Team USA Gymnast Jade Carey's Dad Is Also Her Coach
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Big congrats are in order for Jade Carey: She just made the Olympic team again! After tripping during the first of her two vaults, the 24-year-old won the gold medal in the floor exercise at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, creating an epic comeback story.
Now, she’s ready for more. On July 1, Jade shared the sweetest photo of herself smiling broadly in her Instagram Story alongside the words, “we’re going to PARIS!!!”
Jade's dad Brian Carey, who also serves as her coach, is a crucial part of the athlete's team. But who are her parents, and how did they get into the sport? Here’s the deal.
She’s the daughter of former gymnasts Brian Carey and Danielle Mitchell-Greenberg.
Gymnastics runs in the family for Jade: She’s the daughter of two former gymnasts, Brian Carey and Danielle Mitchell-Greenberg.
She started doing gymnastics in 2001—when she was a year old, according to her NBC Olympics bio. At the time, her parents owned a gym together and she had a lot of fun playing on the equipment.
Bryan is currently the owner of Carey On Gymnastics (see what he did there?), where he has “implemented a program that is representative of his philosophy and the integrity that is deserved by athletes, coaches and parents alike,” according to the gym’s website. He's also an assistant coach at Oregon State University, where Jade attends.
Meanwhile, Jade’s mom Danielle is a team coach at Gold Medal Gymnastics, per her Instagram bio.
“My philosophy from the beginning was I just wanted her to love the sport on her own,” Danielle told the Arizona Republic in 2021. “Her dad and I never pushed. We let her guide the ship all the way through. We didn’t talk about gymnastics at home. She could really just develop the way she wanted to.”
Danielle and Brian divorced when Jade was young, with Danielle telling the Arizona Republic that things are amicable between the former couple.
She has three siblings.
Jade is one of four kids. Her siblings are Alexsis, Taeva, and Xandon, according to her Team USA bio.
Since they couldn't attend in-person due to COVID-19 restrictions, Jade’s siblings and mom watched her compete in the Tokyo Olympics at family watch party in Orlando, Florida, the Arizona Republic reports.
Her dad is her coach.
Jade’s dad isn’t just a coach—he’s her coach. “Having my dad here means everything to me; this is all we’ve ever dreamed of,” Jade said after winning gold in 2021, per the Carey On Gymnastics website. “It’s just really special to be able to get this medal with him out there by my side. He’s supported me 100 percent the whole time.”
While Jade’s dad trained her when she was younger, he also followed her to college, joining Oregon State University in July 2023. He took the job after visiting often to help prepare her for elite competitions, according to The Daily Barometer.
“I’m just excited to be here,” he told the newspaper. “It’s a great program and I’ve had the opportunity to watch from a distance and both be kind of close to it, at the same time working with Jade, but I’m just really excited to be here.”
She’s the third member of her family to compete at Oregon State.
Jade is currently a junior at Oregon State, which has a lot of significance in her family. Both her aunt and uncle were athletes at the school, according to her bio. Her aunt, Jennifer Ory, Brian’s sister, was a track and field athlete. Her uncle, Eric Ory, played football.
Meanwhile, Jade has formed a squad of her own at the university.
"I chose Oregon State for so many reasons but one that sticks out in particular is the family environment," she wrote in her athlete bio. "From the minute I stepped on campus and met the gymnastics coaches, I felt connected and cared for. I know that no matter what, my team, coaches, athletic trainer, support staff and professors have my back."
Congrats, Jade!
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