On The Clock with Karen Chen
Karen Chen is the 2017 United States National Figure Skating Champion and was just selected for her first Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang after the 2018 Championships. I had the chance to interview her this week on being selected to the United States Olympic Team, preparations for PyeongChang, her new book “Finding the Edge: My Life on the Ice”, and the “Go Fund Me” campaign to help bring her family to South Korea to watch her compete.
Here is Karen Chen, on the clock.
OTC:
Congratulations! How exciting to be selected for your first Olympic Winter Games, to the PyeongChang 2018 US Figure Skating Team. Can you take us through your amazing week as you fought through the flu?
Karen Chen:
Honestly, the whole week was a tough one. However, I was prepared to fight no matter what the situation was. I knew that this whole week would be stressful, because not only was I defending my title and the hometown girl, but also because it’s the Olympic year. Obviously catching the flu was no fun at all and totally came out of nowhere, but in a way I surprised myself about how strong I can be mentally. I’ve been working with my sports psychologist to help me build confidence and mental strength, so I truly believe all of that helped my immensely. That moment after I finished my long I will forever be something I’ll never ever forget. It was a moment of relief and happiness. I knew that I did everything I could at that moment and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. I had no regrets and to me that’s all that matters.
OTC:
There is a delay between the completion of the US Figure Championships and the US Figure Skating selection for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic time. What was that wait like? How did you get through it?
Karen Chen:
It was intense. It felt like forever. I literally held on to my phone the whole entire time anticipating and waiting for that text message to come. It was hard and just as I was about to lose hope. About not having been selected onto the team, I received the text and I screamed.
OTC:
Tell us about your nickname, Karebear — how you got it, why you used to despise it, and why you now embrace it.
Karen Chen:
Karebear was a nickname given to me by a skating friend at my home rink years ago. I was probably 9 years old then and I thought that it was so stupid, but overtime I realized that it’s kinda cute and funny and I honestly couldn’t think of a good username for my social media handles so I just went with that.
OTC:
What is the outlook on competition at the Olympic Winter Games in a few weeks?
Karen Chen:
I think the bottom line for me is to stay positive and strong no matter what. I’ve accepted that life is always throwing stuff at me and I have a choice on whether I’m going to find a way to deal with it or panic and run away. I’ve just really realized that this is such an amazing opportunity that I’ve worked my whole entire life for and now that I’m here, I really just have to breathe it all in and enjoy it as much as I can, because it’ll be all over before I know it and I don’t want to have regrets of any kind.
OTC:
How are you preparing for the competition over the coming weeks? What are you most excited about?
Karen Chen:
Preparations have been going great! I’ve really learned that consistency is key when it comes to on and off ice training. However, it’s also really important for me to listen to my body and give myself time to recover when necessary. I’m overall just really excited to getting all the team USA gear and walking in the opening ceremonies with the whole entire team. It’s just all so exciting!
OTC:
How do you prepare or get yourself ready before you step on the ice? Is there a certain playlist or song you listen to that helps you to focus?
Karen Chen:
I like listening to a variety of pop songs. Recently, New Rules by Dua Lipa has been my all time favorite.
OTC:
Congrats on your new book about your life called “Finding the Edge: My Life on the Ice”. Tell us why you wrote it and what it’s about.
Karen Chen:
It was an amazing opportunity that I’m extremely grateful for. It’s about my life both on and off the ice. Obviously, the skating aspect of the story is highlighted much more, however, it’s mostly about how I developed my love and interest for this sport. I definitely also touch up on all those obstacles, injuries, and accidents along this rollercoaster journey, but I truly hope that whoever may be reading this can be inspired in some way.
(Karen’s book is available on Amazon.com.)
OTC:
For many Olympic athletes, there are a number of sacrifices that they and their families go through to reach this moment in their career, to realize their dream of competing at an Olympic Games. I know that you are no exception, can you tell us about the sacrifices your family have made?
Karen Chen:
My family has made countless amounts of sacrifices for me. I never asked them to do so for me at all, but they did. My mom ended up having to quit her job halfway through my career to this point to become a full time mom and help me with everything imaginable. When she used to still work, she literally slept for one to two hours per night. It was a real struggle for us. They made all these sacrifices because they love me so much and want me to succeed in something I love doing. They endless support amazes me and inspires me. My parents would be willing to make any sacrifice to help me reach my dreams.
OTC:
You started a Go Fund Me campaign to help your extended family, which has supported you since the beginning, attend the Olympic Winter Games in South Korea. Tell us about the campaign and how it is progressing.
Karen Chen:
Yes, I did. It was something that debated upon for quite some time, but I finally decided to do it. Making the team has been my goal as well as my family’s, and it would be amazing to have them share this experience with me, especially since everything is extremely expensive and costly. However, I’m excited to say that I’ve almost hit my goal!
(You can help make Karen’s dream come true by helping with her Go Fund Me Campaign here: https://www.gofundme.com/our-olympic-dream)
OTC:
What are you most looking forward to in South Korea?
Karen Chen:
I’m looking the most forward to the whole Olympic experience in South Korea. I can’t wait to soak in my Olympic debut as well as to really enjoy the culture, food, and people there.
