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In this exhilarating memoir, three-time World Champion and Olympic gold- medalist Nathan Chen tells the story of his remarkable journey to success, reflecting on his life as a Chinese American figure skater and the joys and challenges he has experienced—including the tremendous sacrifices he and his family made, and the physical and emotional pain he endured. When three-year- old Nathan Chen tried on his first pair of figure skates, magic happened. But the odds of this young boy—one of five children born to Chinese immigrants—competing and making it into the top echelons of figure skating were daunting. Chen’s family didn’t have the resources or access to pay for expensive coaches, rink time, and equipment. But Nathan’s mother, Hetty Wang, refused to fail her child. Recognizing his tremendous talent and passion, she stepped up as his coach, making enormous sacrifices to give Nathan the opportunity to compete in this exclusive world.That dedication eventually paid off at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing, where Chen—reverently known as the “Quad King”—won gold, becoming the first Asian-American man to stand at the highest podium in figure skating. In this moving and inspiring memoir Chen opens up for the first time, chronicling everything it took to pursue his dreams. Bolstered by his unwavering passion and his family’s unconditional support, Chen reveals the most difficult times he endured, and how he overcame each obstacle–from his disappointment at the 2018 Olympic Games, to competing during a global pandemic, to the extreme physical and mental toll the sport demands.Pulling back the curtain on the figure skating world and the Olympics, Chen reveals what it was really like at the Beijing Games and competing on the US team in the same city his parents had left—and his grandmother still lived. Poignant and unfiltered, told in his own words, One Jump at a Time is the story of one extraordinary young man—and a testament to the love of a family and the power of persistence, grit, and passion.This memoir includes 16 pages of color photographs. Read more
Publisher : Harper; First Edition (November 22, 2022)
Language : English
Hardcover : 240 pages
ISBN-10 : 0063280523
ISBN-13 : 26
Item Weight : 14.4 ounces
Dimensions : 6 x 0.89 x 9 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #432,400 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #21 in Ice Skating & Figure Skating (Books) #140 in Olympic Games #224 in Asian & Asian American Biographies
#21 in Ice Skating & Figure Skating (Books):
#140 in Olympic Games:
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After a shockingly disastrous SP in the 2018 Olympics that dashed his medal hopes, Nathan Chen went on to dominate men's figure skating so completely in the next Olympic quad cycle that his 2022 Olympic win seemed like a given. Yet, that gold medal was hard won, and in this book, we begin to see how much work went into creating that perfect Olympic moment of triumph and glory - Nathan's own hard work, and also, team-work. From the numerous injuries he faced and the physical pain he skated through, to the mental hurdles, self-doubts, emotional struggles and psychological stress he laboured under, to the uncertainties and dangers of training and competing during a global pandemic, this book recounts in a factual manner some of the details and drama that lie behind the impressive competitive career of the Quad King. Nathan's story is actually incredible, but he tells it in a characteristic matter-of-fact tone, so that much of the drama is under-stated and under-played. Incredible, for e.g, how much he and his family achieved with limited financial resources, and the sacrifices they made. In order to train near his coach Rafael, little Nathan and his mum not only slept in their car, they even stayed in a tiny cabin near the rink that was so deep in the woods it had no internet and no car access during winter, so that he completed his homework after training in public lounges, and trekked through deep snow on dark winter nights to get back home. Nathan's tale is full of grit, determination and sacrifice, and also, full of the great kindness and generosity of coaches and people who saw the potential in him and went out of their way to help him. The list of growing pains and injuries he fought through was so much that I felt exhausted just reading about it, and that was even before he had begun his senior career. Looking at his awe-inspiring skates at Nationals, Worlds, GPFs and Olympics, one would never have imagined that he skated - and won - despite great pain and crippling injury. He competed in Juniors with a broken hand in a cast and placed third. He even competed when he was so sick that whatever he ate or drank, he vomited. He competed in Nationals with injury so bad that he could hardly move after he completed the free. Often, he competed with little time to spare for practice after recovering from injury, including in 2022 when he suffered from hip pain and ankle injury just before the Olympics. Reading about all these injuries and pains and the frustrations of practice when he couldn't land jumps, including right before competitions, makes Nathan's stellar competitive accomplishments even more impressive. That Quad Salchow with the slightly wonky landing during the 2022 Olympics FS for e.g. takes on added significance when we realise that he was struggling with the Salchow minutes before the actual competitive performance started, and that he landed it by making deliberate adjustments to compensate for the weak takeoff. The fact that Nathan never ever talks about his injuries and pains in interviews and press conferences and never ever uses injuries as excuses for poor performance is testimony to his character. The fact that Nathan characteristically underplays his achievements is also testimony to his character. Never once in the book did he mention his jaw-dropping world record scores, or his 14 back-to-back wins, making him the skater with the longest winning streak in the history of men's figure skating, and one with the highest winning percentage. He memorably beat Yuzuru Hanyu in 2 epic showdowns at Worlds 2019 and GPF 2020 when Pooh bears fell like rain after Hanyu skated only for Nathan to come out right after with record-setting skates, and he did all this while skating part-time and studying as a full time student at Yale. These incredible achievements Nathan summed up in 1 sentence that was so short and understated it made me laugh: "Even though I wasn't so focused on skating and winning over the next two years, I managed to win all my competitions." His depiction of studying for classes and exams as "rest and relaxation" reflect the mindset of an over-achiever for whom being driven to an extent far beyond the kein of most folks is normal. When a commentator, watching his stunning free skate at the GPF in 2020 where he set a new FS world record marvelled, saying "and he is going to Yale...how does he do it....he is from another universe!", he got that right. In Nathan Chen's universe, fun and relaxation is doing schoolwork on calculus, linear algebra, coding and probability, multi-tasking brings out the best in him, and setting new world records without really trying to do so was just the happy outcome of being forced to reduce ice time. I loved reading about Nathan's relationship with his coach Rafael Arutyunyan, and wished that he would go into more details. The few anecdotes he provided about Rafael's sayings and methods sketch out an intriguing portrait of a master with somewhat enigmatic ways of teaching and a far-sighted vision of the journey and the goal, and of a young, gifted, hard-working but impatient disciple who is at times wilful and clueless and who even once rebelled against the master and left, only to return. In a field where many elite skaters leave their coaches in less than ideal circumstances, it was always heart-warming to watch the enduring relationship between Rafael and Nathan in the kiss and cry competition after competition, and immensely satisfying to witness their moment of triumph in Beijing. Barring those extremely awkward moments during Pyeongchang when Nathan physically moved away from Rafael in the kiss and cry after the SP, and that one season in his senior debut when he switched to another coach, one would not have imagined looking at Rafael and Nathan that their relationship was anything less than ideal. Anger is not an emotion one associates with Nathan, so I was surprised to read Nathan's honest description of the many instances of confusion, anger and frustration that arose in him when his needs and expectations were not fully met by Rafael. At the same time, he remembered Rafael's many instances of kindness, generosity, encouragement and forbearance towards him. One gets the feeling that he is working through perhaps for the first time some of the unspoken tensions of a master-disciple relationship that spanned 12 years from the time when he was an 11 year old kid to when he became an independent adult at 23. It was a relationship that was professional yet very personal, in which the dynamics of distance and closeness featured greatly, playing out on geographical, physical, emotional and intellectual planes. I feel that as he continues to evolve and mature, Nathan will gain greater insight and appreciation of Rafael and his methods as he reflects back on his experience. On my part, I am hugely impressed by Rafael, and really wish that he would write a memoir as it would be fascinating to read about Nathan's training and triumph from Rafael's perspective as the master. Besides Rafael, we get a glimpse of the other people who were instrumental in shaping Nathan into the champion that he is. These include his mum, his other family members, his different coaches, his therapists, his choreographers, his costume designer, the people who produce and maintain his skating boots, his skating federations, sponsors, medical team, skating rink management, teachers, friends, and well-wishers. Anecdotes immediately surrounding the time leading up to the Olympic skate show how much teamwork featured in creating a gold medal win, and how many people contributed to this achievement. From the skating rink manager who stood by the door to personally safeguard Nathan's private ice time during the pandemic-riddled period leading up the the Olympics, to Rafael's impromptu fix of Nathan's deteriorating boots just before the Olympic skate, these anecdotes remind us that this gold medal win might not have happened, if all these people had not stepped in and helped in their various ways. In so many ways, Nathan's win was a collective effort of many people over 20 years all the way right up to the moment of skate in Beijing 2022. Teamwork aside, it was ultimately Nathan who had to perform, and the book gives details about how he managed to conquer his self-doubt and the memories of fouling up at Pyeongchang. One gets the impression that if Nathan had practiced less before 2018, he would have suffered less injury and stress, and also won. In a way, his mother's motto of hard driven work helped to create the basis for his success, but also created the basis for his failure at Pyeongchang. Ultimately he won by moving beyond his mother's philosophy to find a larger, more wholistic, balanced and wiser philosophy that emerged from his own experiences of life and training. Though a central aspect of his journey that Nathan was at pains to stress was that of teamwork, emergent within that is a story of a young athlete coming into his own and moving out from the shadows of his elders and mentors, finding his own path which was ultimately the right path for him; taking control, becoming wiser and smarter, becoming the master. One comes away with a better understanding of Nathan the boy and the man, and the forces that shaped him. Even as a toddler, he had a natural talent for jumping, an affinity for music, and was utterly fearless. His competitive spirit was fuelled as the youngest of 5 talented siblings, and his discipline forged early by a mother who possessed vision and ambition. We catch glimpses of the creative forces of music and dance that inspired him as an artiste, and his talent as an athlete that made coaches from diverse disciplines from gymnastics to ballet to speed skating want to recruit him into their ranks. I feel that Nathan could have excelled in any of the fields that he participated in - gymnastics, piano, ballet - but he loved figure skating best and it was in this that he specialised. He specialised so thoroughly that much of his entire life up to the time of writing was spent on the rink, and even non-skating activities were in support of the skating. His relationships with his family especially his mum were also defined by his skating. Skating, as he said, provided the basis for his development, for his greatest joy and fulfilment, and also his deepest pain and frustrations. Yet, he is not - and does not wish to be - merely defined by his skating. Inherent in this story of total commitment to skating, is also the story of moving beyond. Long before his Olympic triumph, indeed before his senior career had even begun, Nathan was already looking ahead to a life beyond skating. As he moved to dominate the field of figure skating, he also laid the seeds for a future life by going to Yale. Though his achievements as a skater are already legendary, his story is just beginning. In his family genealogy which from both maternal and paternal sides boasts a long line of physician-scientists, we discern the direction that he might take, and it is impressive. Unlike many skaters who pursue mediocre careers in their post-competitive life, we just know that Nathan Chen will be anything but mediocre in his career choices post-competition. Just like he surprised and delighted us as a skater and redefined the field of figure skating, no doubt, he will surprise and delight us in his post-competition avatar, and redefine fields of undertaking that folks can scarcely imagine. Can't wait to read the rest of his story.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2022 by wts
If you think you know Nathan Chen’s story, you need to read this book. I was aware of his hip injury after the 2016 National Championships, his unfortunate loss at the 2018 Olympics, how his mom was integral to his career leading up to his triumphant 2022 Olympic gold medal, and all his amazing accomplishments in between. What I didn’t know and what he never made public were all the ups-and-downs, twists and turns, reversals, and significant physical and mental challenges he had to face on the way to that Olympic gold medal. The fact that he never mentioned these things during his competitive years only confirms his nature as the humble champion that he is. He wanted the focus to be on his skating, never himself. His high-scoring victories, world records, undefeated seasons, and Olympic gold would be a towering achievement for any skater, but knowing the challenges he was facing while accomplishing those things make them all the more impressive. Being extremely gifted in skating, Nathan Chen was excellent at competing at the highest level of difficulty ever performed and making it look effortless. Even so, figure skating as a sport is as brutal on the body as it is beautiful to watch, and Nathan’s body was no exception. It’s incredible how he details his significant injuries, what he had to do to overcome them, and how they never showed in his performances. I watched all those competitions over the years and knew that Nathan had won them and yet, as I read about the drama leading up to those performances, I found myself holding my breath because I had no idea so much was going on behind the scenes. I wasn’t expecting this book to feel suspenseful, but it is because so many things fell into place at the last minute or Nathan would be in the right place at the right time with the right person who could provide what he needed when all seemed lost like when his boots started to fail at the 2022 Olympics. Those moments provide proof that Nathan was destined to be a champion. No other figure skating book I know really shines a light on the mental and physical demands of figure skating like this one. Maybe that’s because no other skater in history competed at such a high technical level with so many quads before Nathan. He rocketed into the senior ranks in 2016 with five and six quads in a long program and pushed men’s figure skating light years ahead, virtually overnight, but it came at a cost, and Nathan isn’t shy about sharing his injuries in detail. It think it’s a good thing that this book lifts the curtain and gives readers a glimpse of the toll figure skating at the elite level can take on the body and mind behind it’s “beautiful” façade. I have to believe the stage was set for some of those injuries during Nathan’s almost obsessive over-training prior to the 2018 Olympics. My heart broke for this young man as he described what it felt like to be burdened by the intense anxiety of the expectations of victory leading up to the 2018 Olympics from his family, skating federation, country, and the media that kept amplifying it all. Still a teenager, Nathan didn’t realize that the harder you try to make something happen, the further it moves away from you. He bravely shares his frantic thought process going into those Olympics and all because he had no one around him who could provide grounding and help put everything into a more positive perspective. Left to his own devices, he ended up psyching himself out. At the 2018 Olympics, Nathan’s competition was a mental one because when it came to the skating, he had all the goods even then to win gold. Fortunately, his mental outlook changed, and it was fascinating to read about that evolution that was essential to the champion he became. And what a champion. Not only is he a six-time National Champion, three-time Grand Prix Final Champion, three-time World Champion, and Olympic Champion, he holds the world record scores for the short program, long program, and total score. It doesn’t end there. According to sports journalist, Scott Reid, Nathan also owns five of the top six total scores, seven of the existing ten 300+ scores, and the top four long program scores of all time. He has the highest win rate (73%) in international competition (no pre-season events) of any skater since 1952. Overall, he has the 5th highest win rate in figure skating history behind only Dick Button (92%), Ulrich Salchow (80%), Gillis Grafstrom (78%), and Karl Schafer (74%). Those men basically invented figure skating and have 8 Olympic gold medals and 25 World Championships between them…and then Nathan. What an amazing accomplishment. Overcoming challenges means you can’t approach the same problem as the same person because circumstances don’t change until we change. This book is surprising in that it shows no matter how naturally talented someone is like Nathan, success doesn’t come without a LOT of hard work, much of it internal. Sometimes our biggest competitor is ourselves. It’s inspiring because it’s also a roadmap to how we can become champions in our own lives, too. Highly recommended.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2022 by SpirituallySpeaking