nwasianweekly.com
Feb. 25, 2006

(Photo by Carol N. Vu)
Apolo Anton Ohno, accompanied by his dad Yuki, was the guest of honor at a downtown Seattle celebration in 2000 following his Olympic success in Sydney, Australia.

Give gratitude to medalists' parents

It takes a village … to raise an Olympic medalist. From coaches to nutritionists, doctors to corporate sponsors, a multitude of people are needed to support every athlete in his or her quest for Olympic glory.

At the heart of this village, and not to be overlooked, are the athlete’s parents. If not for the support of Mom and Dad early on, the athlete would not be where he or she is today.

Take speed-skating medalist and Seattle hometown hero Apolo Anton Ohno, for example. For years, his father Yuki nurtured his son’s interest in the sport, even though it meant many sacrifices for him. As a single dad, Yuki already had plenty to worry and think about. But he chose to spend much of his time — and money — on Ohno’s athletic dreams. There were no promises along the way; no one predicted Apolo Anton Ohno would one day become a household name, with a rock star-like following to boot. Even though Ohno showed much talent at a young age, he was never guaranteed an Olympic medal in the oftentimes chaotic sport of speed skating. Still, Yuki endured and shared in his son’s losses, struggles, injuries and anxieties. Such are sacrifices only a parent could make.

We salute the moms and dads who are helping make their children’s dreams come true. It’s not just about shuttling kids from practice to practice, cooking for them and rooting them on during competitions. A necessary component of every athlete’s success is money — money for coaching, uniforms, costumes, equipment, medical attention and year-round training. Ice-skating lessons can cost about $90 per session, while skaters’ costumes for competition can run as high as $20,000 — sometimes even more. In addition, top-level athletes travel the world to compete, even train. In figure skater Sasha Cohen’s case, she and her family left Southern California and moved to Connecticut just so she could work with an Olympic-caliber coach. It’s been estimated that the cost to raise an Olympic medal winner in ice skating is more than a million dollars! Sponsors are able to pick up some of the tab, of course, but sponsors come into the picture years into an athlete’s career — only when the athlete shows promise at major competitions. The parents are the ones who foot the bill when the children are young.

We salute the parents for sticking with their children’s dreams. For believing in them even when the family budgets were depleted. For taking time off from work to attend competitions. For rooting them on when they wanted to quit.

Mom and Dad, you’ve earned a spot on the medal stand alongside your Olympic winner.

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