If you saw our list of the 10 Hottest Divers at the U.S. Olympic Trials, you know we’re a fan of Jordan Windle. But the handsome 22-year-old Floridian has a pretty remarkable story that will culminate with his competing in the men’s 10m platform event in Tokyo, which begins with qualifying in the wee hours Friday morning (Eastern time).
If you saw Jordan at the Olympic Trails in June, you also saw his dad cheering him on in the crowd—arguably the most memorable and emotional moment of the entire competition. Jordan was born in Cambodia in 1998 (he is the first diver of Cambodian descent to ever compete in the Olympics), and after his parents died due to illness, he was adopted at 18 months by ex-Navy officer Jerry Windle—a single gay man with a big bear heart. Jordan lived in California as a toddler before they moved to Florida.
Check out this feature from The Today Show:
“There was such homophobia and bigotry around the concept of a gay person being a parent,” Jerry told The Today Show‘s Hoda Kotb. “Even folks who loved me said, ‘You can’t be a dad if you’re going to be gay.'”
https://twitter.com/TexasMSD/status/1403882969371189255
Jordan said that as a transracial adoptee, he was bullied as a child for having a gay father “and just being different in general.” As NBC News noted, Jordan is a longtime ally to the LGBTQ community and uses his platform to educate and encourage others to support marginalized people. He was part of the “It Gets Better” anti-bullying campaign when he was younger.
Here’s a recent interview he did with CNN:
From a Cambodian orphanage to the Tokyo Olympics, US @DiverJordan is ready to go for gold.
“Finding out that we're not going to be able to have an audience, not any parents" was difficult, he says. “I wanted to have the atmosphere, the roar of the crowd.” pic.twitter.com/0GE8LxoEkS
— Brianna Keilar (@brikeilarcnn) July 21, 2021
“I tell everyone, when they ask me why I dive, I dive purely for my dad and how much he loves watching me,” Jordan told The Today Show. “Without him making all the sacrifices that he has, and his love and support the whole time we’ve been together, I really wouldn’t be where I am today. I have him to thank for everything, all my accomplishments. It’s been an amazing journey with him, and we’re still rolling.”
He echoed that sentiment in this Father’s Day post this year:
I think we can all agree a hug from Jerry will instantly make our lives better!
In 2011, the two wrote the book An Orphan No More: The True Story of a Boy — Chapter One, which featured a foreword by four-time Olympic champion Greg Louganis—who, along with his former coach, had a hand in Jordan’s development. Jordan—now a senior at the University of Texas—finally qualified for the Olympics in his third visit to the Trials, where he placed second in the platform event.
Big performances, little splashes from @DiverJordan at #DivingTrials21. pic.twitter.com/qc7amFMIYx
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) June 9, 2021
Good luck Jordan!!! For more of our look at Olympic athletes, check out:
Uh, his dad seems just a little more supportive and hands-on than he should be
I agree with you completely. It would not surprise me if he is banging his adopted son. He is a gay man, I wondered why he does not have a boyfriend or a husband ? He is getting his sexual needs met from somebody’s.
Right, he definitely has the Woody Allen thing going on.
Let’s hear for supportive Dads!
FANTASTIC story, and congratulations to Jordan! His Dad? THE BEST! I’m a fan of BOTH of them!
What an amazing story. All the best for both!!!
Thanks for featuring this great story and amazing family