misc.

Personal

• I was born and reared in Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin, China, where the Korean-Chinese community lives.
• I am a Korean-Chinese (a.k.a Koreans in China)
• My name in Chinese: 崔 健; My name in Korean: 최 건

Exercise History

I've always been a sports enthusiast, and here is my fitness journey. My fitness goal is "Be in the best shape of my life at the age of 50."

• Soccer: I've been playing since I could walk.

  • It became more sporadic after 2019, following my "retirement" from KIFC (KAIST International Football Club). Sometimes I played "fun" futsal with KAIST EE graduate students.
  • (09/2025 - ) Currently playing once a week with UIUC CFA.

• CrossFit: It is my all-time favorite

  • (03/2023 - 06/2023) Started CrossFit at We Crossfit Yangjae
  • (06/2023 - 11/2024) And I'm on the lookout for a good box to get back into it.
  • (11/2024 - 03/2025) Returned to the box in December 2024 (Hoosier CrossFit)!
  • (03/2025 - 06/2025) Dealt with a shoulder "injury" (mainly inflammation and calcification)
  • (06/2025 - ) Currently training three times a week at University Avenue CrossFit

• Climbing

  • (06/2022 - 03/2023) Started Bouldering at Yangjae The Climb
  • (03/2023) Not as often as before, just sometimes go tackle the wall when I got time (mainly after paper ddl).
  • (09/2025 - ) Currently climbing once a week at ARC UIUC.

• Swimming

  • (12/2023 - ) Mainly sticking to breaststroke...
  • (09/2025 - ) Currently working on improving my backstroke and freestyle technique.

• Gym

  • (01/2023 - 11/2024) Went the gym regularly.
  • (11/2024) Focus shifting to CrossFit these days ...
  • (06/2025 - ) Not hitting the gym much recently, mainly using it for active recovery sessions when needed.

• Running

  • Not running as much lately, but I try to fit in some long runs or interval training when I can.

Volunteer Activities

• From August 2016 to August 2018, I worked as a student assistant in the student life team at KAIST.
• I worked as a Korean language tutor for international students (KAIST Language Center) in August 2018.
• I worked as a translator for KAIST at the Smart China Expo in Chongqing, China (August 2018).

Student Club Activities

• I served as the president of KAIST International Football Club (KIFC) from Aug. 2015 to Aug. 2017
• I was a member of KAIST EE Futsal Club (September 2016 to August 2017).