In Tokyo, Simone Biles urged Jade Carey to believe in herself – it stuck with her

Jade Carey: “I do, every once in a while, feel like maybe there is more to give.”

That’s faded a bit for Carey, who just wrapped up one of the most celebrated careers in collegiate gymnastics history. The Oregon State Beaver never fell in her career, only recording one score below 9.800 in her four seasons.

Last month, she won the AAI Award, which honours the nation’s best senior gymnast.

“I think after having the college season and just having so much fun and only focusing on that, I didn’t wanna do this summer because I wanted to end on just being able to focus on college gymnastics and take a break,” said Carey of her decision not to compete in elite gymnastics this year. “I knew that if 2028 was something that I wanted to go for, maybe taking 2025 off would just help my body and mind relax a little more.”

Carey isn’t ready to jump fully aboard the 2028 train, but she’s not ruling anything out at this point – even a run at a third Olympic Games.

“Honestly, I have no idea,” she said of her future in the sport. “I do, every once in a while, feel like maybe there is more to give.”

For now, it’s time for a break – the first in nearly five years, says Carey.

“This summer, I definitely wanna go on vacation since that’s been a really long time coming for me, just be able to go away, relax, unplug, and just truly take my mind away from gymnastics,” she said.

Whether her next big goal is back on the Olympic stage or somewhere else entirely, Carey is content.

“I have had such an amazing career in elite and college gymnastics. I’m super happy with and proud of myself,” she said. “At the end of the day, my heart has to be there for it, if I really want to do it. I think just taking some time off will really let me realise if that’s still there or not.”

Carey isn’t rushing a decision. For the first time in a long time, she’s standing still, stepping back in order to see what comes next.

“Right now, [I’m] taking time and going to see where things end up,” she says. “So, it’s not a no, but it’s not a yes.”