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How her father inspired Olympic running

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Shilese Jones has her eyes on the prize. The 21-year-old gymnast is considered the favorite to compete with Team USA this summer at the 2024 Paris Olympics. This is a lifelong dream: The Seattle native has been practicing for this since she was four years old E! On-line.

But Olympic gold is not only her goal, but also her father’s. Shilese’s father, Sylvester Jones, died in 2021, inspiring her to train even harder for Paris after a devastating car accident turned her life upside down that same year.

“It would not only be for me and my team, but also for my dad,” she told E! in 2023. Her father “was the one who was in the (gymnastics) gym day in and day out, so it would definitely go to him,” she added.

Here’s everything you need to know about Shilese Jones’ car accident.

Shilese was in a serious car accident in 2021.

Entering 2021, Shilese appeared to be a safe bet for Team USA, which competed in the Tokyo Olympics over the summer after the Games were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But in January, Shilese was hit in a serious car accident that left her breaking her ankle and back, she said NBC Sports.

“It was devastating,” she shared.

Although she “didn’t really feel confident,” Shilese decided to compete in the Olympic Trials in June of this year. She finished tenth, narrowly missing out on a spot on Team USA.

Her father died of kidney disease that same year.

That same year, Shilese lost her father, Sylvester Jones, after a long battle with kidney disease. He suffered from diabetes and underwent both a kidney and pancreas transplant, Shilese said NBC Sports.

“Dad, you were my everything, my right hand to hold, my motivation, someone to talk to and a shoulder to lean on,” she wrote in a December 2021 Instagram post along with a photo of them together hugging on a bed. “She and I had a bond that no one else could break. It was devastating to see and know how much pain you were in every day and not be able to heal it for you.”

Shilese added that she will “continue to make you proud 🥲 Just like you would expect me to!”

Shilese came back even stronger in 2022.

After a rocky 2021, Shilese dominated the competition the next year. She helped lead her team to world titles in 2022 and 2023 by winning individual silver and bronze medals in the all-around and uneven bars, according to her Team USA bio. In 2023 she even became US champion on the uneven bars.

According to Shilese, this is self-evident and insightful International gymnast“I’m a great fighter.”

“I would say I’m stronger overall, mentally and physically. I was in a car accident in 2021, so I wasn’t quite where I wanted to be, but I wanted to do my best,” she added. “I learned from other athletes and really pushed myself. It’s never the end.”

She aims for gold in honor of her father.

Ultimately, Sylvester inspired Shilese to pursue her Olympic dreams once again.

“Actually it was my father. He was like, ‘I’m going to believe in you to make it to 2024,'” she said NBC Sports. “It kind of clicked and I thought, ‘You know what, Dad? I can do that.'”

Now Shilese will give her best at the 2024 Olympics, taking place in June in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“To go out there and actually be on the Olympic stage in Paris would probably be the best thing,” Shilese told E! “I’ve worked my whole career to get to where I am today, so just all the hard work, probably a lot of tears, emotions, just soaking it all in.”

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Jacqueline Tempera is an award-winning author and reporter who lives in New Jersey with her many pets. She is a business owner and double Scorpio who loves all things astrology and reality TV. She is passionate about body diversity and representation, mental health, and the fight against sexual assault and harassment. To learn more about Jackie, follow her on Instagram @jacktemp or visit her website at jackietempera.com.

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