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Hockey forward Julie Chu’s ability to stay cool on the ice under pressure earned her the nickname ‘Saint Chuey.’
By Nalea J. Ko, Reporter
Published February 5, 2010
Julie Chu could not help but envy the hockey players across the ice rink when she strapped on ice skates at 8 years old to learn figure skating with her sister.
A couple of months after her ill-fated figure skating lessons, Chu would begin her ice hockey career. It was a journey that would eventually lead her to the Olympics three times with the United States women’s hockey team.
“Two months later we’re like, ‘Well, we really don’t want to do this one,’” Julie Chu said during a phone call to the Pacific Citizen about wanting to play ice hockey like her brother, Richard. “And they [my parents] didn’t even bat an eye. They went to the local hockey shop and suited us up in equipment. And ever since then it’s been history, and I’ve been loving it every moment.”
The 27-year-old and the 20 other ice hockey players will head to Vancouver on Feb. 7 after training in Colorado.
Her brother Richard will also travel to the 2010 Winter Olympics to cheer for Chu in her third Olympic appearance. Also supporting her off the ice in Vancouver will be her mother, father and sister. They are some of her staunchest supporters, who got tattooed with the Olympic rings in honor of Chu.
With a sizeable contingent rooting her on, Chu said competing in the Olympics for the third time is slightly less stressful because she knows what to expect.
The U.S. women’s ice hockey team is comprised of six Olympians and 19 world champions. Younger players like Hilary Knight, will bring the energy to the ice, said Chu. And Chu’s easygoing nature will help calm the nerves of first-time Olympians. It is a personality trait that earned her the nickname “Saint Chuey.”
“In 2002, my first Olympics, I was going in a little bit blind. I can kind of head into these games being like, ‘OK, we’re going into this awesome competition, this great event,’” Chu explained about being emotionally overwhelmed during her first Olympic experience.
“And I’ve been fortunate enough to have already have gotten an opportunity to do it. Now hopefully I can kind of be a calming force.”
The Game of Hockey
The U.S. women’s ice hockey team has been training since early September in Blaine, Minn. The opening ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympics are slated for Feb. 12. Two days after, the team will take on China in their first game.
Preparing for the Olympics is a mental and physical challenge, said Chu. Off the ice the team lifts weights. Meditation sessions are also a part of Chu’s Olympic training regiment, something she is still working to perfect.
“For me I think it’s just my nature because meditation to be honest doesn’t come that easily for me,” Chu said.
“Sometimes like 30 seconds into it, my mind is on every other thing but the moment. But I think when you’re playing on a team and you’re always in a large group, you have to be easygoing, you have to be flexible.”
Good nutrition is also vital when training for the Olympics. To perform at her highest potential Chu must control her sweet tooth.
“I think that we have to find ways to eat and fuel our bodies that are going to help us perform the best. Because I’ll be the first to say that I’ve got a sweet tooth. I like French fries, I like burgers — I like all that,” she said. Chu said when the team is not training or fighting their cravings, the players sleep.
The Role Model
Chu deferred her senior year of high school to join the national team in 2000. Her decision proved to be worthwhile. In college Chu played ice hockey for Harvard University. She earned the silver medal in the 2002 Olympics and the bronze medal in 2006. Chu is also a three-time World Champions gold medalist.
“[Laughs] I kind of pass them on to my parents and hopefully they’ll be able to arrange them nicely somewhere,” Chu explained about where she stores her cache of awards. “If it was left up to me — I’m not that organized, so it would probably end up in a box somewhere.”
Being the first Asian Pacific American athlete on the national team, Chu is mindful that younger girls look up to her. The Chinese American has spoken out against performance-enhancing drugs.
“I’m not the biggest player out there. I’m definitely not the strongest and my shots probably bounce twice before it actually makes it into the net,” said the 5-foot-8-inch Olympian. “But I just think that I want to at the end of the day be able to look in the mirror and know that I gave it my all, and I didn’t need anything else beyond my natural abilities … to get there.”
For any ice hockey hopefuls, Chu said young women should not be afraid of playing a sport that is male-dominated.
“Do not be afraid to try a sport where you know you might be the only girl on a boy’s team depending on where you live,” Chu explained. “And at the core of everything, have fun.”
As the Winter Olympics draws near, Chu has not forgotten how her brother once watched her proudly when she was a novice player.
“I was really fortunate to have my brother — we’re about four years apart. And he really, from a young age, really took me under his wing,” Chu explained about playing in the same ice rink with her brother. “So they [his high school team] would be on the boards watching and they’d all be razzing him saying, ‘Hey Chu, your sister is better than you!’”
It was not true, said Chu, but her brother always received his teammates jests with a big smile. “It was something he was proud of. He wasn’t ashamed that his sisters played hockey,” she said.
On the Web:
www.vancouver2010.com
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