With the Special Olympics coming to an end, I want to reflect on what I have learned and the memories I have made throughout this wonderful experience. I met so many new people and had so many amazing and unique experiences in Korea that will last a lifetime.
To begin, life in the village was amazing. I loved being surrounded by other athletes from all over the country. I had two roommates, both of whom were also speed skaters. They participated in short track speedskating, and they even won a silver medal in the mixed relay along with the two boys who represented the US in Short track. It was surreal watching them race, and while it was bittersweet not winning a medal myself, I was so proud of them for representing our country in the best way possible. I enjoyed having them as roommates, and we had a blast causing mischief in the village. We would run around collecting flags from other countries’ buildings and made friends with people from all over the world.
I made very close friends with other long-track skaters from other countries. The United States shared a coach with the Colombians, so it was fun getting to train with different skaters. I already knew one of the Colombians because she trained in Utah, but it was nice seeing her nevertheless.
And now, the Opening Ceremonies. They were surreal. My roommate was the flag bearer for the US, and it was amazing seeing her walk out, flag in hand. The performances were also incredible. The artists brought the energy that sustained us throughout the games, and we even got to see the President of South Korea.
Another exciting part of the whole Olympic experience was the pin trading. As someone who is not the most outgoing, it was exciting to go out and make conversation with practically anyone to get a pin from their country. We also traded clothes! My roommate and I were able to trade with some Spanish boys who slid skeletons, and some Swiss and Polish athletes.
As for my performance, I did not skate my best, partly due to jetlag, and partly because I hadn’t skated long track in a month. While my races were not the best, I am still proud that I got to represent my country, and placed top 15 in one distance, and top 10 in the mass start. I am particularly proud of the fact that I along with my teammate were the first youths from the United States to participate in the long track mixed relay at the Youth Olympics. We placed 8th, and while we had the potential to do better, we went out there and performed our best.
Finally, my favourite part of the whole village life was the epic snowball fight we had! My roommate and I started a small snowball fight in front of our building with some other kids from Romania, and that turned into a giant fiasco with the whole hockey team from Taipei, other sports from the US, some Canadians, people from Great Britain, and some of the village volunteers.
Overall, my experience in Korea was surreal. Being half-Korean, it was satisfying to finally connect more with the other half of who I am and to see the other side of Korea that is not filled with Tourists. The volunteers were amazing, and I enjoyed getting to know them and to learn about their lives. Getting a glimpse into what Olympic life can be like has inspired me, and given me motivation to continue to skate. Maybe, just maybe, one day I will be able to skate in the real Olympics, and I can only wait until that day comes.
