Chloe Kim, a snowboarder, and 17-year-old American won the gold in the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and her patriotism at the podium is something we need from sports figures right now!
She’s the daughter of Korean immigrants and wanted to go for the gold when she was 13, in 2014, but wasn’t old enough. Her parents believe there’s a reason she had to be held back, a higher reason.
According to ESPN
Those four years she waited, she and her father, Jong, believe were necessary to allow her to become old enough and strong enough to handle all that comes with Olympic competition. He and Chloe’s mom, Boran, call their daughter “Ipugi,” a hybrid Korean word they say means “baby girl dragon.” Chloe was born in the year of the dragon, or the “imgui.” According to Korean myth, a dragon is born a snake, waits 1,000 years then, on a stormy day, goes up into the sky and becomes a full-fledged dragon.
“Chloe didn’t wait 1,000 years. She waited four,” Jong told me last year, foreshadowing Tuesday’s competition. “At the Olympics, the ipugi will become a real dragon with her big power, the gold medal.”
Chloe Kim has thrown down the HAMMER with her first run. #WinterOlympics https://t.co/D65Nuoyydu pic.twitter.com/r6UJ7df38X
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 13, 2018
On Today she said: “It’s such an honor to just represent the U.S. and the country where my parents [emigrated] from,” she said.
Happy tears! Sharing this moment, @chloekimsnow Grandma, 2 aunts & 3 cousins who live in Korea. This is 1st time they’ve seen her race in person. #SoSpecial #TeamUSA #OlympicsOn11 pic.twitter.com/nJsTUokFNa
— Cheryl Preheim (@CherylPreheim) February 13, 2018
She was racing for the first time in front of a number of family members who still live in Korea, according to ESPN:
The journey to arrive at the Olympics has been a family affair, and Kim’s American and Korean families weren’t about to miss her debut. Her parents and sisters, Tracy and Erica, flew to South Korea to support her, and this morning, Kim’s 75-year-old grandmother, Jung Ae Moon, traveled from Seoul to watch her granddaughter compete for the first time. She was wearing a black neck warmer with “Chloe” embroidered on it and holding a poster that said “Go! Chloe Kim! Chloe’s Family” in Korean. She stood, bundled from eyebrows to toes, for the entire competition and posed for photos with her other grandchildren, daughters and family friends.
Not to randomly throw DACA in here but how much you want to bet her parents are here LEGALLY?! I’m happy she won, I’m happy she’s honored to represent the greatest nation on earth, and I hope we see more from her.
From US Embassy:
Chloe is a second-generation Korean-American from California. The story of Chloe’s family is also the story of America. Her parents immigrated to California from South Korea. Despite the struggles they faced adjusting to life in a new country, her parents managed to accomplish great things, and now their daughter will compete and represent the United States in one of the most prestigious sporting events in the world.
