"Told not to be next Gabby Douglas or Shawn Johnson"- Jordan Chiles makes stance clear on expectations placed on her from childhood

Jordan Chiles has shared that she was asked not to follow gymnasts Gabby Douglas or Shawn Johnson's footsteps but to try and be a better version of herself. Chiles also noted that her religiousness helped her accomplish great things.

Chiles published her debut memoir, I'm That Girl: The Power of My Dreams through Harper Influence on March 4, 2025. Since then, she has garnered praise from her loved ones and fellow athletes.

Chiles recently appeared on the Beyond The Records podcast, hosted by Noah Lyles and Rai Benjamin, to talk about her past traumas, Olympic bronze medal controversy, struggles with ADHD, new memoir, and more. When asked about her expectations during her younger years, she said she was told to try and forge a path of her own.

"It wasn't really more of the expectation, it was how can I be a better version of myself each and every day. I was told not to be the next Gabby Douglas, I was told try not to be the next Shawn Johnson, I was told not to really be that next person but be yourself, be better than yourself each and every day and so at a young age there was a lot of things that I always had dreams and wanted to accomplish."

She also noted how her faith in God helped her reach the position she is in right now.

"I'm a religious girly, I grew up in the church and all that so I'm going to go the religious route of things and you can't control your life unless you don't want God to help you with it. That's how I see it, I've experienced it," Jordan Chiles said.

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Jordan Chiles shared her gratitude for everyone who helped make her book a success

Chiles recats at the Stanford v UCLA meet - (Source: Getty)

Jordan Chiles won the team gold with her fellow US gymnastics women on the Paris Olympic stage. However, the bronze medal she had won in the floor exercise had to be returned after a CAS ruling. Having experienced a low after the heartbreak, Chiles persevered and returned to the public eye with back-to-back event appearances and brand campaigns.

Her new book also achieved massive success after its release, soon becoming the bestselling New York Times memoir. The Olympian recently expressed gratitude to everyone who joined her on her journey through the book.

"Words can’t describe how grateful I am for everyone that came out to my book launch party and celebrate my now NY Times Best Selling memoir…. thank you to everyone for buying and listening to my story. THAT GIRL will forever be THAT BOOK," Jordan Chiles wrote on Instagram.

At the launch party, the 23-year-old donned a black chic dress and posed in a red-themed setting, addressed the crowd and also celebrated with a cake.