everyone needs to follow their dreams and have the power to live with them?

“This story—this memoir of who I am—I wanted to be able to basically tell everybody, This is me.” For Jordan Chiles, her book isn’t just another athlete’s memoir—it’s a declaration. A chance to finally share the truth behind the spotlight. She doesn’t hold back, revealing struggles that most never saw: “I opened up about a lot of things that nobody really knows—unless you read the book.”

Mental health battles, suicidal thoughts, and the harsh realities of elite gymnastics—Chiles lays it all bare. “I’ve opened up about my coach being verbally and emotionally abusive to me. I opened up about a lot of things that make you wonder, How am I standing? How am I sitting in places and still this happy girl?” The answer isn’t simple. It’s a testament to resilience, to refusing to let pain define her.

People may judge from the outside and assume things that aren’t true. But Chiles is clear—this is her story, and no one else gets to tell it. “I wasn’t created to shy away from something that God gave me. I was created for it to be seen—to shine brighter in areas people don’t expect it to be.” And with this book, she’s making sure her truth is finally heard. Because her journey was never easy, Chiles had to face a lot of hard realities.

The harsh realities of Jordan Chiles’s journey

For Jordan Chiles, the road to Olympic success wasn’t just about perfecting routines—it was about surviving an environment that nearly broke her. “I was verbally abused,” she revealed, recalling the emotional toll of her first Olympic camp. The pressure was suffocating, the treatment harsh, and the experience left her in tears.

Yet she pushed through, determined to prove she belonged. Few of you might know, but during her Tokyo Plymoc camp, she had to share the room with her coach, and they cut her hair off. And how insane it is to feel that your coach is doing this with you at your most precious moment– Olympics—it’s like a dream for every athlete.

Body shaming leaves scars that often go unseen, and for Jordan Chiles, the wounds ran deep. “She called me fat, she said I looked like a doughnut, to the littlest things of people asking me, ‘Oh, you’re eating this today?’ And it’s like, ‘Well, I’m not eating because you just triggered my brain.’” The weight of these words didn’t just bruise her confidence—they shaped her battles both in and out of the gym.

But the struggles didn’t stop there. Even in 2024, after proving herself on the Olympic stage, Chiles found herself facing a different yet equally painful fight—racial hatred. And this time, it wasn’t just from outsiders. Gymnastics veterans, like judges, made her go through a similar turmoil. The controversy surrounding her Paris Olympics bronze medal wasn’t just about scoring—it was a reminder that for some, the fight for respect never truly ends.

The whispers of doubt, the unfair scrutiny—it all weighed heavy. “I got it stripped,” she recalled, as if her achievements were constantly questioned. Through it all, Chiles refused to let the pain define her. Instead, she’s using her story to shed light on the darker side of the sport—one that many endure in silence. Hers is a journey of resilience, a testament to the strength it takes to stand tall even when the world tries to tear you down.