Sometimes it’s the smallest changes that can make a big impact. This rings especially true when it comes to one’s health. In TZR’s series Step-By-Step, tastemakers speak to the minor moves that can lead to mighty changes.
If the summer of 2024 had an MVP it was probably the US Olympics gymnastics team. Between Simone Biles’ breathtaking vault and Suni Lee’s gravity-defying uneven bars performance to Jordan Chiles’ flawless Beyonce-powered floor routine, audiences were riveted from start to finish. Chiles in particular shined extra bright, first with her touching and emotional reaction to initially earning the bronze medal for her aforementioned floor routine then for her strength and resilience weeks later, when her win was contested and eventually overturned in favor of Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu of Romania. She quickly became the hero of the games and a hot commodity in both the athletic and fashion realms (she landed the July/August cover of TeenVogue, made her rounds at NYFW and the MTV Video Music Awards red carpet, and is now currently on tour with Athleta’s Gold Over America). Even amidst the Olympics chaos and publicity marathon that has followed, Chiles seems to consistently keep her upbeat disposition — and a future-focused mindset.
In fact, the 23-year-old is planning her return to UCLA to finish out her last two years of college (she took some time off to focus on training for the Olympics). “I can’t wait to be representing those four letters again and being a part of the Bruin bubble all over again,” says Chiles. “Different environment, different experience. I definitely can say I love being in both areas of the gymnastics world, but I definitely miss college.”
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The gymnast expands on this, noting her excitement in getting into a less intense, more balanced routine that helps her focus on all facets of her life in addition to her sport. “College, it’s more about the fun, it’s more about the team atmosphere,” says Chiles. “Obviously, it’s not as disciplined [as Olympic training], but you are disciplined in different areas of your life, whether it’s with time management, your school, being able to focus on just putting yourself in a different atmosphere. I know a lot of the girls might be a part of the clubs out there, whether it’s a sorority or fraternity, a dance club, cheerleading, or something. So it really is cool to see the difference you make when you’re in that college area.”
What won’t change is Chiles’ commitment to her health and mental state. In addition to daily supplements — she loves the Sleep and Focus gummies from OLLY, of whom she is a spokesperson — the athlete also sticks to a regular fitness routine of running, treadmill sessions, and weight-lifting.
Keeping her mental health in check is also of utmost importance, and as any seasoned athlete knows, this all boils down to solid strategy, consistent training, and surrounding yourself with a dream team. “A majority of the time, it’s really just being with my support system, whether it’s my closest friends or family, who I can just talk to,” says Chiles to TZR, who notes this inner circle has also included a sports psychologist on occasion.
Similar to fellow Olympian Suni Lee who swears by journaling for its therapeutic benefits, the 23-year-old has also found drawing to be an effective creative outlet. “I kind of developed [that interest] during Covid,” says Chiles. “I felt like, if I could draw my thoughts out, it could give me a better picture on what I’m going through. And it’s kind of the same with Suni journaling. She developed that after Tokyo [Olympics] as well, and she kind of had this thought that, ‘If I keep everything inside, then I’ll be perfectly fine.’ I literally had told her, even in Paris, I was like, ‘You can’t just leave your thoughts inside. You have to speak out on them.’”
Also, never discount the healing power of a little retail therapy. “I’m a shopper,” says Chiles with a laugh when asked about the little things and like that help her unwind. “I try to look for new fashion trends or different outfits for an event coming up or something like that. So I really enjoy that.”
With two years of college and “normal” life ahead, Chiles also finds peace in the mundane. “I feel like I’ve already accomplished so much within the past eight months of my life — going to the Olympics, I went to the VMAs, which was on my bucket list — now I can just focus on how do I bring Jordan back to the Jordan that’s ready for college,” she says. “I put myself in the mindset of like, ‘OK, this is a new chapter of a book that you may be writing one day, and you just have to let it write out how you want it to.’”