Olympic Snowboarder Chloe Kim Takes Mental Health Break After Beijing

American snowboarder and two-time Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim is taking a step back from the sport to focus on herself.

“Everyone’s mental health journey is different but for me, I’m acknowledging how beautifully difficult the past couple years have been for me,” she shared with E! News. “Whether it be training, competing and trying to be as perfect as I possibly could be on the mountain.” 

She said she is doing well and regularly does therapy. After her Olympic triumph five months earlier, Kim says she’s putting herself first.

“It’s just knowing that it could get overwhelming if I just went right back into it into another season,” she said. “I’m just basically being a little cautious. I’m just putting myself first and just knowing that I can’t handle it right now. I’m taking some time off. I’m going on vacation. It will be good.”

The next winter Olympic games in Milan are set to commence in 2026, which Kim says she wants to attend.

“I’m definitely looking forward to the next Olympics,” she said. “I’m definitely planning on going. I’m always thinking about what’s directly coming up and the Olympics are four years away, so I won’t worry about that until 2025.” 

While Kim says she’s taking a step back, she can’t seem to shake her competitive nature. On July 16, she played in the MLB All-Star Celebrity Softball Game. On July 20, Kim attended the 2022 ESPYS where she was in the running for Best Athlete in Women’s Action Sports.