Chloe Kim was shredding snow-covered slopes while most kids her age were still tackling long division. Raised in sunny Southern California, she and her family made weekend road trips to Mammoth Mountain, with Kim squeezing in homework between chairlift rides. At just 14, she stunned the snowboarding world by winning the 2015 X Games halfpipe, outshining competitors twice her age.
Her edge? Fearless creativity. Too young for the 2014 Olympics, she dominated the Youth Games instead. She then took center stage at PyeongChang 2018, snagging gold in the women¡¯s halfpipe finals. There, she became the first woman to land two 1080-degree spins in one run.
Suddenly, Kim was everywhere ? from cereal boxes to Fortnite. But after back-to-back Olympic wins, the pressure caught up with her. She stepped away from the sport, sought therapy, and spent a season riding just for fun ? no cameras, no judges. Relearning old tricks reminded her why she started snowboarding in the first place.
Now 25, Kim rides with a new mindset: enjoy every run. As she looks toward the 2026 Games in Italy, she still aims for gold but prioritizes mental health. Her journey shows that passion, not perfection, is what truly takes you to the top.
May For The Teen Times teen/1750661751/1613367679
1. At what age did she win the 2015 X Games?
2. What Olympic event did she win in 2018?
3. What special trick did she land twice?
4. Why did she take a break from snowboarding?
1. Do you think taking breaks is important?
2. What helps you deal with stress?
3. Have you ever tried something new and hard?
4. What helps you enjoy what you do every day?