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What Is Gymnast Jordan Chiles’ Ethnicity? Inside the Olympic Gold Medalist’s Family Background
Jordan Chiles is a hero amongst many, but the Olympic gold medalist faced hardships to get to where she is today. The Washington native comes from a large, loving family and is one of five siblings. Fans may recognize Jordan’s parents, Gina and Timothy Chiles, who are always in the stands cheering their champ on the mat.
Although the brood is unified at home and in public, Jordan has faced racism during her gymnastics career as a young kid. She has previously opened up about the negative experiences she’s faced from people who treated her differently because of her ethnicity.
What Is Jordan Chiles’ Ethnicity?
The UCLA alum is biracial and Latina from her mom’s side of the family and Black from her father’s.
Jordan Chiles Was the Victim of Racism
Jordan graced the cover of Teen Vogue for the July/August 2024 issue ahead of the Paris Olympics.
She painted a picture of her gymnastic journey that began at age 7 and didn’t shy away from the bad times. Jordan recalled an instance during a competition when she was too young to remember. However, her mother told her what happened when she got older.
“Some lady in the crowd basically was like, ‘She doesn’t deserve to be on the floor. She doesn’t even look like anybody else,’” she told the publication. “People were racially attacking me without me even really knowing.”
Jordan later shared, “I’ve been told that my mom wasn’t my mom. I’ve gotten told that I wasn’t Black.”
Those who have watched Jordan perform know that she radiates power and resilience, which is something that she wants to pass on to her fans around the world.
“I can tell the younger generation, ‘Look, if this ever happens, use your voice, say what you need to say,’” she continued. “And if you get kicked out of the gym, you get kicked out of the gym. But at least you were able to stand up for yourself. At least you were able to tell them how you truly feel.”
Jordan Chiles’ Family Are Her Teammates
The gymnast grew up in Vancouver, Washington, with her siblings, Jazmin, Jade, Tajmen and Tyrus. However, the Evergreen State wasn’t going to push Jordan to the next level in her career. So, she moved to Spring, Texas, in 2019 to practice at the World Champions Centre alongside best friend and teammate Simone Biles.
“[Jordan] doesn’t ever ask for anything in regard to gymnastics,” Gina previously told Clark County Today about the big transition. “This is something she asked. ‘If you are 100 percent sure, we’ll do whatever we can to support it.’ … Here I am, in Texas.”
Timothy stayed back in Washington, but the couple didn’t go longer than three weeks without visiting one another.
“I love that man. He loves me. It’s difficult, but it’s worth it,” the family matriarch continued. “Jordan is the baby of five kids. Our kids are grown, they’re older, living their lives. They 100 percent support Jordan.”
Not to mention, Jordan’s parents instilled the athletic spark in her since birth after they named her after NBA legend Michael Jordan.
“[My mom] felt the inspiration that he gave to her, and that was just a really huge and beautiful thing,” Jordan told People in 2023 of her sports-loving mother. “She just decided, ‘You know what? I’m going to name my child after him and see where life takes her.’ ”
