American born, Korean Olympian Griffin proud to have competed outside comfort zone
Posted February 5, 2022 7:32 p.m. EST
Updated February 5, 2022 7:35 p.m. EST
At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, two nations still technically at war came together in the name of sport. Apex native Randi Griffin was at the center of it all.
"My journey was a little different than probably 99.9% of Olympians," she said.
Griffin, who played hockey at Harvard, was earning her Ph.D. in evolutionary anthropology at Duke University when she got an email from the Korean Ice Hockey association.
"I basically just thought that the email was a hoax," she said.
The more Griffin learned, the more she became interested. Her mother was born in South Korea giving her the opportunity to play for the first ever unified Korean Olympic Team.
Combine the Olympics world stage with a historic team endeavor, and Griffin was feeling the pressure.
"It was a big shock to find that we were front and center in the Olympics, a lot of people wanting to interview us and hear about our experiences," she said.
There were language barriers, political pressures and protests.
"There were people who felt really strongly that this was a really bad idea that it was like pandering to North Korea. And then on the other hand there were people in Korea who felt that this was a really amazing thing for peace and really important gesture," Griffin said.
Against Japan, Griffin scored Korea's first goal.
"I was really happy that we were able to get one as a team, and it did mean a lot to us," she said.
Griffin works as a data scientist now in Boston. Her hockey days are behind her, but the memories are something she'll cherish for years to come.
"I think it will always be a part of me. It was probably the most I've pushed myself out of my comfort zone," she said. "I will always be proud that I did that."
