"I don’t even remember when I got on the board."

Lee Kwang-ki started snowboarding at a young age and he has now become a snowboarding veteran of nearly 20 years. He meditates on his goals every day. “Today should be a fun day to ride,” he thinks, and he has since become one of the strongest Korean snowboarders in the field.

"To be honest, my goal wasn’t to win a championship or to be a member of the national team. I just enjoyed snowboarding and had a good time with my dad on the slopes, with no real goal in mind. However, I've had a strong desire to win ever since I lost to other athletes in some tournaments. That was a pleasant discovery, to be honest. After that, that drive stayed with me and I looked at snowboarding in a whole new, much more serious, light."

Lee Kwang-ki has won numerous national competitions and has gained much experience on the world stage, being one of the first snowboarders to advance to the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. In Sochi, Lee was ranked 20th among 40 athletes. It was a satisfactory result for his first Olympics, but Lee felt something lacking, that he couldn't show off all of his ability. He quickly calmed down and set his eyes on the next goal. In order to acquire the most advanced skills, he went through a furious and dizzying training routine, so much so that now minor injuries or aches have become routine.





However, he sees these as "wounds of glory." As the minor aches and injuries coalesce and heal, his competitiveness is growing on the world stage. It's now his time to prepare for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, barely one year away. Lee Kwang-ki is staring his second Olympics face-on and we're holding our breath to see him perform, even better than in Sochi.

An athlete who used to be a young child, rolling down the slopes on a toy snowboard, is now heading to the largest playground in the world. He's gotten enough experience to be competitive. All that remains is for him to enjoy his time in the spotlight. If Lee does well in Pyeongchang, enjoying it as he did when he was a child, he could become the first Korean snowboard medalist in less than a year's time.

By PyeongChang Organizing Committee