Korean Snowboarder Wins Gold, Gets $9K School Scholarship

When Choi Ga-on and Shin Ji-a walked into their school auditorium on March 3rd, they weren't wearing Olympic competition gear. Dressed in their Sehwa Girls' High School uniforms, the two athletes looked like any other students, except they'd just returned from making history at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.

The Seoul school awarded each athlete a 10 million Korean won scholarship (about $9,000 USD) through the Taekwang Group's foundation. Faculty and students filled the auditorium with applause as the two Olympians accepted their awards just after the school's opening ceremony.

Choi's achievement stunned the sports world when she claimed gold in women's halfpipe snowboarding, surpassing American star Chloe Kim. Her victory marked South Korea's first Olympic gold medal ever in snow sports, a breakthrough for a nation better known for ice sports like speed skating and figure skating.

Her path to gold tested every ounce of her determination. During the first run, Choi took a serious fall that injured her knee, but she refused to withdraw. She competed through the pain in her second and third runs, ultimately delivering a flawless final performance that secured her place in history.

Shin finished 11th in women's singles figure skating with a combined score of 206.68 points. While she didn't medal in her first Olympic appearance, coaches praised her confident skating and noted her strong potential for future competitions.

Sunny's Take

Here's the remarkable detail that captures the reality of elite youth athletics: Choi and Shin were in the same sixth-grade class during their second year of school. They'd never actually met in person until the scholarship ceremony because their training and competition schedules kept them constantly traveling.

The two classmates took their first photo together that day, creating a moment that perfectly illustrates the sacrifice young athletes make. They share a school, a grade level, and now Olympic glory, but their dedication to their sports meant missing out on the everyday friendships most teenagers take for granted.

Both athletes spoke with gratitude during their acceptance speeches. Choi called receiving the scholarship a great honor and promised to remain humble and hardworking. Shin thanked her teachers and friends for their support, vowing to continue improving.

Sehwa Girls' High School has built a strong tradition of supporting athletic talent through its ski, figure skating, and volleyball programs. Olympic speed skater Shim Suk-hee and figure skater Lee Hae-in both graduated from the school, and the institution waives tuition and fees for student athletes representing their country.

Two young women who conquered the world's biggest athletic stage found something equally meaningful back home: recognition from the community that supported them from the beginning.