Jordan Chiles lit up the stage with her birthday party-themed performance on week 9 of Dancing With The Stars season 34. Chiles and Ezra Sosa danced a Cha Cha to Ciara’s ‘Get Up’. Inspired by Waybe Brady and Witney Carson’s performance on the DWTS season 31 finale, Chiles’ dance had an upbeat and fun tone to it. Even the judges loved it and awarded her a collective score of 37/40. Following the performance, fans rallied behind Chiles and cheered her on. And somewhere between the cheers, her routine caught the attention of a very special viewer.

Shortly after the episode aired, Shawn Johnson sent a heartfelt shout out to Chiles. The 2008 Olympics balance beam champion took to her Instagram Stories and shared a picture that she had clicked beside Jordan Chiles. And in the caption, Johnson wrote, “[Jordan Chiles] I am in AWE of you lady! So incredibly impressed and proud! GO WIN THIS THING!” Coming from any fan, the praise would have been flattering, but Shawn’s support carries far more weight. She is not only an Olympic champion but also one of the most accomplished celebrity performers in DWTS history.

Johnson won the coveted Mirrorball Trophy in DWTS season 8 along with her partner, Mark Ballas. Needless to say, the duo delivered some of the show’s most memorable athlete performances, footsteps that Chiles is following pretty closely. But she wasn’t done with season 8. Johnson later returned for season 15’s All-Stars edition, partnered with the current judge Derek Hough, and finished as the runner-up in one of the most competitive seasons of DWTS ever. With a DWTS legacy built on precision, charisma, and crowd-pleasing routines, her endorsement gives Jordan a rare and meaningful nod from someone who truly knows what it takes to win.

Yes, the judges’ reactions reflected Johnson’s sentiments all too well. The guest judge for the week, Tom Bergeron, claimed that Jordan Chiles “heated up the room.” Even Bruno Tonioli substantiated that by saying that she had “brought sexy back into the cha cha cha.” It was certainly a strong stance for Chiles as DWTS celebrated its 20th birthday. And then, Johnson put it all in golden letters in the book of DWTS history. 

But this is not the first time Chiles had received such words of inspiration from Shawn Johnson. Let’s see what transpired between the gymnasts-cum-dancers earlier this season. 

Shawn Johnson’s previous support of Jordan Chiles and the Golden Girl’s reaction to that

The very first episode of DWTS season 34 marked a reality check for Chiles and Sosa. Even though they impressed the fans, the judges were far too tough to impress. They claimed that her salsa fusion lacked salsa. But Chiles and Sosa worked on the feedback and continued to grow. This pushed Shawn Johnson to praise her growth and performance quality. Talking to ‘Entertainment Tonight’, she addressed Chiles and said, “Hey, Jordan! So excited you’re on ‘Dancing With The Stars’. You are so fierce. You’re going to crush it. And you have the most amazing partner. I’ll be rooting for you, and voting for you the entire time.” Johnson further claimed that she’d be watching Jordan closely and asked the fans to vote for her through her interview with ‘TooFab’.

Jordan Chiles was undoubtedly overjoyed when she found out what Johnson said. Chiles confessed, “Oh my gosh, Shawn! I love you so much. And honestly, you are an icon. I love you so much.” She was truly grateful for the positive comments from the former gymnast and DWTS winner. Johnson’s messages for Chiles are both inspiring and deeply validating. But are they enough to push her towards a dominating victory? 

That’s something only time can tell. But one thing is true. Jordan Chiles has been delivering some of her strongest performances on the DWTS stage. And Johnson’s words seem like confident predictions of the season’s finale. If Chiles continues this upward momentum, she just might live up to Johnson’s champion-level blessing.