COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — An alternate spot on the Olympic team is earned through years of discipline, sacrifice, and belief.
For U.S. figure skater Audrey Shin, that journey took shape right here in Colorado Springs.
Shin and her family moved to Colorado Springs in 2018. Through guidance from U.S. Figure Skating, she continued developing her skills while training at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center.
“I have great memories here,” Shin said. “Coach Tammy is like my second mom.”
Shin began her career as a single skater before eventually transitioning to pairs skating with her partner, Balázs Nagy. The switch brought new challenges.
“Learning how to skate next to another person. Simple crossovers, simple steps. All of that I’ve never had to learn before,” she said. “We’re in this journey together.”
Now, Shin and Nagy are the first alternates for the U.S. Figure Skating team, putting them within reach of the Olympic stage.
Figure skating has been part of Shin’s life since she was five years old.
“The feeling of accomplishment. It’s great,” she said.
She still remembers her first moments on the ice.
“I told my dad, ‘Let go of my hand,’ and I tried skating by myself,” Shin said.
She did more than enjoy it. She fell in love with it.
“My passion for figure skating...it’s something that I’ve loved since I was a little girl,” she said. “No matter what setbacks I have, I will always reach for the sport.”
Behind every jump and lift, she says, has been her family’s sacrifice, especially her parents.
In Korean, she shared a heartfelt message to them: “사랑해요, 그리고 고마워요.”
“I love you, and I’m so thankful,” Shin said.
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