Jordan Chiles: What We Can Learn from Her Olympic Story
The importance of surrounding yourself with a strong support system, staying true to yourself, and handling setbacks with grace
The 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games were a rollercoaster of a journey for U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles. After a point recalculation landed her on the podium, a challenge by the Romanian Gymnastics Federation resulted in the stripping of the medal in a case that has held the attention of those in the sports world and beyond.
While most of us aren’t in jeopardy of losing an Olympic medal, we all share in the universal experience of dealing with the inevitable setbacks of life. Through tastefully dealing with this experience, the 23-year-old American gymnast has shown us that being true to yourself and surrounding yourself with a supportive network is key to managing difficult times. Here, we’ll go over the importance of authenticity, dealing with adversity, and surrounding yourself with people who will cheer you on, no matter what.
A lesson in authenticity
Throughout her athletic career, Jordan Chiles has always remained true to herself and her style. With her iconic acrylic manicure, unique makeup looks, and can-do attitude, Jordan embodies what it means to be your own champion – even when going through difficult times. It can be easy to want to fit a certain mold or idea of success, but remember that you never have to give up your true identity to be a winner.
There are many situations in life when we’re expected to act or look a certain way to be successful – yet Jordan shows us that when you stay true to yourself and lead with confidence in your skills and abilities, anything is possible. Whether you’re a content creator growing your digital following or a CEO leading meetings in boardrooms, remember that you don’t have to sacrifice your style or personality to be successful. Stay true to your values, feelings, and unique quirks, and the rest will fall into place. Your individuality is your superpower.
Managing setbacks
From the rush of receiving an Olympic medal to the disappointment of having the decision disputed and the medal taken away, we can only imagine what Jordan Chiles must be feeling as a professional athlete – and as a human. In our personal and professional lives, we all deal with setbacks. By dealing with an incredibly messy situation with integrity and grace, Jordan underscores that while we can’t control what happens to us, we can control how we react.
While Jordan reacted to the situation with dignity, she also wasn’t afraid to speak her mind and show the emotional impact it has made on her personal life and her career. Jordan posted on her Instagram, “I will never waver from my values of competing with integrity, striving for excellence, upholding the values of sportsmanship and the rules that dictate fairness…I will approach this challenge as I have others – and will make every effort to ensure that justice is done.”
It’s inevitable that we will deal with hard times – but how will we respond? Jordan shows us the importance of reacting with grace and poise, but also fighting for what’s right and not taking a back seat when it comes to owning your hard work and success.
Finding your people
Throughout this complicated situation, Jordan Chiles has had tremendous support from family, friends, and her team. In her Instagram post, she wrote, “I am overwhelmed by the love I have received over the past few days. I am also incredibly grateful to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, USAG, and the USOPC for their unwavering support during this difficult time.”
Surrounding yourself with people who will cheer you on, in both the good and the bad times, is key to navigating the ups and downs of life. Fellow gymnast Simone Biles was there to celebrate with Chiles when she was initially awarded the medal. She’s also there to support her during this difficult time when the decision has been made to take the medal away. A strong support system can help you manage emotions, provide an outlet for your feelings, and build up confidence in your abilities – especially when you most lack confidence in yourself.
This support should be a two-way street. Just as you need someone to lean on in difficult times, it’s important that you recognize the qualities of a good teammate and embody those yourself. Solidarity is key to community, and community lifts us up when we need it most.
Conclusion
It’s been quite the Olympic journey for U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles after she was awarded and stripped of an Olympic medal. While her situation is extremely specific, everyone experiences difficult times and deals with setbacks in life. Jordan’s reaction to these difficult events reminds us that we should always remain true to ourselves, we can react gracefully while still standing up for what’s right, and we should always find the best team while being a good teammate ourselves. Find those who will cheer you on in your success – but especially during your failures.
