"Nathan Chen’s Yale Juggling Act" / NYT

[Minou]

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/17/sports/nathan-chen-yale.html

 

[AxelAnnie]

Really enjoyed that. Thanks.

 

[el henry]

Saw this in the paper this morning

Even though I have never been a huge fan of Nathan as a skater, I am totally impressed with him as a person.

And I think his *skating* has improved in this transition. I hope he finds a way to continue his education and his skating together.

 

[Spun Silver]

The double life is crazy enough but he has to add a motorized skateboard?! I hope his guardian angel is working around the clock!

 

[Tinami Amori]

Nathan's life makes me think of a titale to an old soviet times Novel "How the Steel Was Tempered".
In other words.... that is the way to live!..

 

[sk8pics]

I really enjoyed the article too, but it makes me nervous that he is on the ice with some pretty low level skaters. I hope nothing happens to him, the way Kimmie Meisner was so badly injured when she had to bail out of a jump at the last moment.

 

[Carolla5501]

Great article. Hoping he has two great skates this week. (It was nice of the ISU to schedule World's during his spring break, )

 

[Tinami Amori]

I really enjoyed the article too, but it makes me nervous that he is on the ice with some pretty low level skaters. I hope nothing happens to him, the way Kimmie Meisner was so badly injured when she had to bail out of a jump at the last moment.

Given that Nathan excelled in physics, trigonometry and other science at school, i think he can handle his own and others' trajectories...

 

[skatfan]

The double life is crazy enough but he has to add a motorized skateboard?! I hope his guardian angel is working around the clock!

Gosh, we have the rentable scooters at the State University across the street, and the students are all using them to get around quickly. I would imagine a skater with his core strength can handle the skateboard just fine.

I am glad this year is turning out pretty well. I heard he had gotten sick and didn't go to Raf before Worlds, so we'll see how he does without the tune-up with his coach. The first practice was pretty rough, according to Jackie Wong, but the next one was better, so here's hoping he has some good skates this week.

 

[2sk8]

I think the last paragraph of the article, quoting Raf, is the best of the whole article

 

[overedge]

Please, Nathan, wear a helmet when you ride your skateboard.

 

[sk9tingfan]

Gosh, we have the rentable scooters at the State University across the street, and the students are all using them to get around quickly. I would imagine a skater with his core strength can handle the skateboard just fine.

I am glad this year is turning out pretty well. I heard he had gotten sick and didn't go to Raf before Worlds, so we'll see how he does without the tune-up with his coach. The first practice was pretty rough, according to Jackie Wong, but the next one was better, so here's hoping he has some good skates this week.

I think that we may be underestimating the impact of traveling on a skater and not just jet lag:

From New Haven to either Newark or JFK airports: 2 hours +
Waiting to board flight from check-in: 2 hours +
Flight to Narita: 14.25 hours
Transport from Narita to Saitama: 1.5 - ~ 2.25 hours

So he would have been on the road at minimum of 22.5 to 25 hours and that's if all of the connections are made with a minimum of lag and/or traffic. My guess is that some of this may be in play.

 

[skatfan]

I think that we may be underestimating the impact of traveling on a skater and not just jet lag:

From New Haven to either Newark or JFK airports: 2 hours +
Waiting to board flight from check-in: 2 hours +
Flight to Narita: 14.25 hours
Transport from Narita to Saitama: 1.5 - ~ 2.25 hours

So he would have been on the road at minimum of 22.5 to 25 hours and that's if all of the connections are made with a minimum of lag and/or traffic. My guess is that some of this may be in play.

You may be right. Nathan falls pretty infrequently in official practices though.

 

[aftershocks]

That's a neat article by NYT journalist, Karen Crouse, containing some food for thought about Nathan's unique personality, as well as his smarts. I am glad that Nathan listens to the beat of a different drummer. People who never conform to conventional notions of what others expect of them, are usually the people who create something new in the world or show us all something different. Nathan has already done that, and he's still on his journey!

I particularly like the fact that Raf indicates how he trains his students to be able to solve problems for themselves, which is an important quality to be able to develop. I wonder how much Raf was on board at first with Nathan attending Yale though? I suppose that Raf is pleased at this point with how things are working out for Nathan. And in any case, apparently Raf never put up any stumbling blocks. He seems to understand Nathan's individualistic personality.

Above all, I like that the journalist keeps the hype on a low burner, and broaches the need for all athletes to put their athletic lives and their personal lives into perspective. This ending quote by Raf says a lot: “I know Olympic champions whose gold medal didn’t help their lives.” And that thought was echoed by Nathan's observation, and I paraphrase: 'What happens after that moment of glory of winning an Olympic gold medal?'

In my understanding, it all boils down to what I learned as a long time fan of Michelle Kwan, over the course of her competitive career, and I've said this often, and it's been repeated often: "It's about the journey, not the destination." As an athlete, and as a human being, if you understand that it's about the journey, then managing the destination's aftermath may not be quite as difficult. And then there are those who can't seem to let go of the arena in which reaching for the triumph of victory and attempting to avoid the agony of defeat has become everything.

 

[Firedancer]

Another article about Nathan with additional quotes from Raf:
https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2019...arts-in-harmony-again-at-world-championships/

 

[aftershocks]

^^ Thanks for sharing!

Ahhh: https://twitter.com/FSIgstories/status/1105640090305511424

Great talent; gorgeous music, and a lovely call-out to training mate, Mariah.

 

[Inessence]

Please, Nathan, wear a helmet when you ride your skateboard.

I concur. My co-worker lost her 18-year-old son right before his high school graduation after he fell off his long board trying to navigate a turn down a hill. He wasn't wearing a helmet and never regained consciousness.