Olympic figure skater Karen Chen will be representing the United States in PyeongChang, South Korea, as part of the 2018 Winter Olympics team starting next month. The 18-year-old shared 25 things you might not have known about her exclusively with Us Weekly.
Read on to learn more about the Team USA member.
1. My parents are from Taiwan, which is where I spent quite a bit of my childhood.
2. I have a younger brother, Jeffrey, who also skates and is an ice dancer. He is my best friend.
3. I started skating when I was only 4 and started competing when I was 6 years old.
4. I am a huge Harry Potter fan and have seen the movies more times than you can imagine.
5. Kristi Yamaguchi is not only my role model, she’s become one of my dearest friends.
6. I was the 2017 U.S. Figure Skating National Champion. It was one of the greatest thrills of my life.
7. Kristi always signs one of my skates before competition. It is my lucky charm.
8. I am exactly 5 feet tall.
9. I love Pilates and do it every day.
10. I’ve had a lot of injuries in my career, including a broken ankle.
11. I make killer homemade banana muffins.
12. I wear a rabbit-shaped jade necklace around my neck everywhere I go. I got it when I was 9 after I broke my foot.
13. I love to paint and have some pieces I am very proud of.
14. I can’t wait to go to Korea because I love Korean food. Kimchi is one of my favorites.
15. I speak Chinese (Mandarin) quite fluently, however, I’m not that great at reading or writing Chinese.
16. If I weren’t an athlete, I feel like I would either be a full-time dancer or an artist.
17. I am homeschooled. After practice each day, I go home and focus on my schoolwork.
18. Katy Perry’s “Rise” is No. 1 on my playlist.
19. When I have a chance to relax I love watching Friends.
20. I just released my first book, Finding the Edge: My Life on the Ice.
21. My favorite way to relax is to take a bath, which I need after most training sessions.
22. After skating, I hope to do something in the medical field. I have had so many injuries, and everyone who has helped me has really inspired me.
23. I recently got to drop the puck at a San Jose Sharks game. So fun!
24. I am very close with the men and women who are part of the figure skating community and consider them to be like family.
25. My favorite quote, the one that keeps me going, is from William Shakespeare: “And though she be but little, she is fierce.”
