Jordan Chiles taught me her Olympic floor routine
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Me (in navy blue) stretching before Jordan Chiles teaches us her floor routine. Photo: Jeffrey Tanhueco
I learned how to do a gymnastics floor routine from Jordan Chiles.
Why it matters: A year after the Paris Olympics, her bronze medal is in limbo, but her status as a sports icon isn't.
- After appearances on red carpets, WNBA games and the cover of Sports Illustrated's swimsuit edition, the Olympic gold medalist is spending quality time with her fans.
Driving the news: Chiles is the latest celebrity to bring curated experiences to the public, courtesy of Airbnb's new "Originals" feature.
- Guests have shared a home-cooked meal with Megan Thee Stallion and played football with Patrick Mahomes.
- "I have dreams of experiencing things with my fans, and I think this was such a great opportunity to do that," Chiles tells Axios.
State of play: The UCLA gymnastics star hosted four sessions over two days in a downtown Los Angeles studio.
- The room was splashed with purple — a tribute to her Prince-inspired routine — and filled with Chiles' sayings and mantras like, "always believe in the power of your dreams," and "I'm that girl."
Behind the scenes: She led me and seven other guests through a meditation, taught us how to perform her floor routine (minus the flips), sat down for a group Q&A and ended the evening with a photo opp and book signing.
My thought bubble: Airbnb charged guests $150 for the two-hour session, and it was worth it.
- The celebrity gymnast kept the floor routine portion fun and light, she was welcoming and vulnerable during the Q&A and we got gifts (including signed copies of her book) that amounted to roughly half of the price of entry.
What she's saying: As for the status of her bronze medal, Chiles says she's "focusing on continuing to live life."
- "I can't really do anything about it anymore ... at the end of the day, I'm always going to be loved, I'm always going to be supported. I'm going to continue to fight for who I am."
The bottom line: Medal drama aside, Chiles is nailing her routine in the spotlight.
