With a Foreword by Simone Biles
The sensational two-time Olympian Jordan Chiles's heartfelt, inspiring memoir chronicling her unlikely path to the podium--including the unprecedented challenges, the joy of winning, the crushing pain of defeat, and the love and support of her devoted family and teammates that helps her stay strong.
It was a rare and stunning reversal: after the judges at the 2024 Paris Olympics determined that Jordan had rightfully scored third place for her performance--following a successful challenge by her coach--she earned the bronze medal. Later, Jordan's euphoria turned to devastation when the Court of Arbitration for Sport stripped her of that medal based on nothing but semantics. Jordan called the ruling, "One of the most challenging moments of my career. Believe me when I say I have had many."
In her powerful, eye-opening memoir, Jordan digs deep, sharing the story of her life's challenges--the racism she encountered as a gifted Black girl in a predominantly white elite sport, the battles with body image and subsequent unhealthy relationship with food, the grueling practices, the injuries, the moments of nearly calling it quits. Through it all, Jordan refused to give up. Through sheer grit--and the love of her family--she kept working and winning. When Simone Biles stepped away from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after a case of the "twisties," Jordan stepped in to play a key role in securing silver for Team USA. And in Paris, Jordan made history as part of the first all-Black podium in all of men's and women's gymnastics.
Told with refreshing candor and Jordan's irrepressible spirit, I'm That Girl is a glimpse of life in the psychologically and physically demanding upper echelons of women's elite gymnastics. Exploring the deep bonds so often forged in pressure cookers, Jordan speaks openly about her relationships with her teammates, including her best friend and "big sister" Simone Biles, and how their support for one another has proved invaluable on and off the mat.
With the highs, lows, twists, and turns characteristic of the sport, and featuring a 16-page color photo insert, I'm That Girl reveals how one extraordinary young woman keeps her balance in a uniquely dizzying life. By way of her unwavering tenacity, Jordan has changed the culture of gymnastics, fighting every day to ensure that the girls she inspires are not pre-judged for their hair, their bodies, or their skin color. Insightful and deeply moving, I'm That Girl is a testament to the power of perseverance and the transformative joy of doing what you love, told by a fierce and unique individual who has been and will always be That Girl--the ultimate hype woman who shows up and gives it her all.
Chiles, Jordan: -
Jordan Chiles is an American gymnast, member of the US national gymnastics team, and member of the UCLA gymnastics team. The youngest of five children, Chiles was named after Michael Jordan and began gymnastics at age 7, when her parents signed her up for classes at a gym near their Vancouver, Washington home. She rose through the ranks quickly, developing the powerful vault and dynamic floor routine for which she is now known. She was a member of the silver-medal winning team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and a member of the team that won gold at the 2022 World Championships. Later that year she shifted to the collegiate level, becoming an NCAA athlete at UCLA and a two-time NCAA National Champion before putting her studies on hold to focus on the Paris Olympics, where she brought home the gold. She made "I'm that girl" her motto for 2024--a way to remind herself that, whatever the challenge, she always shows up and gives it her all.
