- 9 hours ago
Sports is more than just wins and losses. It's a reflection of culture, influence, and power. In this exclusive one-on-one conversation, journalist Sharí Nycole sits down with Jordan Chiles to discuss her journey, the business of sports, and the impact of athletes beyond the game. From career-defining moments to the evolution of sports and culture, this conversation will go beyond stats and highlights to uncover the mindset, challenges, and legacy of a true game-changer.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Right now, we're going to get back to sports for just a minute.
00:03You know, we've been dominating sports.
00:04We're the culture.
00:05We've always dominated.
00:06But right now is our time.
00:08So we have an Olympic champion here with us today who's going to discuss her journey.
00:14Yes?
00:14Clap it up for the champions.
00:16We have an Olympian here.
00:18She's going to discuss her journey, the business of sports, and the impact that athletes have
00:23beyond the game.
00:25Now, we all watched her.
00:26I had the beautiful, fortunate pleasure to go to Paris, actually, and see in person.
00:32But we all watched her as she took home the gold with her team in the 2024 Summer Olympics.
00:38Please make some noise for gymnast Jordan Childs, along with Essence Black Women in Sports producer,
00:46Miss Shari Nicole.
00:48Here we go.
00:53What's up, everybody?
00:54How are you guys doing?
00:57I can't hear you all.
01:00There we go.
01:01This is the lowest seat I've ever sat in.
01:04I'm trying to figure this out.
01:06Jordan Childs, everybody.
01:08Let me tell you something.
01:10I don't use the term icon loosely, but I'm going to go ahead and assign it to you now.
01:15What do you guys think?
01:17There we go.
01:19So, Jordan, thank you so much for being here.
01:21I know you're a busy lady.
01:23And I want to start off with this perfect 10 that I saw you get back in February with UCLA.
01:29Did you guys catch that?
01:30And first of all, do you know how difficult it is to get a perfect 10 in anything Olympic sports related?
01:35And the fun thing about it for me is you were performing to a Prince medley.
01:40Now, I love Prince.
01:42When we think about where sports integrates with the culture and how important that is for people like yourself, how intentional are you when it comes to making sure that those two worlds collide?
01:53Well, first off, thank you guys so much for having me here.
01:56There's so, like, this is so amazing.
01:58My second here at Essence, and I'm just, like, in awe with myself because I feel like the first time I was here, I was like, okay, like, this is cool.
02:05But now knowing that I have this opportunity again, I'm like, oh, period.
02:09Like, I'm here representing, do what I need to do.
02:12So, like you were saying, with the cultural aspect of how I choose my music, what I'm trying to think into the dynamic of bringing, you know, the diversity and the culture into our sport.
02:25Yeah.
02:25The reason why I chose Prince was obviously, you know, Prince is very iconic, right?
02:30He has his own melodies.
02:31He has his own ability just to be him himself, whether it's from his purple jacket to the way his makeup is to the way he dances.
02:37And I think understanding that side of culture really brought, you know, an inspiration to me.
02:43He is also very artistic.
02:45And people take out the word artistic in front of our gymnastics.
02:49Our full thing is called artistic gymnastics for a reason.
02:52So, in artistic, obviously, there's a three-letter word.
02:55It's art.
02:56And how Prince really creates himself is through art and through his presence and through understanding that, you know, him being who he is is okay.
03:03So, that's kind of how I really put my brain into a lot of pieces, whether it was Beyonce, whether it was an all-woman music that I chose, whether it was even going back to the 90s.
03:14So, I think I just really focused on really understanding myself and what is happening within the world at that moment.
03:20Yeah.
03:20I want to move to just how unapologetic you are about your style, about your swag, about the way you move.
03:28And I know for young ladies, sometimes insecurity is a big, big thing.
03:32For you, was there a moment where the light bulb came on and you said, I don't care what anybody says or does.
03:37I'm going to authentically be myself and present the way that I want to feel and be all the time.
03:43There was a moment.
03:45I think before Tokyo is really when I realized, you know what, people can't take away who I am.
03:51People can't take away, you know, the joyfulness, the ability of me being who I am.
03:56And that authenticity really came from understanding that no matter what space I put myself in, it's either people are going to like it or they're not.
04:03And I think understanding, you know, my father always told me, never be that person that is just too scared to insert yourself into a space you know you're supposed to be in.
04:13Yeah.
04:13And he also told me, you know, be the brightest star in the sky.
04:16There's nothing wrong with being that person.
04:18Like, don't let anybody dim your light in any circumstance.
04:21So, really just finding that, you know, my authentic self by forming who I'm supposed to be, right?
04:31We wake up every morning not the same person.
04:34We find out new things each and every day.
04:36So, understanding that it's okay to fail and navigate yourself and your life in the way that you want to.
04:41Yeah.
04:42When you talk about that light, what is the part of your light that you are, I don't want to say most proud of because that's not the right word, but that you embrace the most and that you hope people see and feel and have an experience with when you encounter them?
04:58I think really understanding that, you know, what you see on the TV screen isn't how I truly am in person.
05:05Yes, I can look very, you know, sometimes look down or sometimes look sad because our sport is very harsh and very critical.
05:12But when you meet me in person, I'm the exact same.
05:15Like, there's nothing different.
05:17You're going to see that bubbly person.
05:18You're going to see, you know, that girl that's going to be able to ask you, are you okay?
05:22Yeah.
05:22Like, how is your mental?
05:23Like, I always put people first before I put myself first.
05:25That's just how I grew up because I feel like, you know, if I can be that one person that changes your whole mood, then I'm going to do that, right?
05:32So, I think really just understanding I'm not a mean person.
05:36A lot of people do come up and ask me, like, you know, this is the first time me meeting you.
05:40I thought you were mean or something.
05:42They thought you were mean?
05:43Yeah, it's crazy because, yes, again, TV, social media can really put a person on, like, you don't know who they truly are until you meet them.
05:52But I just really understanding that I'm always going to be authentic.
05:55I'm always going to be very humble and very truthful.
05:58And I'm just going to be straightforward with you.
06:00I'm a very blunt girl.
06:02I'm not going to let you walk out the door with two different colored socks on.
06:05Like, I'm going to be straightforward with you.
06:07So, I think just the energy and presence is kind of something that I feel like people love to experience.
06:13Well, speaking of experience, we're getting to experience you in a very unique and fun and cool way via your New York Times bestselling book.
06:21New York Times bestselling book.
06:24I'm that girl living the power of my dreams.
06:27I've been diving in.
06:28It's incredible.
06:29It's exceptional.
06:30For you, was there something you learned about yourself in putting this memoir together that you've been able to kind of use as an anchor as you move forward in your life?
06:37I think realizing one big thing was letting my trauma be written out instead of keeping it inside of me.
06:44There was a lot of things at a young age that I didn't realize actually still was hindering on me until this day.
06:51So, writing my book was definitely a huge process because I finally was able just to be like, you know what?
06:56Everything that I went through, I could just let it go, right?
06:59I have had traumas of being smoked out in the car, my braids getting cut off, you know, getting told I was too fat even though I literally looked like an itty-bitty little kid.
07:08Like, those things I didn't realize that they were still stuck to me until I was writing my book and, like, I was bawling my eyes out because I was like, wow, like, these things actually happened to me.
07:17But now, being able to go back and look at my book, I can finally close my book and look at the cover and be like, you know what?
07:25You are that girl.
07:25You are that person that you get to wake up every morning and feel confident and feel encouraged each and every day.
07:31And just to go back to my why.
07:32Like, why did I do this?
07:34Why am I continuing on to inspire and all these things?
07:36And why do I do my sport and making sure other people are okay?
07:39So, it's been, it was a really good feeling.
07:43And now I can just be like, you know, if people ask, go read my book.
07:46Go listen to it.
07:47You know, I don't want to explain it anymore because it's like those things are now in the past and I can just let them be and let them be, you know, written on paper and forever be known like that.
07:56Absolutely.
07:57I want to say in this book, I was looking into the chapter when you talk about your relationship with Coach X who dealt with alcoholism.
08:04And there's a quote in the book that really stuck out to me.
08:06You say, there was no price that you could put on my mental health and well-being.
08:10But that's what everyone around me seemed to be doing, even me.
08:14As a former athlete myself, I can relate to the young lady or even the young man that has dealt with kind of an emotional abandonment or abuse.
08:22And you kind of chapter that in this book.
08:24For you, what does safety look like now in consideration of that experience?
08:29I think my biggest, like, my safe space is really the people around me.
08:34My circle got smaller as I started getting older.
08:36I feel like that's with a lot of people.
08:38You know, you find those right people.
08:40And then my dad always told me, you know, there's people that are there for seasons and then there's people there that are for eternity.
08:45And so I think realizing through that process of understanding my mental is more important than any relationship, than any friendship, than any, you know, thing that I'm trying to do within life.
08:56If I have to take a step back, I'm going to take a step back and that is okay.
09:00And I realized that as I started getting older and I think understanding that my support system is always going to be something that I need to go back to.
09:07If they are understanding my life and they are understanding everything that I'm going through, then it's going to be easier for me to keep stepping forward and forward and forward and continuing on that journey.
09:16So my safe space is literally family.
09:18My circle is not even as big as a P.
09:20It's like a little, not even as big as an and.
09:22And like it is very, very small, but those people understand me.
09:26And the crazy part is my circle are all women.
09:28So like it's even easier for me to be able to go to, say, my sister or, you know, my manager or, you know, whoever it is.
09:35And I can be like, look, I'm having this type of trouble right now.
09:38How can you help me?
09:39What can I do?
09:40So it's really just my support system and understanding that, yes, what I went through back then was crazy, but I wouldn't be this strong, independent woman right now if it wasn't for that.
09:51Now, does it suck?
09:52A hundred percent.
09:53But God created us in ways that we're able to conquer anything that gets thrown at us, whether it's false, whether it's true, whether it's, you know, something that is down deep into the ground and we are able to lift ourselves back up.
10:05So I think now it's just like being able to take those moments and being like, OK, let's flip them.
10:10Let's figure something out.
10:11Yeah.
10:12What I find as a black woman is sometimes it's a little bit challenging to stand in the gap for ourselves, to speak up for ourselves.
10:19But with that security and finding that in other people in a circle, it makes it a little bit easier as you've maneuvered through this sports space, as you've been, you know, on Olympic stages, as you've become a New York Times bestselling author, you've become also a face for the beauty industry and having your own entrepreneurial ventures.
10:36What does speaking up and standing in the gap look like for Jordan Childs at this time in her life?
10:43I mean, I can tell you it took me about 19 years to finally speak up about anything that I was going through.
10:51And, you know, obviously my sport was very, I was silenced for a very, very long time.
10:58I never was able to use my voice.
11:00And if I did, you know, as a woman of color, it's, oh, you have an attitude or, you know, you have a problem with what I'm trying to say or you're trying to push back or you're angry or, you know, just all those things just.
11:10So I went silent.
11:11Literally, you can ask my mom, anybody.
11:14When I would come home, she'd be like, how was practice?
11:16I would give her one word answers.
11:17Fine.
11:18Wow.
11:18Because I was so into a thought process of being like, okay, every single time I'm going to say something, it's going to be a problem.
11:25Until recently, I was like, you know what?
11:28I was like, I turned 19.
11:29I went to Tokyo.
11:30I came back.
11:31I was like, wait, nobody can silence me.
11:34I'm going to be able, I am a woman of color, first off.
11:37I am very independent and I'm very to myself.
11:40I'm an introvert.
11:41You may see me.
11:42Wait a minute.
11:42You may see me out and about just because, like, normally it's like special occasions.
11:46But I will likely stay at home in my bed and watch Netflix if I could.
11:50Jordan, hold on a minute.
11:51I'm being serious.
11:52Because I see you, and I believe you.
11:55But the way you pose down on that Instagram, the way you draw the people in.
12:00That's the Instagram.
12:02Okay.
12:03But really, you would, you ask anybody, I'd stay in my house and watch Netflix.
12:08But it really does come to you finding that self-expression.
12:11And with self-expression, I use it differently through my nails, my tattoos, the way I do my hair, my makeup, whatever it is.
12:18And when I finally was able to realize those things, that's when my voice started to be seen.
12:24And I was able to speak.
12:25And I was able to, you know, talk about mental health, talk about, you know, ADHD, talk about trauma, talk about all these things that I was, even my own racism.
12:32Like, those were things I wasn't able to talk about when I was younger.
12:36But now being able to advocate for those things, I'm so happy that people get to listen and get to hear me and they get to understand because we're not in it alone.
12:44And I think that's the biggest thing is no matter who you are, whether you're male, female, child, cousin, auntie, you know, we all family at this rate.
12:52Yeah.
12:53We are in it together.
12:54And we're going to fight and continue to fight for what is right within our lives.
12:58And so that's why I started, you know, being able to be okay with what I'm doing.
13:03Yeah.
13:03I don't feel shy.
13:04I don't feel like, okay, look, today's the day that I'm just going to, you know, not talk about.
13:09No, I'm going to be confident in what I'm talking about because everybody is, somebody in the audience or even just walking or wherever it's at needed to hear it at that moment.
13:18And that's what I'm here for.
13:20You mentioned mental health.
13:21And one of the things that I really love was your teammate, Simone Biles, kind of opened the floodgates in helping people to understand just some of the challenges that you guys face simply as gymnasts.
13:31What is one mental health challenge that you faced and overcome over the course of your career?
13:37Ooh.
13:38I think since my life is still crazy, mental health is still a thing that I'm working on.
13:43Yeah.
13:44But I think one big thing that I was able to overcome is I would probably say understanding that it's okay to put yourself first before others.
13:57Yeah.
13:58I, again, was very known.
14:00I was that school.
14:01I was that student in high school with all her friends getting them Starbucks.
14:06I was that person.
14:07Like, I was that person and, you know, driving people around.
14:10I mean, yes, I still do that because that's just a kind gesture that I like to do.
14:14But I started to realize, okay, you have to put yourself because whatever is happening to them can drain you and you then attach to it and you don't want that.
14:23So I started to feel that, you know, process and understand, okay, look, put yourself first, then help others.
14:31Everybody's still going to have a good life.
14:33That was my thing always in my head.
14:34I just want everybody to have a good life.
14:36Now is that possible?
14:37I don't know.
14:37I don't control the world.
14:39Right.
14:39But that was just how I grew up wanting to make sure everybody was enjoying life and you get to, you have money and you have money and, you know, that's just how it was.
14:48But then I started to realize that's just not how life works for everybody.
14:52And I just had to process it differently.
14:54Yeah.
14:55What are boundaries like for you when it comes to whether it's platonic or more of a relationship relationship?
15:01What do the boundaries look like for you?
15:03Boundaries?
15:04Well, I'm single, so there's that with the relationship thing.
15:08But I feel like friendship-wise with any, you know, setting boundaries is a huge thing.
15:13Yeah.
15:13I learned about good friendships and bad friendships.
15:16We all do.
15:17I mean, I'm 24.
15:18I'm still going through friendships.
15:19Um, and I think realizing that it's okay to have moments where you don't have to call the same person every single day.
15:26Ooh.
15:26You don't have to, you know, that you should have such a good friendship that you can wake up one morning and be like, you know, I don't have to talk to you because in three weeks or four weeks, however, you know, we can just come back together and just be like, oh, girl, you remember that one time?
15:40And then I was over here, like, I feel like those are good friendships because you know that you both are going in the same direction in some way.
15:47You know, that path, whatever you're trying to do within your life, but you guys are there supporting each other.
15:52So, um, that's where, that's where I'm at with one of my friendships right now.
15:55I recently, you know, I said, give me three weeks.
15:58I said, give me three weeks.
16:00I will, you know, I will let you, you know, we, we, we, we got to figure things out because it was just getting too like, uh, like things are, you know, we're headbutting at this rate.
16:08So I think just really, you know, finding boundaries is a good thing.
16:12I don't think they're bad.
16:13I personally don't think it's something that people should get mad about because everybody is growing in their own way and that they are trying to figure out their lives.
16:22We not, we're, we don't live in a utopia.
16:24Everybody doesn't wake up driving the same car, drinking the same coffee.
16:27Yeah.
16:28It doesn't work like that.
16:28So that boundaries to me, I think in either relationship or friendship.
16:34So, so you mentioned you like to Netflix and chill with yourself because you are single.
16:38That's what you said.
16:39Yes.
16:39Um, but you also, I mean, you're multi-hyphenate, obviously one of the greatest gymnasts to ever live.
16:44I'm just going to say that flat out because it's the truth.
16:46Um, but with that business woman author, all these different things, what are some things that Jordan Childs loves to do that has nothing to do with any of the things I just mentioned?
16:54Oh my gosh.
16:55I love shopping.
16:56If you see me with a new bag or, you know, a new pair of shoes, don't mind.
17:01It's just, I wanted to go shopping.
17:03Um, but I also like having just self-care days.
17:06I think a lot of the time we take those for granted, but those are days that we actually do need in our lives, especially with people who are entrepreneurs, doctors, nurses, whatever it is.
17:16As an athlete myself and just understanding that it's okay to take care of yourself.
17:20You don't need somebody else to do it for you, but if you can figure that out within yourself, whether it's opening the Bible, whether it's writing notes down, whether, you know, you are watching Netflix, whether you are just playing with your dogs.
17:30So, it's really those self-care days that I really cherish the most, and I could just sit there and be like, you know what, I'm proud of every moment.
17:38I'm proud of every accomplishment that I've done, and it's okay for me to have this day.
17:42I know for sometimes, sometimes for people that are high achievers, it's difficult for us to say we're proud of ourselves.
17:49How often do you say that to you?
17:51I don't think I've ever told myself.
17:54Yeah.
17:55I don't think I've ever woken up one day and be like, I'm proud of you.
17:58That just doesn't sound right because I feel like I have not done everything for me to say that.
18:03You know what's interesting?
18:04Coach Neal Ivey, the head coach of the women's Notre Dame basketball team, gave me the exact answer, almost word for word.
18:12And I said, would you like to take this opportunity to say you're proud of yourself?
18:17And she started off talking about everybody else.
18:19I would probably do the same thing.
18:21And I get the feeling, but I'm going to put you on the spot just a little bit and give you a chance here at Essence Festival.
18:28Essence Festival of Culture 2025 to say in front of all these beautiful people that you are rightfully and duly proud of yourself.
18:38Do you accept the challenge?
18:42Where's the encouragement, guys?
18:48I don't know.
18:50I mean, it goes back to even when somebody asked me, you know, you're considered a great.
18:56And it's like, I don't know if I can consider myself a great if I have not accomplished everything that I feel like I need to do, whether it's in my culture, my community, my own sport.
19:06But I think realizing now with the strength and resilience, I can say I am proud of myself.
19:13And that I'm proud that I was able to accomplish so much already at the age of 24.
19:20And that I get to, you know, inspire not only the generation above me, but also, you know, the youngers as well.
19:27You definitely inspire me.
19:28I'm 39 and I'm drawing inspiration even in this seat across from you.
19:33What does that next iteration of greatness look like for you, Jordan?
19:36What do you want that to look like for you?
19:37I think, you know, that that next greatest moment of my life will probably be the day you guys, you know, get to see the next generation, not only sprinting through their careers, but understanding what it's like to be a businesswoman.
19:55I have this athlete initiative that I'm creating.
19:59It's called She-Ro.
20:00And what She-Ro is, basically, the name came from my aunt.
20:05She passed away due to cancer.
20:07My condolences to you.
20:08She basically always told me, you know, you're an independent, strong woman.
20:13You're doing so much, yada, yada, yada.
20:16But I can't call you a hero.
20:17And I was like, why?
20:19I mean, that's what typically, you know, I have superpowers.
20:21That's what, you know, they say.
20:22But she was like, no, it doesn't make sense to call you a hero if you're a woman.
20:26And I was like, oh, okay.
20:27So she called me her She-Ro.
20:29So that's where She-Ro came from.
20:31And so, basically, She-Ro is a mentorship program that I get to mentor athletes.
20:36Actually, really anybody.
20:37I say anybody because it's like if you have a dream and you want it to be seen, how can I help you?
20:43What can we do?
20:44Whether it's financials, whether it's your taxes, you know, because we don't learn that in school, not even in college.
20:49Whether it's, you know, you trying to navigate, say you want to be a nail tech.
20:55Okay, what can we do?
20:56How can we put you in a space where you can learn from others?
20:58How can we, you know, just mentoring them in ways that if you're a college athlete and you're trying to, you know, go to a D1 school,
21:04how can we get your platform in a way to, oh, those college coaches can come and recruit, you know?
21:10So it's basically just being able to help the younger generation and older.
21:15I really will help anybody and get their understanding that it's okay to fail at times, but let's get you to a success moment in your life.
21:24Yeah.
21:24So I guess it's really just making sure that I get to be a part of somebody's life in some way, shape, or form and make you feel like, you know what?
21:32I did something good today.
21:33I will say this, Jordan, I think when we watch you compete and we see you win medals and we see you go through challenges
21:42and we see you triumph through those challenges and we see you sit up here looking amazing and tell us things that, like you said,
21:50anybody of any age can learn from and live their best life from, you're doing just that.
21:55So I think all of us want to thank you right now for being amazing, for being an incredible example,
22:02for being beautiful and bold and a bad businesswoman, and I personally have been encouraged by your journey as well.
22:09So I want to thank you so much.
22:10We all thank you here at Essence Festival of Culture.
22:14And before you leave, if you're not following Jordan, if you don't have her book, No Judgment,
22:21I want to make sure you can do that.
22:22So how can they do that, Jordan?
22:23So you guys can follow me on Instagram at Jordan Childs.
22:28On Twitter, I think it's backwards, at Childs Jordan.
22:31On TikTok, it probably comes up as Baby Joe.
22:34That's like my alter ego.
22:35So if you put in Jordan Childs, it may come up as that.
22:38And then you can also go get my audio book on any platform.
22:42And then you can also get my book at any bookstore or on Amazon, really anywhere.
22:49Support Jordan.
22:49Get the book.
22:50Follow her on Instagram and all social media platforms.
22:53Jordan, thank you so much.
22:55It's been an honor.
22:56Thank you all so much for joining the conversation.
22:58One more time.
22:59For a two-time Olympian, gold, silver, and bronze medalist,
23:04the one and only Jordan Childs.
23:07Clock day!
23:07Clock day!
23:07Bye-bye.
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