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Metro family continues Olympic tradition with trip to South Korea

Posted at 6:38 PM, Jan 23, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-23 23:18:29-05

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A metro family will continue a special tradition by traveling to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

It all started back in 2002 when the Austin family was visiting Salt Lake City during the winter games.

"We had no real desire to go to the Olympics. We just happened to be there when they were there," explained 25-year-old Jay Austin. "It was something to do. We fell in love with it. My dad caught the bug."

Since then, the family has traveled to Beijing in 2008, London in 2012, and Sochi in 2014.

Each of the trips have provided special pictures and memories, including the time Jay's dad ordered Peking duck while out at dinner in Beijing.

"There's a guy pushing a cart wearing a chef's hat and he looks great," explained Jay, who said he and his father had to fight through a language barrier at the restaurant. "(The chef) pulls a cover off and there's a duck, a live duck." 

Four years later, Jay could vividly remember the time he spoke with a family in London while looking for Indian food, his favorite cuisine, during the 2012 summer games.

"I was asking them, 'Where do we find Indian food?' He goes, 'Here's a tip. Never eat Indian food above ground,'" Jay recalled. "Every morning for my jogs, I'd run around and look."

The trips to the Olympics have also featured watching a variety of sports, including handball and curling.

On Tuesday, Jay thought back to the time he was in the stands in London watching a beach volleyball game.

"They had the funniest MC who was trying to hype up the crowd like, 'Let's wake up the Queen!'" he explained.  "Those are the moments you don't get to see on TV." 

While planning and paying for a trip to the Olympics can be tough, Jay said his family has figured out an effective way to make the trips work.

Jay told 41 Action News that his father often uses reward points to pay for planes and hotels, which can go a long way when traveling overseas.

 

 

"He just saved up and saved up. A lot of times we don't have to pay full price for our tickets," he explained.  "It's very bare and minimalistic. We don't splurge. We need a bed and a door that locks. We eat street food." 

Jay plans to attend the 2018 Pyeongchang games with his father, sister, and sister's boyfriend.

After traveling to the Olympics in the past, Jay said he was looking forward to visiting South Korea.

"I am half-Asian," he explained. "Going over to South Korea is something I've been wanting to do for a while."

The Austin family is scheduled to leave for South Korea on Feb. 16th.

Jay said his family has already purchased tickets for hockey and figure skating and plans to possibly attend the snowboarding competition.