“Dumbest thing”: Chloe Kim reveals father Jong Jin Kim quit engineer job for her career before Olympic gold

Chloe Kim, the two-time Olympic gold medalist snowboarder and girlfriend of NFL star Myles Garrett, shared a very personal story about her family this week. While speaking on the “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast with host Amanda Hirsch, Kim talked openly about the big risks her parents took to support her career.

One moment stood out. Kim said her father made a huge gamble when she was still a child by leaving his engineering job to help her chase snowboarding full-time.Looking back now, Kim said the move felt risky and even a little shocking. But it changed everything for her family. The American snowboard star explained that her success later allowed her to give something special back to her parents. By the time she was a teenager, Kim said she had already retired both of them from work.

Her honest story about family sacrifice came as Kim and Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett were also spotted enjoying a relaxed date night earlier this week.

Chloe Kim recalls father Jong Jin Kim’s risky decision and shares how success helped her retire her parents

During the podcast conversation, Chloe Kim spoke about how much her parents believed in her dream from the beginning. Her father, Jong Jin Kim, moved to the United States from South Korea in 1982 with only about $800. He later worked as an engineer.But when Chloe Kim started showing serious talent in snowboarding, her father decided to step away from his job to support her training and travel.

“He took a risk,” Chloe Kim said. “In hindsight, it was probably the dumbest thing you could do, but he did it and it worked out, thank God.”Kim explained that her parents, Jong Jin Kim and Boran Yun Kim, no longer need to work because of her success.“My parents don’t work. Like, I was able to retire both of them. So like, it’s been chilling,” Kim told Amanda Hirsch.She confirmed that this happened while she was still very young.

When Hirsch asked if she retired them at age 15, Kim said yes.The snowboard star has built one of the most successful careers in winter sports. She won Olympic gold medals at the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics and recently added another major result. In February, Kim won a silver medal in the women’s snowboard halfpipe at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. Her parents were there to watch the moment in person.Away from the snow, Kim and her boyfriend Myles Garrett were recently seen enjoying some downtime together.

The couple attended the Los Angeles Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves NBA game on Wednesday night. Kim shared moments from the evening on her Instagram story, including a smiling selfie with Garrett from their courtside seats.The outing happened on the same day Garrett handled a legal issue related to a traffic stop in Wayne County, Ohio. According to reports, the Cleveland Browns defensive end paid a $157.50 fine instead of appearing in court.The case came from a Feb. 21 traffic stop where a deputy first recorded Garrett driving over 100 mph. However, the officer later issued a ticket for 94 mph. In Ohio, drivers must appear in court if the speed is over 100 mph. Because the final ticket listed 94 mph, Garrett was allowed to pay the fine and skip the hearing.