Catching up with hometown Olympic figure skater Jason Brown

We’re excited to cheer on Jewish figure skater Jason Brown, a Jewish Highland Park native, in the Beijing Olympics. This will be his second Olympic Games–having made his debut at the Sochi Olympics in 2014, and becoming one of the youngest male figure skaters to earn an Olympic medal. He has also earned nine medals at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating and two more at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships. The 2015 US figure skating champion chatted with Jewish Chicago just before making his way to Beijing.

Jewish Chicago: How are you feeling heading into the Olympics during a global pandemic?

Jason Brown: I feel as great as I can, considering all the barriers and challenges along the way. As athletes, we’re all trying to adapt the best we can. It’s an interesting experience because we’re so used to following certain patterns and structures, and that’s all been tossed out the window in the last two years. We’re trying to make the most of what we do have access to and be resilient and flexible.

One of the coolest parts about the Olympics is the fact that the top athletes in all their sports get to compete on the biggest stage in the world. To be surrounded by so many passionate people especially in this time that we’re all going through–and seeing the athletes persevere and push through–is so inspiring. I feel so grateful and proud to be a part of that.

If you could give advice to a young Olympic hopeful ice skater, what would it be?

I would tell them to be yourself and embrace what makes you unique. One of the best parts of my sport, and the reason I fell in love with it, is the performance aspect. Every person can skate to music that moves them, and they can transform and become anyone they want to be. That’s what makes our sport so beautiful, rich, and colorful. So often, athletes can get caught up in trying to figure out a formula or follow a pattern, but I would tell them that there is no one like them–really embrace that, own that, and wear that with pride.

Can you give a preview of your routine for the Olympics?

This year, I’m skating my short program to “Sinnerman” by Nina Simone, and my free skate is to [music from] Schindler’s List . For Sinnerman, my choreographer brought up the song, saying that it’s powerful, strong, and commanding in the message. I became determined to make it my own and try to take his vision and put a “Jason” twist on it.

Schindler’s List is a piece of music I’ve wanted to use for years but never felt like I was mature enough to do it the way I envisioned I could one day. After a long time, I started to feel like I could take it on. It’s been very emotional to perform that piece, but it’s a piece I love and it’s beyond meaningful to me.

How does being Jewish inform your life as a skater and your life in general?

There’s something so powerful about the Jewish connection. Wherever I go, I feel a sense of community. When I compete around the holidays, I reach out to various synagogues I can attend and it’s so impactful how welcoming everyone is because they bring this sense of home no matter where I go.