Олимпийская чемпионка по гимнастике Джордин Чилс вдохновляет тысячи девочек-скаутов на саморазвитие

Gymnast Jordan Chiles, the 25-year-old Olympian known for capturing team gold in Paris, recently lent her gift for inspiration to 10,000 Girl Scouts when she spoke at the triennial convention in Washington D.C. known as Girl Scouts Unite. I had the pleasure of speaking with her when she was offstage, and she shared with me a piece of advice she got from her mom that I will not soon forget. “Be the next Jordan Chiles,” she said she told her. “Be the next you.” Because aiming to be the best version of yourself, the athlete explained, is “what’s going to make you want to push harder” and want to “try to beat yourself every single time.” It’s clear that the approach has worked for her. But looking back on the times she’s made history — by sweeping Big Ten titles in college, scoring many perfect 10s, and reclaiming her bronze medal after a legal fight — Chiles says she saw the record-breaking moments more as personal accomplishments. “I thought it was more of me just showing up for myself, just being authentic and allowing the world to see me for who I am,” she says. As such a decorated and young champion, Jordan has become a role model to young athletes and women everywhere — including to the Girl Scouts who watched her speak in late July at the convention. But despite the fans who swarmed into the convention center to watch her speak, Jordan couldn’t quite believe they were there for her. “I mean, I think it’s crazy that I’m even in that role,” she said. “As a little kid, I never had imaginary friends, I always had imaginary dreams.” To now be the inspiration behind the dreams of other little girls, she said, “is crazy to say, because I’m only 25 years old.” That’s not to say the gymnast isn’t confident. “I don’t have to be scared. I don’t have to be shy. I can use my voice,” Jordan said about her approach to feeling secure in herself. Much of that comes from having such a strong support system — and from a fundamental understanding that it’s okay to mess up now and then. “It’s okay to fail because that just means that you’re going to learn from those failures,” she said. “It’s your narrative, your story. You’re writing the book.”