Multiple Olympic medals, World Championship triumphs, and a legacy carved in gold,  Jordan Chiles has tasted the pinnacle of success. Yet, behind her achievements once stood two unwavering pillars: her late grandfather, Gene Velasquez, and her late aunt, Crystal Oliver. Their belief in her wasn’t just support; it was the foundation of her journey. And losing them left a void that success could never fill. But there is a way she honors them in her daily life now. Well, let’s hear it from Jordan herself!

While speaking on the Baby, This is Keke Palmer episode that aired on November 11, Jordan Chiles opened up about a deeply personal and unheard chapter of her life. Reflecting on the inspiration behind her Athlete Collective, SHERO, that launched in August 2025, Chiles revealed that it was her late aunt who served as the driving force. “My aunt passed away, who was really dear and close to me. It was on my dad’s side, and she always told me I was her hero. But she didn’t—she was like, ‘That’s a man,’ in her eyes. She was like, ‘But you’re, you know, my woman hero.’ So that’s where SHERO came into play,” she revealed.

Later in her conversation with Palmer, Chiles gave a deeper peek into how close she was to her aunt. “It’s basically just something that she felt that I was dominant in things that she understood I was going to be able to conquer. And she actually told me, before Paris was even a thought in my head, that I would go to a second Olympics,” revealed Chiles. She even gave a heartfelt tribute to her grandfather and aunt, crediting them for her 2024 success. “It was—you know, everything that I did, all of 2024, was really for her. And my grandpa. They passed away a year apart.” 

Back in 2023, when Jordan Chiles joined UCLA, her excitement was unmatched. But fate had other plans. On the very day she was set to compete at the Pac-12 Championships, news arrived that her beloved aunt had been hospitalized. Without hesitation, Chiles flew back home to be by her side. Just days later, on March 23, 2023, she faced the heartbreaking loss of her aunt. That following year, Chiles lost her Grandfather as well, making it more difficult for her to maintain her composure.

When asked if she could go back to one moment in her life, what would she be, the gymnast in her conversation with ‘The Squeeze’  in 2024 had said that, “It would be to when my aunt was alive and apologize for a lot of things that I wish I had been able to say before she passed.” After her emotional setback in 2023, Chiles made a phenomenal comeback at the 2024 Olympics, clinching gold in the team event. Soon after, she launched SHERO, an initiative that mentors young gymnasts and supports them every step of the way on their path to success. Ever since, Jordan Chiles has been on a journey to build SHEROS to global prominence, but what is it?

Jordan Chiles launched SHERO earlier this year

Earlier this year, two-time Olympic medalist Jordan Chiles launched her flagship SHERO Athlete Collective, a mentorship program dedicated to empowering young female athletes at every stage of their journey. She inaugurated the initiative by personally mentoring its first two gymnasts, Zoey Malomo and Simone Rose.” I hope this initiative helps them see their strength, legacy, and bold authenticity,” she added in one of SHERO’s posts on her Instagram handle.

Sharing a series of posts, she even dedicated the initiative to her aunt, Crystal Oliver, explaining that this was something she had always dreamed of doing, “The SHERO Athlete Collective is not just name; it’s a legacy. For me, SHERO holds a special place in my heart, It was a nickname given it by my Auntie Crystal who passed. She was a beacon of strength and resilience, who bravely battled cancer with the spirit of a true warrior.”

For Chiles, success isn’t measured solely in medals or trophies. Through her initiative, the gymnast is making sure to cater to the young athletes such that they can manage their name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals, build a personal brand, master social media, to cultivate a strong circle of support. At the same time, she also honors her loved ones through her initiative, and that’s truly beautiful!