EXCLUSIVE: Shilese Jones Coach Reveals Late Father’s Impact On Her Paris Olympics Journey In Gymnastics: “Wants To Honour Him”

“I’m heartbroken beyond words … You and I had a bond no one else could break,” gymnastics star Shilese Jones wrote on Instagram in remembrance of his father in late 2021. Losing her father had left a void in her heart as she was fighting two battles at the same time. One, where she wanted to become the next Olympic champion, & the other, where she did everything to help her father. But as they say, “it happens to the best,” she had to bid a terrible goodbye.

The gymnastics community was equally shaken by the news, as Jones had just tasted stardom. And with such a major loss, they were worried about the athlete’s future. However, Shilese and her coach had different plans as they found the light at the end of the tunnel. Sarah Korngold, the successful coach of the six-time world medallist, stood with the gymnast throughout. Be it a battle on the mat or the mind, Korngold always got her back. This is something that was learned during her exclusive interview with Essentiallysports as she spoke about the coping mechanism of Shilese Jones.

“It’s always in the back of her mind that she kind of wants to honor him and make him proud” stated Korngold. “Moreover, She keeps him in her heart every time she steps out on the competition floor and thinks about what he would say,” Sarah revealed during a conversation with Essentiallysports.

Later, her coach also explained, “She keeps him in her heart every time she steps out on the competition floor and thinks about what he would say. And on the tough days, what would my dad tell me? But she’s pretty private, so we don’t talk about it too much. But she’s pretty open about it in the media that it is a part of her journey.”

Since 2022, Shilese Jones has been unstoppable. Starting off by defeating Simone Biles’ greatest rival to grabbing the National Championship medal, the gymnast did it all. And then, in the following year, she competed against the likes of Simone Biles, Skye Blakely, Joscelyn Roberson, and more, proving why she is one of the greatest gymnasts in the US. Jones had an All-Around score of 56.332, taking third place below Biles & Andrade. Her coach, Sarah Korngold had a special strategy for the event, as the duo had their eyes fixed on the beam. While the outcome didn’t go as planned, Sarah’s faith & Jones’ confidence landed her on the medal podium.

From her father’s perspective – Shilese Jones is making it big

Throughout the years, Jones has always remained in search to cope with her father’s sad demise. But what worked, was her gymnastics passion as she kept delivering better versions of herself to fans. Her coach explicitly mentioned this during the same interview, pressing on the fact that she wants to achieve all her dreams.

“I definitely think the bigger part is she’s doing this for her. She’s done it for so many years and worked so hard. So she very much has to show up for herself every day,” said Korngold. Now, a huge responsibility lies on her shoulders. First, qualifying for the US Olympic team, and then, bringing home the gold.

Nonetheless, as she paves toward the pinnacle, Jones credits the major part of her vocation to her dad, “It wouldn’t just be for me and my team, but also for my dad.” While she looks forward to the Olympic dream, she is all set to make her father proud with yet another podium win, don’t you agree?