“I think going into 2018 I had the perspective of being like, ‘I’m there to win. I have this opportunity to win and that’s it,’ And it didn’t really turn out that way, you know?” he told me over Zoom recently.

Maybe it was the pressure to succeed at a high level most people will never understand. Or maybe it was the marketing, branding, and commercialization of his skating. Whatever it was, Chen remembers feeling the mental toll.

“Last Olympics I was stressed out the entire time,” he said. “I did not enjoy the experience. Of course, it’s the Olympics so I tried to remind myself, ‘This is such a cool time,’ but I really couldn’t get over the fact that it was such a stressful moment.”

Since 2018 he’s won every skating championship he’s entered. Now, with about six months until the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, Chen says he’s going in with a different frame of mind.  One that allows him to be human and to have fun.

“Ultimately, when I’m happy and positive things end up going a lot better and more in my favor,” he told me, “So that’s sort of my attitude going into these games. And I’m really looking forward to it. It’s such an interesting experience.”

사실 올림픽 시즌엔 시즌 내내 스트레스 받는게 보였었음 그리고 올림픽에서 그게 최고치를 찍었을 거야ㅠㅠ 깨닫고 배운게 있으니 이렇게 성장했고 이번엔 행복하고 긍정적인 상태를 유지하려고 노력하는 듯 갤주 화이팅