Shilese Jones is an American artistic gymnast who rose to fame after becoming a junior elite gymnast at the age of 12. Although her journey to date has been marked by various incidents, from injuries, personal loss, and setbacks to resilience, growth, and dedication, she has been an esteemed part of various national and international championships. In addition to being a member of Team USA, Jones has made significant contributions to the team. She helped the team win gold in the 2022 and 2023 World Championships and Pan American Championships.

Beyond her team contributions, her personal medals speak volumes about her career. Jones showcased a stellar performance in the FIG Cup, where she won gold in the uneven bars and floor exercises. She also won a silver medal in the all-around and uneven bars at the 2022 World Championship. In the same year, Shilese Jones earned the US National Champion title in floor exercises. Despite the high expectations and stellar performances throughout her career, she has yet to make it to the Olympics. Her early years and career milestones highlight her dedication and achievements.

Early life in Seattle

Shilese Jones was born on July 26, 2002, in Seattle, Washington. Her parents are Sylvester and Latrice Jones. Father Sylvester was into filmmaking and owned a video production company, but there are not many details about the mother in the public domain. Jones has two siblings: Amari Jones, the younger one, and Naekayla Jones, the older one. Shilese Jones later moved to Columbus to train for her goals.

Shilese shares a deep connection with her parents and credits them for her position in gymnastics, as they noticed Shilese’s “just flipping around the house” and enrolled her in gymnastic training at the age of 4 as she claimed in an interview with E. Unfortunately, in 2021, Jones lost her father to prolonged kidney disease. Father’s death was the biggest loss to the gymnastic star, yet her will to grow and fulfill her father’s dream kept her going with her evident performances in the championships. She even has a tattoo on her back stating, “Dad your name echoes in my heartbeat.” Shilese was seen speaking about her biggest obstacles, which are quoted in the NCBOlympics as “My dad passing away and still having to carry on with my gymnastics goals.” Following the death of Father Sylvester, Jones returned to Seattle to support her family.

Gymnastics career and current training location

After Shilese Jones started her formal gymnastics training, Jones’ family decided to move to Columbus, Ohio, in 2014 so that she could be trained in the Buckeye gym alongside Gabby Douglas. The decorated Olympian, Douglas, was preparing for the coming Rio 2016 at that time. Shilese Jones was qualified to become junior elite by then; she headed further, participating in national championships.

Later in 2021, with Jones’ father’s demise, she and her family decided to move back to Seattle. With the decision, she required a new coach, someone who had the experience and could train elites. She connected with Sarah Korngold, who had experience training elites. She started her training again at Ascend Gymnastics, under the guidance of Sarah Korngold and Brett Wargo.

Notable facts

While Jones shifted to Columbus in order to train herself alongside the three-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas. After Jones’ withdrawal from the Paris Olympics due to her injury, Gabby stated, “We trained together. We lost touch over the years but then reconnected and had a very strong bond for a long time. I know she’s a hard worker. She’s a fighter.”

Notably, after training alongside Olympian Gabby Douglas, Jones had to shift back to Seattle from Columbus. The reason was losing her biggest supporter, her father, due to health conditions in 2021, followed by shifting to Seattle in 2022 to stay close to the family.