Olympian

Proud Immigrant Parents of American Olympian Hopeful.

Making it to the Olympics takes passion, hard work, and talent, but it also helps to have a supportive family in your corner too. There's no denying that 18-year-old figure skater Nathan Chen's parents are supporting him every step of the way. Since the Olympian first strapped on a pair of skates at age 3, his parents, Zhidong Chen and Hetty Wang have been encouraging their son to never give up, and their persistence has paid off in a big way for Chen.


At the 2017 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Chen made history when he became the first skater to ever land five quadruple jumps in one routine. His achievement would be impressive all on its own, but when you factor in the fact that in 2016, Chen suffered a hip injury that left him benched for six months, his performance becomes all the more remarkable. Much like his parents, Chen is proving that his drive to succeed is unwavering.


Chen is a first generation American whose parents immigrated from China in 1988. His father, Zhidong, is a medical research scientist who worked and went to school at the same time, and his mother, Wang, is a medical translator. In an interview with NBC, Chen credits his parents strong example for helping him stay focused at such a young age. When asked what the best piece of advice he had ever received was, Chen said,

"My parents always enforce the idea of never giving up upon all of my siblings and me, and I think that's something that will stick with me my whole life."