January 20, 2026
Robert Deutsch/Imagn Images
Warrington native speed skater Andrew Heo, pictured above at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, said focusing on his mental health was key in preparing for the upcoming Milano Cortina Games.
Andrew Heo is deep in preparation for his second straight Olympics, where next month he'll be representing Team USA fresh off a milestone year in which he became the first American male short-track speed skater to bring home a World Tour gold medal in 11 years.
Despite his success, the 24-year-old from Warrington recalls a sense of ambivalence toward getting into sport, saying it was a combination of "peer pressure and boredom" that got him to engage in the family pastime when he was 6. It took years for Heo to embrace the fiercely competitive nature of the sport, and it took a toll on him as a young athlete. Now he says he's in a stronger place after prioritizing his mental health, and he hopes sharing his experience can inspire others.
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"I didn't know how intense it could be, especially as a kid," Heo said. "Competitiveness can bring out the worst in people. … I lost a lot of friendships, relationships just due to the competitive nature of the sport, and it was hard to navigate that. I tried my best to tell myself that I'm fine, but at a certain point you need help, and I've learned that it honestly can make or break your career."
Anchored by his Christian faith, Heo says he has shifted his focus to enjoying the process over the results and to only concern himself with things that are in his control.
"Mental health for me is a big part of what makes me a good skater," he said. "It's been a journey for sure, and I'm still trying to figure it out. But I think I would say it helped me grow a lot as a person through these experiences."
Nearly two decades ago, Heo's Maryland-based cousins started taking lessons at the Potomac Speedskating Club under the instruction of Kim Dong-sung, a South Korean Olympic gold medalist, and his older brother, Aaron, quickly followed suit. That was the beginning of a yearslong tradition of regular three-hour drives to Maryland. Heo would spend his brother's practice time playing video games, reading or roller skating around the rink.
"Everyone kept telling me to try it and I really didn't want to," he said. "I saw how intense the training was and I just wanted to be a normal 6 year old. Eventually, just to shut them up, I tried it. … I don't remember much from there, but that's how it started."
Occasionally, he and his brother would train with the East Penn Speed Skating Club in Exton or the Garden State Skating Club in Howell, New Jersey, but a majority of his ice time was spent at his cousins' hometown rink. His parents ended up renting out the basement of a nearby family, and they would spend their weekends there between training sessions.
"When I think back, I don't know why I did that," Heo said. "We basically lived in the car. … I don't know how my parents did that for so many years."
The Bucks County native said it took a while to truly enjoy the sport, but he began to find a community of friends and mentors that helped develop his natural talent. At 16, he moved to Utah full-time to train with his brother, who competed at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics. At 17, Heo made his first U.S. national team and the mental challenges of competing began to seep in.
Heo made the 2022 Olympics and placed seventh in the 1,000-meter race. Before arriving in Beijing, he said he planned to retire from the sport and move on to a new chapter in his life when the Games were over. But after watching his competitors receive medals, he said he felt inspired to give it one more shot.
Recently, Heo has leveraged his social media accounts to document his preparation for the Milano Cortina Olympics, walking his followers through his daily practices and providing tips to maintaining a healthy mindset.
"I have this image that I'm a lazy Olympian because for the longest time I did the bare minimum," he said. "But I hope to just give insight into being an athlete. At the end of the day, we're also normal human beings. … You don't have to be a stereotypical top-level athlete. Everybody's different, you pave your own way and make the most of it and stick to the work."
When he's not training 40 hours a week in Utah, Heo said he tries to visit Bucks County, where his parents still lives. But for now, he's focused on representing his country on the biggest stage.
"The ultimate goal is to medal, but at the end of the day I'm proud of the progress I made," he said. "Ultimately, there is nothing to lose at the Olympics. You're always gaining something. … If it doesn't go the way I want it, it's probably not what's meant for me. That's just how I see everything and live my life."
