Jordan Chiles has never been one to back down. Whether it’s the challenges of elite gymnastics or the intense spotlight that comes with being a top athlete, she faces it all head-on. But let’s not pretend it’s always been easy—because it hasn’t. At just 22, Chiles has become more than just an Olympic gold medalist. TIME Magazine presented her with the Women of the Year recognition because she uses her platform to advocate for mental health support and self-expression, advocating for her beliefs even during the harsh scrutiny faced by public figures.

And speaking of scrutiny, Chiles once admitted, “If I had the choice, I wouldn’t share anything about my life.” Sounds surprising, right? But there’s a reason. The white-dominated sport exposed her to racism while she battled eating disorder symptoms. She developed these from the abusive coaching during her youth and received criticism along with bullying. But through experience, she has developed methods to ignore negativity.

In an interview with The Cut, the 2x gold medalist revealed, “A lot of people told me I wasn’t going to become an Olympian. A lot of people told me I was the underdog,” highlighting how the doubt of others could have easily derailed her dreams. We know that for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Chiles was considered an underdog. But she didn’t let that label define her.

However, rather than being discouraged, Jordan Chiles turned these criticisms into motivation. “

I’ve had friendships where people didn’t like the way I was living because they weren’t living like that.” Training alongside her bestie Simone Biles pushed her to another level, yet the road to making her second Olympic team wasn’t easy.

Even though she found success at UCLA but missed out on the U.S. team for the 2023 World Championships. That could have discouraged her. But instead, she used it as fuel, showed up at the trials, and secured her spot. Chiles has proven that success isn’t just about talent; it’s about the people you choose to surround yourself with.

She emphasized the importance of surrounding herself with those who believe in her, saying, “If you want to grow and succeed, you need to surround yourself with people who want you to succeed. I’ve had to navigate friendships with people who didn’t believe in me and prove them wrong. I like proving people wrong.” And that’s exactly what she’s done. And now?

The Olympic champion Jordan Chiles has established herself as a gold medal winner. Every achievement she gained came at a high cost. She faced detrimental criticism and deep emotional pain when the bronze medal controversy occurred, despite needing support at that moment.

Jordan Chiles faces criticism to the extreme

During the Paris competition, Jordan Chiles achieved gold together with Simone Biles for the U.S. gymnastics team. The path she followed to her success proved to be harder than it seemed from afar. The inquiry that occurred after Chiles placed fifth in floors led to an increased ranking that positioned her in the third spot.

After residents of Romania submitted an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), Ana Barbosu received the bronze medal. The late four-second submission of the inquiry led to CAS taking away Chiles’s medal. The Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland became Chiles’s last stop after her two rejected appeals before her.

The situation became especially difficult for Jordan Chiles when she had to deal with racial prejudice. The loss of bronze medals triggered online hate, where people directed racist messages toward her. Being black while competing in a mostly white sport causes her to endure abuse that shows her the ongoing struggles she faces because of her race.

Chiles managed to face down the hate that surrounded her but the negative emotions failed to destroy her spirit. Jordan Chiles received complete backing from her family throughout each challenge in her life. Love from her family, together with her inner power, has allowed her to keep moving forward. Through perseverance and mindset development, Jordan Chiles moved from a mild-valued athletic beginner to an Olympic gold champion.