This week I had the privilege of interviewing former National Team Member and future Oklahoma Sooner, Jordan Bowers. Jordan represented the USA at both the 2018 Pan American Games and 2018 Pacific Rim Championships where she finished with not only team gold, but all-around gold as well. A strong gymnast on all events, she combines beauty and grace with power and difficulty.
Read the interview below, or if you'd prefer, you can listen to our conversation in its entirety at the bottom of this article.
Tessa Denen: How old were you when you started gymnastics?
Jordan Bowers: I was two.
TD: Was it a mommy-and-me class?
JB: Yep. I started in parent-tot. I started because my sister was a gymnast. She's three years older than me. But she was in classes, and I would just flip around the house nonstop… very unsafe. So my parents wanted to put me in a safe environment, and that's when I started.
TD: Was it so it was kind of a love at first sight thing for you?
JB: Yeah.
TD: Your sister, was she as serious about gymnastics as you became?
JB: She was, and then she broke her arm. When she tried to go back, it just wasn't the same for her, so then she did swimming and she also rides horses.
TD: What is your favorite thing to do when you're not in the gym?
JB: I love traveling. So I try to travel as much as I can. But obviously, this year was a little different. I did get to go on one trip, though, so that was nice.
TD: Your favorite gymnastics moment ever?
JB: I would have to say finally qualifying for elite. The whole year before I actually qualified, I went to two or three qualifiers, and I was .05 off every time. I was just so upset.
TD: Your favorite competition ever?
JB: I would have to say, Pac Rims in 2018. It was just so much fun. It was my first international competition, too. I was planning to go in there, do my best, have fun, not trying to win any medals or anything.
****Jordan ended up winning team gold, all-around gold, gold on floor, and bronze on bars at the 2018 Pac Rims.
TD: So your greatest achievement, is that different than qualifying for elite? Or is that all kind of one in the same?
JB: My ultimate goal has always been college gymnastics. I just signed to the University of Oklahoma. So that's amazing! My dream school!
TD: Why Oklahoma? Why is that always been your dream school?
JB: Ever since I was little, I've been going to camps there. I just love the environment. I love the coaches. They’re just so driven and really want to do what's best for you personally. I love that aspect. It felt like home as soon as I got there.
TD: Doesn’t hurt that they are phenomenal.
JB: Yes!
TD: One of my favorite things as a gymnast that you do (or at least used to I guess, since it’s been pretty much a year since I've seen anybody do anything) is your front combo on beam! You don't see that very often. It's so good! Do you prefer front combos? Or is that just kind of something you can do, so you do.
JB: I actually love front tumbling. On floor I used to do double fronts, Arabians, double front half outs. I just love front tumbling. For a triple series, I also had a hand lay lay, but they like you to have two triple series. I didn't really want to do aerial lay lay because, that's just not for me, then Tammy Biggs, the national team beam coach, she was just like, “Just try this! You'll be so good at it!” And I was like, “I don’t know about this!” But then I tried it and I really liked it.
TD: What is your favorite memory from your time on the National Team?
JB: Honestly, just getting to know everyone through traveling, hanging out, staying with each other for a week or more at a time. People don’t realize that even us elite gymnasts have lives outside of gymnastics and we don’t want to be doing gymnastics 24/7. Getting to know everyone as a person and seeing everyone’s personality just come alive because we are so close with each other. We are like sisters. Even though we are all fighting for the spots on any selective team, we all support each other and love each other like no other. Especially when you travel for weeks on end with a team and it’s just you guys, you really get to enjoy one another’s company and support all the time.
TD: What’s your most embarrassing gymnastics memory?
JB: When I was a level 7, my coach had just changed parts in my floor routine. I did my first pass and went to the dance after, and I completely forgot it. I just turned to her and raised my hands up because I had no clue what I was doing.
TD: Let’s talk about your injury…
JB: Okay, so I had an injury at 2018 championships. Then in February of 2019, I had another one. I tried to push through, I still went to selection camp and tried to make those international assignments. But unfortunately, I didn't make them.
TD: You never had to have a surgery, did you?
JB: Not exactly, no. I just had this procedure to try to help. The fluid in my discs, a couple of them, was gone. They were trying to put it back in there.
TD: Oh, that's horrible. I'm so sorry you had to go through that. That's rough. But I will say this, I love that you made the decision to retire. It's getting better, but the nature of elite gymnastics hasn’t always been, well, good. So many times I feel like girls don't feel like they have that option. They don’t feel like they can say, “This is not what I need to be doing right now.” I love that you made this decision FOR YOU. It was a very mature decision. I'm sure it wasn't easy, and I admire you very much. That is an absolutely amazing thing, and a great example to other gymnasts. So are you off restrictions? Are you good to go completely now?
JB: I mean, for the most part, yes. I definitely am not in elite shape like I used to be. My back just can't handle that anymore. I switched gyms in 2019. I had to take six months off completely, so I just did a lot of therapy and conditioning in that time. And then I started coming back, getting into elite shape. I was planning on going to November National Team Camp actually. Then I did a skill and I think I hit the bar wrong, and it made my back flare up again. That’s when we all sat down and discussed if it’s what I really wanted. It was my decision ultimately. They all wanted what was best for me. That's when I decided that my best decision was to retire.
TD: I think that's awesome. It's no secret that the environment of college gymnastics is so much different. Has that changed the way that you train? Or the amount of pressure you put on yourself knowing that now you're going NCAA not elite?
JB: I still have the same mindset and everything. Obviously my skills and routines have changed. In elite you focus on consistency and execution, but you REALLY focus on difficulty because you need to get your D score up in order to be up there at the top. Then dropping back to 10 and thinking about college, it's really just about consistency and execution and what you can do perfectly. That's definitely changed my training in what I do for my skills, how many I do, and everything.
TD: Do you have a main goal for this year? Is it just to prepare for college or do you have some level 10 goals?
JB: Honestly, just go out there, have fun, be consistent, do the best that I can do for myself.
TD: How many hours a week do you are you training these days?
JB: Right now I'm training 12 in the gym, and then I train outside of the gym, too.
TD: What are you looking forward to most about college gymnastics, about going to Oklahoma?
JB: Last year, there was only three of us in level 10, but we really came together as a team and just supported everybody through everything. And obviously in college, it’s all about team. I'm just very, very excited to experience that.
TD: When the 2020 Olympic Games were postponed, you had already retired. Did you put any thought into trying to come back with that extra year to prepare?
JB: I really didn’t. Because I mean, even though the Olympics have been my dream since I was, I can't even remember, my ultimate goal has always been for a successful 4 years of college gymnastics. If I were to train for the Olympics, I don't think I'd be able to do college, just because what it would do to my body. So I just needed to ultimately decide what was best for me.
TD: Have you have you chosen a major?
JB: I have actually! I’m going to do Exercise Science and Nutrition.
Quick Answers:
Favorite gymnastics apparatus or event - Bars
Food - Pizza.
Holiday - Christmas
Place you’ve visited - Columbia
TV show - Lucifer
Movie - Black Panther
Musical group or singer - EDM Music
Favorite song - Thinking About You.
Favorite color - Blue
Animal - Tiger
Season of the year - Summer
Gymnast of all time - Alicia Sacramone
Favorite gymnastic skill to perform - Full out
Thing to do on your day off - Sleep
Thank you, Jordan, for taking the time to talk to us at USA All-Around, and also for being an incredible role model for young gymnasts everywhere who need to remember that it is ALWAYS alright to do what is right for you and your health. You're a phenomenal athlete, person, and example. Best of luck at Oklahoma!
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