Getty Jordan Chiles competes on balance beam during Women's Qualification on day two of the Tokyo Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on July 25, 2021.
Jordan Chiles is one of the gymnasts competing for Team USA at the Olympics in Tokyo. Her parents, Timothy and Gina Chiles, raised her in Vancouver, Washington. She has four older siblings: Jazmin, Jade, Tajmen and Tyrus. Jordan Chiles also has six nieces and nephews, according to her mother’s Instagram account.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Timothy Chiles Is a Pastor
According to His Word Worship Center Jordan Chiles’ father, Timothy Chiles, is a pastor.
Jordan Chiles’ father, Timothy Chiles, is a senior pastor at the According to His Word Worship Center in Vancouver, Washington. He described it on his LinkedIn account as a “Multicultural church that preaches/ teaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom.”
Timothy Chiles grew up traveling around the country “ministering alongside his father in various churches and tent revivals,” according to his bio on the church website. The page states that Timothy Chiles served as a Minister of Music in his church for nearly a decade and became a licensed minister. He helped to launch the According to His Word Worship Center- Vancouver in 2007. His wife is also a senior pastor with the church, the bio states.
Timothy Chiles may have been the first person to consider putting his daughter in gymnastics. The defining moment came when Gina Chiles was gone for a week on a business trip when Jordan was 7, according to the New York Times. The newspaper reported, “Jordan, the youngest of their five children, had become a whirling Tasmanian devil, revved up from morning until bedtime, jumping off the furniture and bouncing off walls, and her father couldn’t take it anymore, Gina Chiles recalled, laughing.” They surprised Jordan by putting a blindfold on her and taking her to the gymnastics gym. Jordan told the Times that she thought her parents were going to surprise her with a puppy.
Jordan Chiles further explained on the USA Gymnastics website that her high energy levels inspired both of her parents to get her involved in gymnastics. “My parents could not keep me from cartwheeling down the aisle of any open space or walking on my hands instead of my feet. People kept asking if I was in gymnastics. I had a lot of energy! So they put me in gym.”
Jordan shared a sweet tribute to her father on Father’s Day in 20202. She wrote on Instagram, “Dear daddy, I love you so much and couldn’t ask for a better dad❤️ You have been with me every step of the way through my journey and I appreciate everything you have done😊 I love you and HAPPY FATHERS DAY OLD MAN.”
2. Gina Chiles Moved With Jordan to Texas So She Could Train at Simone Biles’ Gym
Gina Chiles has been her daughter’s strongest advocate and supporter, as evidenced by her willingness to move across the country to help Jordan achieve her dream of reaching the Olympics. In the spring of 2019, Jordan Chiles decided she wanted to train at Simone Biles’ gym in Spring, Texas. She graduated from high school in June 2019 before heading to Texas.
Gina Chiles went with her, as ESPN reported. According to Clark County Today, Timothy stayed behind in Vancouver. Gina Chiles told the outlet the physical separation was a challenge. “We try not to go longer than three weeks. I love that man. He loves me. It’s difficult, but it’s worth it.”
Gina Chiles had to settle with cheering on Jordan from afar because of the restrictions put in place due to the coronavirus. But she almost missed out on even watching on television. As Heavy previously reported, Gina Chiles is headed to federal prison in August 2021. The sentence was supposed to begin on July 27, but as People reported, the judge granted a 30-day delay and prosecutors did not object.
Gina Chiles pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, KOIN-TV reported. Prosecutors said she embezzled more than $1.2 million from clients over the course of about four years. According to court documents cited by KOIN-TV, one of her colleagues said she found evidence that Gina Chiles had been falsifying bank statements. She was sentenced to one year behind bars and she’ll have to pay restitution once her prison term is complete.
3. One of Jordan’s Sisters Is a Wedding Planner & the Other Has a Cosmetology Business
The oldest sister in the family is Jazmin Chiles. She runs a beauty and styling company called Hair Goals by Jazmine Dominique. According to the company website, she changed the name in 2020. The business used to be called the “Inspired by Beauty Salon.”
Jazim Chiles graduated from a beauty program at “Paul Mitchell the School of Portland,” according to her website. She further explained that it was one of her younger sisters who first inspired her to pursue a career in cosmetology: “As her teen years approached [Jazmin] ventured further into the industry when realizing her younger sister dealt with low self-esteem. The passion for Make-Up and Fashion began there when she decided she wouldn’t ever allow her sister to feel anything less than BEAUTIFUL.”
Jade Chiles is one year younger than Jazmin and she is also a business owner. Jade Chiles runs a wedding planning business called JB Weddings & Events. She explained on LinkedIn how she got involved in this industry: “I have been in the Hospitality Industry since I was 14 years old and it started when I was able to help my mother with a wedding event. I love to sing, to be outdoors and to draw on my free time but from participating in one wedding, I knew the hospitality industry was where I wanted to be.”
According to her Instagram account, she also started an organization called She’s LIT that is dedicated to empowering women.
Jade Chiles got married in 2017. She chose to have a destination wedding in Hawaii, according to photos Jordan Chiles shared on Instagram.
4. Jordan Chiles’ Brothers Are Tajmen & Tyrus
Tajmen and Tyrus Chiles both have lower profiles online and on social media compared to their three sisters. According to his Facebook page, Tajmen Chiles works in sales at an Acura dealership in Portland, Oregon. Portland is just across the state border from Vancouver, Washington.
Tajmen is married with children. He wrote on Facebook in June 2021 that he and his immediate family had been living in California. But they made the decision to return to Washington so that their children could grow up around their extended family.
Tyrus Chiles also still lives in the Vancouver area. According to his Facebook page, he graduated from Skyview High School in 2010. He has one daughter who was born in 2018, according to Facebook.
5. Jordan’s Parents Named Her After Basketball Star Michael Jordan
Getty Jordan Chiles of Team United States competes in floor exercise during the Women’s Team Final on day four of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on July 27, 2021.
Jordan Chiles is named after basketball legend Michael Jordan. She told KOIN-TV that her mother is “literally in love with sports” and wanted to name her after one of the greatest athletes of all time.
But she also goes by a nickname. According to Elle, Jordan’s family nickname is Chick. Gina Chiles even wrote a book called “Dream Big Little Chick.” It’s about a small chick that dreams of making it to the “Animal Olympics.”
The nickname stuck when Jordan was a young child playing T-ball. Gina Chiles thought her daughter looked like Chicken Little when she was wearing the large helmet at-bat, Oprah Daily reported. During the Olympic trials, Jordan’s parents wore T-shirts with the hashtag “Team Chick on them.”
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