Olympic figure skater Nathan Chen was surprised by his mother Hetty Wang during his performance on Tuesday’s episode of NBC’s “Today” show, in which he thanked her for supporting him on his journey to become an Olympic champion.
Wang surprised Chen by walking on set with a tray of pizza, but Chen put his gold medal around her neck. According to Today, the two hadn’t seen each other since the Olympics.
Chen explained that he put the medal around his mother’s neck because it is “largely” Wang’s, as she has been there to support Chen’s skating career since he was 3 years old.
“She’s been with me every step of the way, and I would never get to where I am today without her support,” Chen told The Today Show hosts.
His mother explained that although she was “nervous” about his matches, she knew what to expect from his performance and that she believed in him.
When asked how his mother made sacrifices to help him achieve his Olympic dreams, the 22-year-old explained that after he switched to his current coach in 2012. his mother would take him from Utah to California when to train.
The mother and son duo eventually moved to Lake Arrowhead, California so Chen could focus on training closer to his coach, Today reported.
Chen won two medals at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, including a gold in the men’s single figure skating event and a silver medal in the team event. He became the first Asian-American male figure skater to win a gold medal in the Olympics.
Feature Image via Today
Do you enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark!
Canadian swimmer Maggie MacNeil sets new record for America with Olympic gold in 100m butterfly
Chinese fans create affectionate nicknames for popular Olympic athletes with hard-to-pronounce names
Simone Biles says Naomi Osaka inspired her to focus on mental health
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un rides white horse, limps in new documentary to celebrate achievement
