Chen had Olympic-sized dreams from a very young age, and a lot of that was due to his hometown having hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics. Training in Salt Lake City meant access to a state-of-the-art ice rink, allowing him to envision the Olympic experience. "I remember training at [SLC Sports Complex] with Apolo's [Anton Ohno] face right on the wall and the Olympic rings right next to [me]," Chen recalled during an interview with US Figure Skating. "Also, driving to the rink, I'd pass the Olympic torch. So to see that, just to be in an Olympic environment, was super beneficial to me and an amazing experience."
