Episode Details

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. He is on a fast track to achieving his dream of one day competing in the Winter Olympics. On this episode of the Supercast, we head to the Olympics Speed Skating Oval in Kearns, where Ray Shim, who just completed ninth grade at Mountain Creek Middle School hits the ice for another grueling practice. Ray has already set a national record in short track speed skating, and soon he will be competing in higher level races like the America's Cup and World Cup trials, as he strives to make his Olympic dreams come true.

We're here at Mountain Creek Middle School with Ray Shim. Ray, thanks for taking time.

Ray Shim:
Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
Ray is a speed skater preparing for his next race, but for even bigger things beyond that. Tell me about that preparation and how long you've been skating.

Ray Shim:
Well, I started skating when I was four in South Korea and my mom got interested in it. So I've been preparing for going to like bigger races for 11 years now.

Anthony Godfrey:
And what's your ultimate goal?

Ray Shim:
To go to Olympics.

Anthony Godfrey:
And how long before you would be trying out for the Olympics?

Ray Shim:
Well this next quarter would be my first year that I could ever try it out.

Anthony Godfrey:
What's the age of eligibility?

Ray Shim:
I think you have to be at least 16.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. And you're gonna turn 16 just in time for that?

Ray Shim:
Yeah, the next Olympics is gonna be in three years, so I'll be able to make it.

Anthony Godfrey:
Do you remember when you started skating?

Ray Shim:
I don't. I started when I was four, so I barely remember anything.

Anthony Godfrey:
So the only thing you remember is skating for your whole life.

Ray Shim:
Exactly.

Anthony Godfrey:
And did you have a talent for it early on? What have you been told about your early abilities?

Ray Shim:
Apparently my coaches said that I have a good talent for it. But yeah, I guess it's still improving right now.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, it's always improving I'm sure. Have you always enjoyed skating? Are there times when it has been more exciting for you than other times?

Ray Shim:
The race season is always exciting and yeah, I've always liked skating,

Anthony Godfrey:
So it's easier to be practicing when you're leading up to a specific race, as opposed to just in the off season.

Ray Shim:
Yeah. Off season you kind of get discouraged a little bit, I guess.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about what the training looks like. There's a lot of time on the ice. Is there training off of the ice first of all?

Ray Shim:
Yes, we do off ice training. We run and stuff, but we have our own technical exercises we do for our off ice training.

Anthony Godfrey:
And so what do some of those technical exercises look like?

Ray Shim:
They're just practically skating, but on the ground.

Anthony Godfrey:
So you're practicing skating on the ground. Is that practicing in place or are you in motion? How does that look?

Ray Shim: