"You Are Already the Gold Medal of My Life"...The Letter from Her Mother That Choi Minjeong Carried to the Finish Line

Cheering Her On With a Letter at Her 2018 Olympic Debut Too

Short track star Choi Minjeong (Seongnam City Hall) captured the silver medal in the women’s 1500m at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics, breaking the record for the most individual Olympic medals won by a Korean athlete. It has been revealed that a handwritten letter from her mother, given to her before departure, played a major role in her medal performance.

Choi Minjeong (Seongnam City Hall, right) received a handwritten letter from her mother before departure. Official Olympic Instagram

On the 21st (Korea time), the official Olympic social media accounts operated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) posted the contents of the handwritten letter that Choi Minjeong received from her mother before leaving for the Games.

Choi Minjeong’s mother wrote in the letter, “I still can’t believe you are already competing in the Olympics for the third time,” adding, “It already feels like a miracle to me that the little girl who first put on skates at the age of six is now standing on such a big stage.” She continued, “Thinking that this might be the last time, my heart keeps getting choked up. I know how many things you have endured, how long you have held on, and how often you cried alone,” and added, “To others you are a national team member and an Olympic athlete, but in my eyes you are just my daughter, who couldn’t say you were in pain even when you were hurting, and kept smiling even when things were hard.”

Choi’s mother encouraged her by saying, “So for this Olympics, more than your results or records, the time itself that it took you to come this far is a gold medal.” She concluded the letter by saying, “Regardless of the outcome, come back safely without getting hurt, and come back smiling. I love you, so very much. And I respect you, my daughter,” and, “You are already the gold medal of my life,” expressing her love for her daughter.

Buoyed by her mother’s love, Choi Minjeong took silver in the women’s 1500m short track final held at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Italy, crossing the finish line right behind Kim Gilri (Seongnam City Hall). Having now won a total of four gold medals and three silver medals in individual Olympic events, Choi has set a new record for the most medals by a Korean athlete across both the Summer and Winter Games. She surpassed the previous Korean record of six total medals held by Jin Jongoh in the Summer Olympics (shooting: four gold, two silver), Kim Soonyoung (archery: four gold, one silver, one bronze), and Lee Seung-hoon in the Winter Olympics (speed skating: two gold, three silver, one bronze).

Choi had also drawn strength from a handwritten letter from her mother at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, where she made her Olympic debut. At that time, her mother wrote to her, saying, “I hope you can enjoy yourself,” and, “I always believe in you, so I hope you can do your best in that place and enjoy it.” Choi went on to win gold medals in the 1500m and the 3000m relay, becoming a double Olympic champion at those Games.