“I’m the parent of an Olympian, it’s such an incredible moment.” These were the words of Torri Huske‘s father when his daughter competed in Tokyo, having been by her side ever since she hopped in the pool at age 5. Now as she looks to overcome her 2021 heartbreak, which saw her miss out on a medal by 1/100th of a second, her parents will be cheering her on. But how much do we know about her father, Jim, and mother, Ying Weng Huske?

Her parents have been her iron-clad support since the beginning of her journey. The young swimmer with a “fly and die” approach has often been vocal about her mother’s influence. While Huske approaches her second Olympic stint, let’s dive deeper into her life and explore everything about her parents, who believed in her impeccable talent.

Immigrant mother and father’s White House connections

A 1988 University of Iowa graduate, Jim Huske is an Executive Coach and an Organizational Consultant and Assessor. He graduated with a triple major in communications, political science, and sociology and completed his master’s degree in public administration at Northern Illinois University in 1993.

He joined the office of former U.S. Senator Robert Kerrey as a legislative fellow in 1994. Interestingly, he was a presidential management fellow in the White House Office of Personnel Management from 1993 to 1994.

Jim then became a policy analyst at the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration and then in 2003 he served at Graduate School, USDA, as the director of the new leader program, staying in the role for 10 years. He then moved to Graduate School USA, where he served first as a vice president for Marketing, Sales, and communications, then as Chief of Staff and Senior Vice President.

Jim has been instrumental in Torrie’s rise, having helped her from an early age to pursue her dreams. Speaking after her Tokyo qualification, Jim said, “It’s been surreal. You work toward this, you see her do so many things to get there and when it happens you’re amazed. Everything that’s gone on is just a whirlwind,” to a Virginia news station.

He also added, “We knew she was capable of this. I felt relief. To run those times and to really put it out there, she performed like we knew she could. Later in the night, I became more emotional. I’m the parent of an Olympian, it’s such an incredible moment.”

Meanwhile, Torri Huske’s mother hailed from Guangzhou, China, and grew up in a labor camp before moving to the US in 1991. Although she had studied architecture in China, she decided to take up engineering at Virginia Tech. However, that didn’t satisfy her either and she moved to IT.

Ying Huske has worked in IT as a systems admin at the U.S. Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport. She has served as a server analyst and administrator for the McKean Defense Group. She now works as an IT specialist at the Naval Sea Systems Command in Carderock, Maryland.

In an interview with NBC Sports in 2021, Ying said, “The government paid for our tuition, and they basically owned us. I came [to the U.S.] for a better life, better opportunities and a better life for my future family.”Torri Huske is heavily motivated by her mother’s struggle. Had it not been for Ying, the 21-year-old wouldn’t be representing America on the big stage or even dreamt of finding her footing.

Ying Hing’s choices were the reason Torri Huske is living her American dream

Huske spoke about her mother’s contribution to her career in March 2023, “I feel like she is a really big inspiration to me. Yeah, I’m just lucky to have her. I feel like I’m living out my American Dream (as per USASwimming).” She recalled her mother’s struggle with education in China and her choice to shift to America for a better life for her future family. From growing up in a labor camp to guiding her in the best possible way, Huske adores her mother a lot.

In the 2020 Tokyo Games, athletes could not have their loved ones by their side, due to the onset of COVID-19 and whatnot. But this time around at the Paris Olympics, things are different. Even though she won a silver medal in the 4×100 medley relay with Team USA in Tokyo, she will be determined to add individual glory to her name this time around and she will have her biggest support system cheering her on.

Can she clinch multiple medals this time and earn her first gold? Let us know in the comments!

Update: Torri Huske did overcome her Tokyo disappointment by winning gold in the 100-meter butterfly final on Sunday.