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This story caught my attention on the Today Show this morning. US Olympic skier, Toby Dawson. I recall watching him and hearing his name in the news during the last Olympics but did not realize he was adopted.
Apparently when Toby was three he was lost by his mother in a Korean market, then placed in an orphanage, and eventually adopted by his parents who were ski instructors in Colorado. Following the Olympics, dozens of people came forward claiming to be Toby’s biological parents and genetic testing proved that Kim Jae-su was indeed Toby’s biological father. At the beginning of the news conference, Toby gave his biological farther a Norwegian skiing sweater that he said signified his upbringing in the sport, which Kim immediately put on.
I also like some of the things that Toby Dawson had to say about growing up and his plans for starting a foundation.
Dawson said he plans to use a new foundation he is starting in his name to help work to avoid cases like his in the future.
”Being caught in limbo between two different countries and not looking like your family is going to be tough,” he said. ”We need to try to keep our children and work a little bit harder to keep these circumstances from happening.”
Dawson noted how he shared his healthy sideburns with his father, who during the news conference reached over several times to touch Dawson’s face while they also held hands.
”I am glad to meet my son and see that he has grown up so wonderfully,” Kim said. ”I am thankful that he has come to look for me even after such a long time.”
When they first hugged, Dawson said he told Kim a Korean phrase he had learned for the meeting, ”I’ve been waiting a long time, father,” and also urged him to be strong because the day was a happy event.”My life until now has been confused,” Dawson said. ”I looked at my parents and I didn’t look like them. Then I also felt if I went to Korea I didn’t belong there.
”I felt like I was still lost, stuck between two different worlds,” he said.
Dawson said he hoped to eventually stage a reunion with all his parents. He also mentioned again his desire to become a professional golfer within five years, after retiring in September from professional skiing.
You can read the article in its entirety here.
