Sports isn't exactly the field of expertise many Koreans think is a "real" profession and, of course me being an athlete, I vouch that it's so much more than just a job. It's a lifestyle and why the vast majority of the population can clock out at the end day and leave work at work, an athlete can't especially when it's around competition time. A big part of the "job" of an athlete is having the discipline to do whatever they have to and make what ever sacrifices necessary beyond just training hard and eating right. Some of the sacrifices I had to make with regards to my boxing was disconnecting myself from various trouble-making friends, like my oldest friend in Korea Je Min, disconnecting myself from places that sponsors frowned at, and sporting a certain image sponsors would appeal to, like bleaching my hair blonde.
I once got into a bar fight because of my friend Je Min, consequently I was suspended from the boxing club for a good two weeks while we waited for the situation to blow over and waited to see if the guy I hit would press charges. Getting into a fight as any kind of professional fighter means the threat of jail time. Getting to bed early for early morning training is another struggle of mine, always have been. Sponsors want to wine and dine you but the coach demands you to show up early for training or for excessive training. And it's always excessive training here in Korea. I remember even back when I was working full time at Dankook and training for a fight -- 7am mountain training, lunch time weight training and then an hour+ of boxing after clocking in a full day of teaching. It was brutal to say the least, juggling two full time jobs that both drained me beyond extremes.
I know many people don't think doing a sport for a career is a real career, I am well aware of this. Consequently, the huge majority of Korea's athletes don't get the due recognition, earn a salary that's fitting, or get the due respect for their craft. When Snickers signed for a fight, to defend his Super Light championship title belt for yet another time, KBC paid him $1,000. A measly grand but it wasn't all his; he had to split it 50/50 with his coach. He was the cream of the crop of his country, fighting on behalf of it and yet they only gave him $500. That money basically only covered the money it cost to feed him during his months of training.
Tell a Korean parent you want to do a sport for a living and I am almost sure you'll be greeted with rolling eyes and a shaking head. "Real women don't box" and "boxing isn't for women" is a common response I get when I tell people here that I am a pro boxer. So in addition to doing a job that most don't consider a job, us females in sports not socially accepted as "female-appropriate" sports have additional stresses to deal with.
I used to joke with Snickers, telling him if he didn't appreciate what he had then someone else would and I told him once that perhaps he should move to Japan to fight. I didn't think Korea posed the opportunities or respect he deserved. Japan may not pay its boxers more but they are definitely more committed and professional with handling their fighters. Boxing is an acknowledged career in Japan. Well, apparently Snickers wasn't the only unappreciated athlete, as I am sure is the case for many of its athletes, which leads me to the case of a particular short track speed skater from Korea. An Hyun Soo, born and raised in Korea, struggled to continue his speed skating career because gaining respectable sponsors was hard. Then along came Russia. Korea didn't care to compensate him for his talent so Russia came and scooped him up. Hyun Soo jumped at the opportunity they posed him -- a full sponsorship for his sport and a Russian citizenship. They even threw in a skating teaching job and change in citizenship for girlfriend as a means of sweetening and guaranteeing the deal. And just like that, the deal was sealed. Hyun Soo changed his citizenship, adopted the English name Viktor Ahn and moved to Russia with his girlfriend.
Tonight I watched as Hyun Soo skated in the short track speed skating event and won a gold medal for Russia. Russia cheered and so did Korea -- he instantly became a hero in Russia and a much-wanted return commodity for Korea. News casters and Korean websites focusing on the Olympics couldn't say enough about him. His face and news of his struggle to do something Korea wouldn't support him in was the hot news for the evening and I suspect it will continue well after tonight.
Ahn Hyun Soo, a Korean speed skater from Korea but now sporting a Russian citizenship and the name Viktor Ahn. He won a gold medal for Russia tonight and it was a harsh lesson. If you don't appreciate what you have then someone else will!!!
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