Olympic Medalist Toby Dawson Finds Birth Father

Last February, we watched Toby Dawson ski away with a bronze medal in the Men's Freestyle Moguls event in the 2006 Winter Olympics. Dawson hoped that his Olympic win would help in his adoption search; his hope has finally paid off as today he announced that he has found his birth father.

He unfortunately had to first endure many heartaches during his adoption search as he received hundreds of emails and phone calls from people claiming to be his birth family after the 2006 Winter Olympics. Toby called off his adoption search due to this reaction until the South Korea Tourism Organization selected Dawson to be their honorary ambassador to support South Korea's bid for the 2014 Winter Olympic location. Toby agreed to help the group if they helped him in his adoption search for his birth family.

It was announced today, after DNA testing confirmation, that a Busan city bus driver, Kim Jae-su, is Toby Dawson's birth father. According to his birth father, 3-year-old Toby was lost by his birth mother while walking through a busy city market in 1981. Kim was a truck driver at the time and when he got home and attempted to search, it was too late. He tried to search the orphanages but was turned away and not allowed to see the children. Kim declined speaking about Dawson's biological mother.

Dawson not only found a birth father, but a biological younger brother, Kim Hyun-cheol, who also attended their tearful reunion in South Korea.

An Associated Press Writer, Burt Herman, in his article Olympic Medal Win Helps U.S.-Raised Korean Adopted Find Biological Parent, quotes Dawson as saying, "I'm still unsure of exactly how I feel about it. I've had some happiness, I've had a little anger, I've been excited --- I just keep kind of going through these different emotions."

Toby Dawson was adopted by Vail, Colorado ski instructors at the age of 3. Dawson plans to start the Toby Dawson Foundation to help Korean orphanages and adoption agencies reunite families.

SOURCES:
US Olympic Skier Visits SKorea to Trace Parents
Olympic Medal Win Helps U.S.-Raised Korean Adoptee Find Biological Parent
US Olympic Medalist Dawson Reunites with Biological Father