The last few years have given Jordan Chiles enough ups and downs for a lifetime. She went from losing the team final in Tokyo to triumphantly reclaiming that title in Paris, only to then be embroiled in an Olympic bronze medal controversy, all while beginning university in between. But even so, there was one lesson she hadn’t truly experienced until her run on Dancing With the Stars Season 34.

Chiles, a senior at UCLA, took on DWTS in the midst of her busy gymnastics schedule and life as a student-athlete in September. Before finishing third place overall in the finale, she discovered a new side of herself that she hadn’t tapped into on the gymnastics floor. That realization became even clearer on December 13, during the Meet the Bruins preseason opener in Los Angeles.

After the meet, Chiles was asked about switching to a new floor routine as she gets set to enter her final season of NCAA gymnastics, officially retiring her viral Prince-themed routine. “I’m really excited… I feel like I’ve gotten older in my generations of music, so I guess that’s kind of like a hint,” she said. “I’ve gotten further down the line from Prince, and I honestly think being on Dancing With the Stars made me realize that.”

Though she has hadplenty of success off the mat, including writing books like I’m That Girl: Living the Power of My Dreams and featuring in major magazines, Chiles confessed that DWTS has helped her express herself differently. “Dancing With the Stars showed me a different side of me that I didn’t know needed to be shown, and like the people have gravitated towards,” she explained.

That discovery is shaping her final season at UCLA. Chiles made it clear that the upcoming floor routine will look nothing like what fans have seen before. “This is not the, you know, the cutesy, like I’ve done the cutesy. I’ve done the, you know, the hip-hop,” Jordan Chiles said. “This is more of like the passionate, confident, like last era of being a Bruin.” And this is the direction she wants to take now, inspired by the confidence and self-expression she gained from Dancing With the Stars.

But for Jordan Chiles, knowing that her senior year will live on long after the season ends makes the moment even more emotional. “It’s crazy to know that my senior year is going to always be remembered, and I just want to put that into my floor routine…,” she said. Sitting beside teammate Katelyn Rosen, Chiles added with a smile, “I don’t even want to look at you, because I might start crying.”

Even as she prepares to chase new goals, Chiles admits the emotions come in waves. But at the same time, she is excited to step into her final season.

Jordan Chiles is ending her college career on her terms

Jordan Chiles’ UCLA journey began in 2021, when she joined the Bruins as a freshman with years of elite gymnastics already behind her. She had competed on the world stage, but UCLA offered something special. It was a place where she could be great while still being herself: expressive, confident, and connected to her team.

Chiles quickly became a regular in UCLA’s lineups, especially on floor and vault, where her strength stood out. Her routines were powerful, but they were also fun. But soon after, Chiles later stepped away from college gymnastics to return to elite competition and focus on the Paris Olympics.

It was a hard decision. But after winning team gold, she returned to college. Now, she is entering her final season as a Bruin. UCLA will open the 2025 NCAA season on January 3 with an away meet in Seattle, Washington. At 24, Chiles is completing her degree in African American Studies and preparing to close a meaningful chapter of her life.

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Looking back on her time at UCLA, Chiles knows how much it has shaped her. “Knowing that it’s my senior year,” she said, being able to take the past three years of my career and just understanding that, yes, they were fast, but I got to enjoy them and really dive deep into the relationships and friendships that I’ve built with my team and my coaches, and know that I’m always going to be a Bruin no matter what… very thankful that I had the opportunities that I did.”

For Jordan Chiles, this last season is about more than competition. It is about appreciation, growth, and finishing her UCLA story with pride with the NCAA trophy.