Another feather added to the UCLA Bruins’ cap! In a fantastic show, The UCLA gymnastics team triumphed over Stanford with a .575 margin over the Cardinal’s 197.100. But there was another reason that added to the competition being an emotional rollercoaster ride. It was after all, the senior night! March 9, 2025 marked the date when the likes of Brooklyn Moors, Chae Campbell, Frida Esparza and others performed for the last time in front of the UCLA home crowd in Pauley Pavilion. After the meet, Jordan Chiles, had only the sweetest words for the team.
The 23-year-old is going to miss her seniors, that is for sure. In her interaction with the Los Angeles Times, Jordan Chiles got candid about her love for the fellow gymnasts at the UCLA Bruins. The likes of eight-time All-American Chae Campbell and Brooklyn Moors, who she refers to as her favorite Canadian, have been an inspiration to her in the team. “I think honestly I see it as being part of such an amazing team,”. The love she has for her team is not unfounded. Chiles has a solid reason for the same.
“It’s cool to see no matter how much support we give each other, we understand how we all have different paths.” The 23-year-old recognizes that one can only bloom when they receive adequate support to go their ways and chase their dreams fearlessly. The UCLA Bruins gymnastics team has given Jordan Chiles the space to be her best self. The Oregon native never fell short of words for her seniors, she even appreciated senior Chae Campbell for bringing back a routine citing, “Chae’s floor routine was remarkable”. Though it didn’t go big on the scoreboard, that was of least concern to the Olympian.
She has a mantra that, if we think about, may be the recipe for leading a fulfilling life, “we can’t control the outcome, we can only control what we’re internally doing, and that’s what she did … her routine was amazing, her routine was something that you know she brought back a routine that everybody loved.” Even though the routine fetched 9.825, it struck a chord with her teammates and that’s what matters at the end of the day.
Jordan Chiles might be the glue that holds the team together. Despite her adversities and struggles, she continues to show up for the UCLA Bruins gymnastics girls, on and off the mat. Such is her contribution, that coach Janelle McDonald too is taken aback by the sincerity and resilience of the 23-year-old.
UCLA thanks Jordan Chiles for sticking around
Talking about Chiles’ capacity to show up for the team and deliver back-to-back stellar performances has evoked the admiration of the UCLA Bruins’ coach, Janelle McDonald. Even while dealing with the pain of a lost Olympic bronze medal, and navigating subsequent legal complications, the Oregon native continued to deliver jaw-dropping performances. The coach draws inspiration from the gymnast, because honestly, who wouldn’t? “It inspires me every single day.” The coach even appreciated her ability to prioritize the team no matter what.
“She cares so much about the team that throughout it all, she’s figuring out a way to be 100% connected and show up for the team each and every day.” Imagine going above and beyond for the team when you are still battling the loss of an Olympic medal. That’s the kind of resilience unheard of, but what sets Jordan Chiles apart from anyone else. Plus, she has more to her credit than just being a terrific teammate.
In an NCAA season where perfect 10s are rare, the Olympian has done it twice– once in the uneven bars routine and again in an exceptional floor routine. Her excellence extends far beyond the mat, now that she is also the author of her memoir, “I’m That Girl: Living the Power of My Dreams”. To think that she has done it all by 23? We could never, but then again, we are not called Jordan Chiles!
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