"Embracing change and writing my own story"- Shilese Jones shares glimpse of training post-operation after missing out on Paris Olympics due to injury

Shilese Jones returned to the gym weeks after treating her knee injury sustained before the 2024 US Olympic Trials. Jones was vying for her maiden Olympic appearance and podium finishes but awkwardly clutched her knee during a vault warm-up, en route to the Trials.

Jones first suffered a shoulder injury before the 2022 World Championships, calling it 'just a little freak accident'. Despite that, she bagged the team gold and silver in the all-around and uneven bars. The shoulder initially healed, but the Olympian experienced some tears in the labrum this year, compelling her to sit out of the 2024 National Championships.

However, the six-time World medalist was geared up for her shot at the 2024 Paris Olympics. A day before the US Olympic Trials, she unknowingly bent her knee during a vault warm-up and was helped out of the podium. Though Shilese Jones returned for her best routine, scoring a stellar 14.675 in the uneven bars, she struck out from the rest of the event and the 2024 Games.

Recently, she shared her maneuvers at the gym, slowly progressing in the uneven bars, practicing lifts in parallel wooden frames, and climbing up the rope with a leg brace.

Her powerful caption asserted that she embraced her life after the surgery and was ready to climb back on the top.

"3 weeks post OP. Embracing change and writing my own story."

Besides Jones, Kayla DiCello and Skye Blakely also ended their Olympic bids in the wake of Achilles tendon injuries.

Shilese Jones on taking in slow in the gym - "It's the little things that make the big picture happen"

Gymnastics - 2024 Core Hydration Classic - Source: Getty

The 22-year-old is no stranger to injuries, the first being a car accident in 2021. Since then, Shilese Jones has been on a journey of healing with the right exercise and diet choices.

The Pvolve partner incorporates low-impact workouts with the help of Pvolve, something that celebrities like Jennifer Aniston follow.

"Having something on the side has helped, not just with my recovery and my activeness in gymnastics, but definitely on the mental side. I can take a step back and do these exercises, and relax the mind and the body a little bit more," she shared. (via Women's Health)

Shilese Jones further highlighted her focus on glute workouts and band exercises.

"You want to become just one percent better. It doesn't have to be with a routine: It could be a stretch, it could be with the band, it could be with the glute exercise, it could be with flexibility. It's the little things that make the big picture happen."

The 21-year-old was part of the gold-winning team and finished with bronze in the all-around and uneven bars at the 2023 World Championships, becoming a clear favorite for the Olympic roster alongside Simone Biles.