Even if you’re not a snowboarding fan, you’ve probably heard ofChloe Kim.
How could you not after her history-making run at the 2018 Olympics?
Needless to say, Kim is a big deal.
How did she get to the top of the snowboarding game at such a young age?
That comes down to a lot of hard work and dedication.
She entered her first competition at the age of 6.
When she was 8, shewon the junior nationals.
He eventually quit his job to make it help her train sometimes in ingenious ways.
Of course, she didn’t entirely abandon snowboarding during this time.
Her dad regularly visited her, where they’d hit the slopes together and continue her training.
“It’s because I want her to learn French.”
Kim did learn French and moved back to the States a couple of years later.
From there, her career really took off.
Many of her competitions in her early teens made history.
The following year, she became the first woman to land back-to-back 1080s at the U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix.
“At that point, you’re like, ‘[Okay], who can I turn to?
Who has probably dealt with this before?'”
“I would constantly look for anyone.
But there was no one.”
“I was so ashamed and embarrassed and hated that I was Asian,” she admitted.
“We each got to try it on.
So we celebrated in that way.”
It was a really fun moment for everyone."
Kim was already something of a media darling before her Olympic win, though.
Her Olympic victory only cemented fame.
Kim was thrilled with the honor,tweeting, “Ahh!
Im so happy to be honored as a @Barbie Shero alongside these incredible women!”
“I hated life,” she admitted toTime.
Fans flocked to her when she left the house, sparking even more irritation.
“It makes you angry,” she said.
“I just wanted a day where I was left alone.
And it’s impossible.”
Kim toldESPNthat the “emptiness” she felt after the Olympics was her breaking point.
She needed to make a change, and the decision to go off to school proved to be transformative.
Sheenrolled at Princetonin the fall of 2019.
While at Princeton, Kim tried her best to blend in with her peers.
The campus shut down in March 2020, and Kim decided to revert her focus to snowboarding.
She also prioritized herself, making the decision to go to therapy.
Kim toldThe New York Timesthat she had beendealing with depression, saying that even watching the news was overwhelming.
“I was really tired all the time,” she said.
“I slept a lot.
I wasn’t motivated to do anything.
It was hard for me to get out of bed and go take care of myself.”
The decision to go to therapy has helped her a lot and improved her life significantly.
“I feel much more at peace now.”
While Kim didn’t win the competition, she wowed audiences with her singing voice.
She’s simply a music lover who enjoys singing and is self-taught on the guitar.
“Singing is actually really therapeutic for me when I’m stressed or something,” she said.
“It was honestly the best experience ever,” she told the magazine.
“I’m so grateful.”
I had a lot of people telling me what to expect," she explained.
She added, “Am I fearful for my parents?
This fear didn’t start because of the recent attacks.
This is not new.
It’s old news, but now we see the attacks and hear the stories.”
If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
Chloe Kim is ready to win gold again
Get used to seeing Chloe Kim win Olympic gold.
The pressure is on, and she’s hyperaware of it.
“Don’t have too many expectations,” she told the outlet.
“Just let me vibe.
I’m just trying to chill.”
She toldVoguethat she “was hyperventilating” at first but worked through the anxiety.
Now, she’s back to competing and more prepared than ever.
“I won that event, somehowand that really brought my confidence back,” she said.
Whatever she decides to do, her parents have her back.
She added, “I support her decisions.”
