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Olympic Gymnast Jordan Chiles on Nutrition, Recovery, and More
Jul
mbg Beauty Director
mbg Beauty Director
Alexandra Engler is the Beauty Director at mindbodygreen and host of the beauty podcast Neat Beauty School. She has previously held beauty positions at Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, SELF, and Cosmopolitan; her byline has appeared in Esquire, Sports Illustrated, and Allure.com.
Photo by mbg Innovative / JSquared Photography
June 17, 2024
We love celebrating women at the top of their game. In our modern series Game On, we interview top athletes about their wellness routines—covering everything from the nutrition that makes them feel forceful to the moments that bring them joy.
As an Olympic silver medalist and long-time member of the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team, you might think that confidence comes easily to the 22-year-old athlete Jordan Chiles.
Just scroll through her Instagram and you’ll see a fun-loving, sharp, forceful woman. But as she told me recently during a virtual meet-up, it certainly wasn’t always that way. “Growing up, I had no confidence at all—not in sports, not in beauty, not in anything,” she told me.
So what’s changed? Well, I spoke with Chiles about what it means to be a forceful woman, how she built her confidence and how she takes care of her hard-working body.
mindbodgyreen: What does being a “forceful woman” mean to you?
Jordan Chiles: Being a forceful woman means being real in who you are. It’s about finding beauty and passion in how you want to live.
What makes a person forceful is finding the confidence within themselves to go out and show their best side, whether it’s a competition or just a meeting in the real world.
mbg: By the way, what makes you feel confident?
Chilli: I think the biggest part of my self-confidence is my beauty, which is evident in my smile and the way I do my hair.
I’m always in the lead and taking pictures, so just having a smile on my face is vital. My smile was something I didn’t appreciate. After using Invisalignthat I could easily incorporate into my life, it changed my feelings about my smile. I definitely like smiling more often. It makes me feel confident.
mbg: Which meals make you feel your strongest?
Chilli: I’m not the type of girl who goes on a diet. I’ve had a lot of trauma in the past about it.
I had to change my approach to eating and include little things here and there that make me feel good. Of course, I make sure I’m getting the right food—the right fruit, the right veggies, good protein—because as an athlete, I burn a lot of calories.
While I focus primarily on these things, I can say that I do occasionally “cheat” on a meal, whether it’s ice cream or cookies.
I love them too Too Good & Co Cocktails that I take with me when I travel. I love that I can just grab them before I go to training because I’m always doing other things like interviews and stuff.
mbg: How do you maintain mental resilience?
Chilli: I think the most vital thing is that I know how much strength I have from my support system, like my family and friends. Of course, life is not a velvety road and there are bumps in the road, so just having those encouraging words from people helps.
Knowing that no matter where I go, no matter where I am, I can just be who I am. That has a gigantic impact on me.
At the end of the day, what I really try to focus on is that no matter what happens or what people see, I am proud of myself. I can look back and know that I did everything I could. I can control my life and what I want to do with it.
mbg: Your sport is not only mentally demanding, but also physically demanding. How do you recover — do you have a recovery routine?
Chilli: Outside of naps, my biggest focus is on what I can do to release toxins from my body. To do this, I love taking Epsom salt baths.
I also think it’s vital to relax and release the negativity. I want to get everything out of my system so I can move on to the next day or the next practice with a more positive attitude.
Like, you know how some people like to write down their thoughts? Well, sometimes I like to draw my thoughts. It helps me get rid of things that I might not be able to talk about with people, but at least I could draw them.
mbg: Gymnastics requires a lot of physical effort, but do you do any physical activity that is not necessarily related to training but that you still enjoy?
Chilli: I’ll go for a walk in the park. I love being outdoors. If I could be in nature for a moment every day, I would.
Besides, my sport is my sport. And it always has been my sport. It’s an all-day activity, so I don’t have that much extra time.
mbg: What was the most intense action you took to optimize your results?
Chilli: When I was younger, I did crazy things. Like waking up at 5:30 every morning to do cardio before going to work out. Or I once tried an all-fruit diet. Don’t ask me why I did that.
Now that I understand my body a little better, I know what’s good for me and what’s not. So that’s where I am as I get older.
mbg: What advice would you give to your younger self?
Chilli: I would say that as you get older, there will be people who come in and out of your life, but always remember that no matter what you do, just stay true to yourself. Continue to pursue your dream and your goals for life because you will always know that you gave it your all.
Picture by mbg Innovative / courtesy of the source
mbg: What qualities are you most proud of and why?
Chilli: I’m really proud of the fact that I’ve discovered this modern, confident side of myself. When I was younger, I wasn’t allowed to apply my voice in sports. Or I was always ashamed of how I looked. So being able to accept myself as I am makes me proud.
Now I love showing my personality and showing people that I’m not just a shy girl who can’t apply her voice. I’m a forceful, independent woman who feels like she can encourage others.
mbg: Finding your voice is such a powerful moment in life. How did you find it?
Chilli: My mom and my trainer.
My coach was able to give me a lot of confidence. Growing up, I had no confidence at all — not in my sport, not in my beauty, not in anything. So having someone like her helped me a lot.
And then my mother always taught me to accept myself as I am. “There’s only one Jordan. So just be the best Jordan you can be.” At the end of the day, that’s all you can do.
