Chloe Kim is a snowboarding beast at the ripe age of 17, who will be representing team USA at this years Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Hailing from Southern California, this teen ranks high alongside some of the most notable athletes like Shaun White and Michael Phelps.
Kim was on a board at the tender age of four and competing in her first competition by the age of six. She qualified for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi but was unable to compete because of her age. Kim is cited as being able to have taken home gold if she were to compete, according to many critics.
Born to Korean parents, Chloe says she identifies more as American then Korean, mainly because she’s resided in California for most of her life and would occasionally visit family in Korea once a year.
Kim stands out in the male dominated sport, not only for her extraordinary skills on a snowboard, but for also being ahead in the sport as the youngest woman. In a world where boys typically rough it on a snowboard, Kim shows up and puts the stereotypes to bed.
With a track record of being the youngest Winter X Games medalist at the age of 14, Kim has been making headlines and many are looking forward to seeing her on the slopes in Pyeongchang this year. In receiving all these accolades and breaking records before she could legally drive, Kim has managed to remain humble through it all. She enjoys all the things a typical teenager her age would.
Kim cites small beginnings and just a natural love for the sport as the reason why she decided to stick with it and hone her skills. Her father Jong Jin is a strong reason as to why Kim is the snowboarding phenom she is today.
According to The Washington Post, “We wanted Chloe to choose for herself,” Jin said, when asked about not wanting to ‘push’ his daughter into the sport. He even went as far as to quit his job to shuttle Kime to and from practice at an elite sports program, Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team. Not lacking in support from her family, Kim came to the conclusion to compete on her own.
Kim is among a number of female snowboarders and athletes who are making a name for themselves and perpetuating the need for more women participating in the Olympics.
Being a woman and of Korean heritage, Kim gives the host nation of South Korea someone else to root for alongside their own athletes. Being a Korean-American, Kim is turning heads on both sides of the Pacific, while going for gold as the world watches the 2018 Winter Olympics Games in Pyeongchang.