"What will I eat if I stop playing sports?" When asked by high school students who met Olympic heroes, "I also worry every day about what to eat... but even after stopping sports, there are many things to do."

*This content was translated by AI.

As 'Korean Olympic Heroes' Won Yoon-jong (41), IOC, and Choi In-jeong (36), silver medalist in the women's team fencing event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, took the microphone, the eyes of the young athletes gathered in the auditorium began to change.

The 2026 Visiting Career Talk Concert, organized by the Korean Sports Council (President Yoo Seung-min) Athlete Career Support Center to support student-athletes in designing their career paths, was held successfully on the 10th at the auditorium of Gyeongnam High School of Sports in Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do.

Standing before the students of Gyeongnam High School of Sports, who were sweating profusely and dedicating themselves to training while nurturing their dreams of becoming national team members, were two special individuals: Won Yoon-jong, a former national bobsleigh team member currently serving as an IOC Athlete Committee member, and Choi In-jeong, a national fencer who has competed in four consecutive Olympic Games from London 2012 to Paris 2024.

The reason these mentors visited Gyeongnam High School of Sports for their young athletes was to listen to the very realistic questions and concerns of high school students such as "Is a future guaranteed for athletes?" "What should I do if I stop playing sports?" and "Isn't it too late to get a certification now?" and offer advice.

The first question raised at the talk concert that day was, "How much effort is required to become a national team member?" In response, Won immediately asked the students about their current training schedules. The students replied that they had supplementary training in the early morning, morning, afternoon, and evening. Won then encouraged them, saying, "Just looking at the volume of training you are currently handling, there is no shortage to become a national team member. It is an excellent level."

He continued, emphasizing, "While the volume is sufficient, you must create differences in quality. Simply writing down your training log because you were told to do so is not enough. You must record details such as how your condition was today, the weather, your mood, and the feel of specific movements. By putting in this kind of effort, you will be able to see your perceived training environment and condition in detail. Through sufficient contemplation, you can bring out your best performance. Even if the effect is not immediate, it will surely create a difference one or two years from now."

Choi In-jeong also strongly agreed with this sentiment. Choi recalled her experience during middle and high school when she endured immense training volumes, unable to return home, and trained in three-month-long boarding camps. She advised, "I believe I became a national team member because of that time and effort. It appears your current training volume is sufficient. If you continue to strive without giving up on your desire to become a national team member until the very end, you can become an excellent athlete."

The highlight of the talk concert that day was a question-and-answer session regarding careers and the future. One student asked, "Is a future guaranteed for athletes?" Won responded by asking back, "In fact, is there anyone whose future is guaranteed, not only athletes but also regular students and working adults?" before smiling and cutting in with, "No one." Instantly, the hall fell silent. Won emphasized, "However, the sweat you shed is never meaningless. Even if you fail to achieve your desired goal, the perseverance and spirit of challenge gained through that process will become a powerful weapon that allows you to demonstrate far greater capabilities than others when you enter society."

Won then brought up a special topic: the diversity of the sports-related industry due to the development of media and the expansion of sports participation. Won stated, "While there is no guaranteed future, I believe you are all taking steps toward your future. I want to emphasize that this process itself is by no means meaningless time. Even if you fail to achieve your goals, it will help you grow into more mature adults. Furthermore, media has developed significantly recently. Sports like track and field and weightlifting are exposed to the public frequently. The base of recreational sports has also expanded. If you show interest and consistently look into fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and English, even if not in sports, you can grow and succeed sufficiently. The sport you are doing now is a strength and weapon for your future. I want to stress that there are many things to do even after stopping sports," offering practical advice.

Choi In-jeong also said, "I worry every day about what to do if I stop playing sports. Being an Olympic medalist does not mean the future is complete. There is no right answer. Therefore, it is important to do your best in what you can do now and have the courage to try things you haven't done before." She added, "Mentoring in front of younger athletes like this is also a new challenge for me and a process of finding my own career path. Additionally, visiting the Korean Sports Council Athlete Career Support Center to consult with experts is also a good method."

The two heroes also shared with their juniors the decisive 'choices' that changed their lives and methods for overcoming slumps. Won, who entered bobsleigh as a university student majoring in physical education at the relatively late age of 26 and rose from an Olympic medalist to an IOC committee member, emphasized, "There is never too late for any challenge. You teenagers have a tremendous amount of time ahead to challenge anything. Do not set limits on yourselves." He also revealed his pre-game routine. Won introduced, "Before a competition, I completely erase negative memories of things that didn't go well during training from my mind. I did image training, recalling only the best memories from practice sessions, at least 10 times."

After the approximately 50-minute lecture ended, students leaving the venue held commemorative gifts (Team Korea eco-bags) given by the Korean Sports Council. However, the students were able to hear priceless advice that could not be exchanged for anything directly from these two Olympic heroes.

Kim Dong-geon (2nd year), a student majoring in track and field, smiled brightly, saying, "I was excited hearing about this lecture before class even started. I was so nervous before asking questions that my legs were shaking, but listening to the seniors' answers became an opportunity to change the vague anxiety I had been feeling alone." Nam Ye-yul (3rd year), a student majoring in shooting, said, "Actually, at the moment I was recently considering quitting sports, what resonated most with me was when the seniors told me that 'experiences from playing sports do not disappear but become a great asset of life.' I realized it is natural for me, now a high school student, to worry about my career path since even such remarkable people as Olympic medalists are contemplating their careers."

The Korean Sports Council has been holding visiting career talk concerts at high schools directly since this year to support student-athletes in proactively designing not only their growth as athletes but also their lives after retirement. They share experiences from former national team members and various career development cases to help student-athletes explore their career paths. After the lecture that day, a Korean Sports Council official provided practical guidance by directly explaining recruitment processes to students who were curious about joining the council.

Kim Hee-young, Deputy Director of the Athlete Coaching Support Division at the Korean Sports Council, stated, "What is most needed during student years is exploration of oneself." She added, "I hope you reflect on yourself not only regarding sports but also what you like and where your strengths lie. Of course, you may be busy with competitions and training, but it is important to know yourself well through indirect experiences using books, etc. You must clearly identify your strengths, weaknesses, and likes from a young age to reduce trial and error after retirement later on."

After the lecture, when asked about common career advice for student-athletes in various sports, Won said, "I focused on what kind of advice could be given regarding common career paths. It also seems they are very interested not only in careers but also in performance and mental management. Based on that, I considered how athletes can best manage their career transitions as they grow and develop." He shared his view, "In the past, many athletes worried about what to eat after retirement. However, now I think there are even more promising professions if one integrates well with various fields such as AI, English, and certifications."

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*This content was translated by AI.