Jordan Chiles and Simone Biles are known as best friends. Thus, it is evident that if Biles has an impact on the gymnastics community, Jordan Chiles, too, has her own tale to tell. Chiles has always been a little different when it comes to describing traditional gymnasts. Suffering from ADHD, Chiles never had a shy persona. After all, she has dared to jump off the cliffs since her childhood! And as she crossed paths with gymnastics, Chiles has since been a shining star, channeling all her energy to make a legendary ascent in the sport. 

Of course, the UCLA Bruins star is primarily known for her incredible accolades in the gymnastics sphere. After taking the NCAA fraternity by storm, the US gymnast took her talents to blossom at the elite level. And surely, she did not fail. Competing in Paris, Chiles showed glimpses of her authority over gymnastics. Helping her team win the gold medal, the 23-year-old was on cloud nine. 

However, even while competing, Chiles made her mark prominently. After winning the bronze medal(which was later stripped off), Chiles requested Simone Biles to bow to the gold medal winner, Rebeca Andrade. Now, how often have we seen such out-of-the-box sportsmanship at the Olympics? While the traditional customs and descriptions of how gymnastics should look were being passed on to generations, the likes of Jordan Chiles has surely given the stereotypes a fitting blow to the face. 

Speaking about her impact on the sport, Chiles opined in her memoir, I’m That Girl: Living the Power of My Dreams, how she fits out of the box. Comparing herself to BFF Simone Biles, Chiles said, “I feel like l’ve made a huge mark. You know, people always say Simone [Biles] changed the game of gymnastics, and I feel like l’ve changed the culture of gymnastics.” Surely, the 23-year-old has a point here. Chiles has over 30 tattoos that hold a very special place in her heart. She is also obsessed with her nails and gets her manicured regularly. 

Now, these were virtues that never really resonated with the traditional idea of women’s gymnastics. The gymnasts were supposed to push to extremes in order to attain success in their careers. But it was the likes of Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles that broke free from the notion. Thus, Chiles rightly summed up the situation when she wrote, “I think it’s really cool that I’ve been able to change that perspective of what gymnastics is supposed to be like.” Now, with both Biles and Chiles making a long-lasting impact on the sport, the two like-minded athletes share one of the strongest bonds of BFF in the sport.

How the gymnastics GOAT helped Jordan Chiles through her darkest days

Jordan Chiles and Simone Biles share more than just Olympic medals and gravity-defying skills. The duo share an unshakable bond that has shaped both their gymnastics and their lives. For Chiles, this connection became a lifeline when she found herself drowning in despair, battling intrusive thoughts that pushed her to the edge. It was Biles who stepped in with a simple yet life-changing suggestion: leave behind the toxicity and join her at the World Champions Centre (WCC). That moment, as Chiles now reflects, was nothing short of a turning point.

“I wanted to get it off my chest. I wanted to let people know that I had really, really down times,” Chiles revealed in an interview with People. The weight of relentless scrutiny from her former coaching environment had worn her down, questioning her worth in the sport she loved. But when Biles extended her hand, offering both guidance and a safe space, Chiles took the leap. Under the mentorship of Cecile and Laurent Landi at WCC, she rediscovered not only her talent but also her joy. She added, “I’m happy now that people get to read it and understand, and hopefully that gives them the confidence to be like, ‘You know what? Maybe I need to talk about something [too].’”

Through it all, Biles remained the unwavering force in Chiles’ corner—a mentor, a teammate, a sister in every sense of the word. It wasn’t just about gymnastics; it was about survival, about finding light in the darkest of times. Chiles’s story is one of resilience, but behind that resilience is the quiet strength of a friend who refused to let her fall.