By day, she’s a mortgage broker.

But on the night of Jan. 21, Christine Kim was racing up walls, grappling bodies and dodging 100-pound demolition balls as a contestant on NBC’s “American Gladiators.” 

Kim, 27, of Redondo Beach, Calif., took a shot at $100,000 and a Toyota Sequoia by battling burly female warriors with names like Crush, Siren and Helga. But, alas, the fight ended for the 5-foot-3-inch, 117-pound competitor in the Eliminator round, when her shoe fell off while swimming. As she struggled with the uphill treadmill in wet socks, her opponent caught up with her and won.

KoreAm chatted with Kim about her “Gladiator” journey.

 

Why did you decide to audition for “American Gladiators”?

It was my favorite show growing up. When I was 9 years old, I got to go to a live taping and from that day on, I was adamant that I would one day be a contestant.

Ever since it went off the air, I’ve been waiting for this show to come back. I’ve been signing the online petition for years. 

Wow. What made you such a fan?   

I had a fascination with the whole David and Goliath idea. When we were kids, my siblings and friends and I would replicate the game Assault (where contenders must navigate through a course and avoid getting pelted by tennis balls being shot at them by a Gladiator). I would climb to the roof of our house and throw my dad’s golf balls at the other kids. If they could run from point A to point B without getting hit, they would get points. I was a big bully.

Now, “Gladiation” is a term my friends and I like to use. It’s a word we made up that means overcoming great obstacles. When we finished the LSAT, we were like, “Ahhh, Gladiation!”

When you found out you were going to be a contestant, what did you do to prepare?  

I can honestly tell you I’ve been preparing since I was a kid. I was put in gymnastics when I was 3. I got my first gym membership when I was 12. Today, I go to the gym five or six times a week and surf twice a week. I’ve always seen exercise as something as normal as brushing my teeth.

Was there any behind-the-scenes drama?

Well, I’m not your typical contender. They called me the “silent assassin” on the show because I don’t talk trash. I’m more in competition with myself and not really concerned about what other people think. I don’t need to tell you what I can do. Let me just show you.

You mention on the show that you’re competing for your father. How has he shaped your life? 

Growing up, my dad was very, very strict, and I certainly rebelled a lot. But I learned from his discipline, ambition and drive. He always told me that anything a man can do, I can do. That molded me into the person I am today. I know how to lay down wood floors and fix my own brakes. I want to show him that I can do this, too.