mbg Beauty Director
mbg Beauty Director
Alexandra Engler is the Beauty Director at mindbodygreen and host of the beauty podcast Clean Beauty School. She has previously held beauty roles at Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, SELF and Cosmopolitan, and has had bylines in Esquire, Sports Illustrated and Allure.com.
Image credit: mbg Creative / JSquared Photography
June 17, 2024
We love celebrating women at their best, and in our new series, “Game On,” we interview top athletes about their health habits and cover everything from nourishing themselves to feel strong to moments that bring them joy.
You might think that confidence would come easily to 22-year-old Jordan Childs, an Olympic silver medalist and longtime member of the U.S. women’s national gymnastics team.
Scroll through her Instagram and you’ll see a fun-loving, bright, strong woman. But as she told me during a recent online meeting, it wasn’t always this way. “Growing up, I had no confidence in sports, no confidence in my beauty, nothing,” she told me.
So what’s changed? We spoke to Childs about what it means to be a strong woman, how she’s built her confidence, and how she looks after her hard-working body.
mindbodgyreen: What does being a “strong woman” mean to you?
Jordan Chiles: Being a strong woman is about being true to yourself and finding beauty and passion in how you want to live your life.
What makes a person strong is finding the confidence to go out there and be the best version of themselves, whether that be on the playing field or in the real world.
mbg: Speaking of which, what gives you confidence?
Chile: I think the biggest thing that gives me confidence is my beauty, from my smile to the way I style my hair.
I’m always on the front line taking photos, so it’s important to just smile. I didn’t take much care of my smile, but since I started using Invisalign and was able to easily incorporate it into my life, my feelings about my smile have changed. I’ve started to enjoy my smile more. I feel more confident with my smile.
mbg: what is your most energizing meal?
Chile: I’m not the type of girl to diet, I’ve had a lot of traumatic experiences with dieting in the past.
I had to change the way I thought about food and incorporate little things here and there that made me feel good. Of course, as an athlete I burn a lot of calories so I make sure I’m putting the right foods into my body – the right fruits, the right vegetables, good quality protein.
These are my main focus, but I will say I also have the occasional “cheat” meal, like ice cream or cookies.
I also love the Too Good & Co. smoothies that I take with me when I’m out. I always have other commitments, like interviews, so I love having a quick drink before I go to practice.
mbg: How do you stay mentally strong?
Chile: I think the most important thing is to know how strong you can be through your support system – family and friends. Life is not a smooth road and there are hard times, but even just words of encouragement from others can help.
Knowing that wherever I go, wherever I am, I can be my true self is a big influence on me.
At the end of the day, what I’m really trying to focus on is that no matter what happens, no matter what people see, I’m going to be proud of myself. I’m going to look back and say I did everything I could. I’m in control of my life and what I want to do with it.
mbg: Your sport is not only mentally demanding but obviously very physically demanding too. How do you recover? Do you have a recovery routine?
Chile: Aside from napping, the thing I focus on the most is what I can do to flush toxins from my body, and for that I love taking Epsom salt baths.
I also think it’s important to relax and let go of negative emotions. I want to let go of all the negative emotions and approach the next day or next practice with a more positive attitude.
For example, you know how some people like to write down their thoughts? Well, I like to draw my thoughts sometimes. It helps me at least express things that I might not be able to say to others.
mbg: Gymnastics requires a lot of training, are there any physical activities that you enjoy that aren’t necessarily related to training?
Chile: I take walks in the park. I love the outdoors. If I could spend a little bit of time each day in nature, I would.
Other than that, my sport is my sport, and it has always been my sport, and it’s an all-day thing, so there really isn’t that much extra time.
mbg: What’s the most intensive thing you’ve done so far to optimize performance?
Chile: I did some crazy things when I was younger, like waking up at 5:30am every morning to do cardio before practice, and I even tried a fruit-only diet. Don’t ask me why I did that.
Now that I understand my body a little more, I know what’s good for me and what’s not, and that’s how I see myself changing as I get older.
mbg: What advice would you give to your younger self?
Chile: As you grow older, different people will come and go in your life, but whatever you do, always remember to stay true to yourself. Hold on to your dreams and lifelong goals, because you will always know that you gave it everything you had.
mbg: What are you most proud of about yourself and why?
Chile: I’m really proud that I’ve found a new side of myself that I’m confident in. When I was younger, I wasn’t really allowed to speak up in sports, and I was always ashamed of the way I looked, so I’m proud to embrace who I am.
Now I love showcasing my individuality and showing people that I’m not just a shy girl who couldn’t speak up — I’m actually a strong, independent woman who feels able to encourage others.
mbg: Finding your voice is such an important moment in life. How did you manage to find your voice?
Chile: My mom and coach.
My coach gave me a lot of confidence. I had zero confidence growing up, not in sports, not in my beauty, not in anything. So having someone like her was a big help to me.
And my mother always taught me to accept myself as I am. There’s only one Jordan, so be the best Jordan you can. In the end, that’s all you can do.
