Jordan Chiles at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Gymnastics - Day 4 - Source: Getty

"I was told I could only eat certain things"- Jordan Chiles opens up on being body-shamed during the initial days of her gymnastics career

Modified Jul 24, 2024 06:42 GMT

Jordan Chiles has opened up on how she was body-shamed as a child and how she managed to bounce back to loving her body as she chases a global breakthrough at the Paris Olympics. Chiles remarked that there was a certain way she had to look to be socially accepted.

Jordan Chiles added that she was forced to eat certain foods to avoid gaining weight, which affected her body confidence.

However, the 23-year-old disclosed that she has grown to love herself. As she matured, she realized that women go through changes that tend to affect things including their weight. Jordan Chiles has grown more confident in her body and is proud of the milestones she has taken as far as gymnastics is concerned. In a recent interview with "Teen Vogue", she said,

"I was traumatized when I was younger. I was getting weighed. I was told I could only eat certain things. There were a lot of things that I was told because I had to ‘look a certain way.’ But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized we’re human," Chiles told Teen Vogue.

"Our bodies go through different changes. I’m a woman, so obviously, when it comes to hormonal situations or my cycle, I can’t control that. I feel more confident in myself and I’m able to be the Jordan that I’ve always wanted to be when I first started gymnastics," she added.

Jordan Chiles added that she had to put in a lot of work in her bid to eat certain foods without feeling guilty. However, there are still days when she puts pressure on herself to avoid certain foods.

"Sometimes I’ll eat it, but I won’t eat the whole thing. Because that’s kind of where that trauma comes into play. It’s like you feel somebody’s always looking at you," she said.

"If she’s a queen, I’m a queen"- Jordan Chiles speaks on drawing inspiration from Beyoncé as she heads to Olympics

Jordan Chiles at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Gymnastics - Day 4 - Source: Getty

Jordan Chiles is undoubtedly a huge fan of Beyoncé and as she heads to the Paris Olympic Games, her goal is to sparkle just like the American musician does on the stage.

Chiles’ ‘I’m that girl’ mantra is drawn from Beyoncé’s song and she looks to implement that on the Olympic stage and show the world what she is capable of. She said (via "Orange County Register"):

"If she’s a queen, I’m a queen. I did dedicate my life to this. I did sacrifice a lot of things for myself. I did do all these things," Chiles said.

"And at the end of the day, when it’s finally done it over with, I can finally I can look at myself in the mirror and be like, ‘You did everything that you said you (would).’," she added.

Chiles will be joined by Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey, and 16-year-old Hezly Rivera.

At the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, Chiles claimed a silver courtesy of team efforts and will be out to improve her overall performance in Paris.