They set her on this path; 14 years ago the youngster began her journey.
After “flipping around the house” a little too often her parents decided gymnastics classes would be the best way to nurture that natural flare.
Asked whether she knew as a child or in her early teen years whether a career at the elite end of the sport was possible, Shilese is brutally honest.
“Ha, I don’t think I ever knew,” she tells the WSA. “Honestly, at first it was just a thing to do and something that was fun.
“I would say I really only started taking it serious when I first made the (USA) national team.”
Now, following her successes at the 2022 World Championships, she is now marked out as a key ‘one to watch’ come the next Olympics, which are just 18 months away.