Young Olympic hopeful Nathan Chen credits his success to his mom

Updated

Growing up is hard, and having Olympic aspirations can make it even harder -- but balancing school, sports and a social life was no problem for figure skater Nathan Chen.

"[My mom] loved to keep us all super busy," the Olympic hopeful said of his childhood alongside his four siblings in Utah and California. "I did gymnastics, I played hockey, I played piano ... I did a whole bunch of different things outside of skating. It was awesome to be able to have almost a normal kid's life."

SEE ALSO: Olympic athletes reveal what motivates them ahead of 2018 Games

Chen, who turned 18 in May, attended public school up until ninth grade and managed to balance his studies with his many hobbies, which also included guitar and ballet. When he and his family moved closer to Los Angeles, however, the time came for the budding athlete to make a choice.

"If I went to school, I wouldn't have been able to skate," he told AOL.com during a Team Kellogg's event. "I had to sacrifice school to an extent and I went to online school. It didn't really suit me -- I liked having a social life at school, but it did its job and allowed me to graduate while at the same time, still skating."

That sacrifice, while difficult, helped to put Chen on the path to figure skating stardom. In January, the skater will compete for a coveted spot on Team USA's roster for the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang.

Chen is the only skater currently competing with five different quadruple jumps at his disposal, which he says gives him a "huge advantage."

"To have all of these jumps in my arsenal is very beneficial," he said. "I can always alter my program so I can either play it safe or I can play it risky with high reward. It depends on what I feel like I need that day."

Thanks to those impressive moves and his previous successes at both national and world championships, Chen says he has high hopes to make the Olympic team. If he does, he'll instantly call his biggest supporter -- his mom.

"She's the one who raised me as a kid," he said. "She's the one who spent all the time with me on the ice. She's the one who really dedicated a lot of her time to help me grow as a skater, so that'll definitely be the first person I talk to."

The Opening Ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang is scheduled for February 9, 2018.

More from Aol.com:
Olympic snowboarder Kelly Clark sounds off on security at South Korea games
US team doctor Nassar pleads guilty to additional sexual conduct charges
Judge, Porzingis and these sports icons received NYC mayor votes

Advertisement