Two years ago, Ye-lim Kim transformed Christina Perri’s “A Thousand Years” from a simple pop ballad into a stunning masterpiece on ice.
Viewers became captivated by the gentle movements and clean transitions that fans will recognize only when the skater has total control, yet the mood was warm and familiar. That blend of control and warm emotion is why the performance remains popular two years later. Millions of people watch the clip every single month, feeling the same emotions like she performed yesterday. yesterday. Take a look at the comments on the video, and you’ll get the idea.
Ye-lim Kim’s music choice is perfect for her style. Perri wrote the song for the Twilight cycle, and it became a staple at weddings and school recitals where sentimental moments need structure. This structure gives Perri room to breathe, letting the audience feel the impact of each movement and spiral.
To top it all off, the camerawork is game-changing, as On Ice Perspectives shoots from ice level, allowing the lens to move with the skater and enabling the viewer to truly feel the path of the routine, rather than focusing on individual tricks.
This routine was part of a student-run Harvard show to raise money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, which has raised over $3 million in the last 50 years for research and care. Not too shabby for some college students!
Despite being student-run, the show has a national footprint, bringing amazing stars from around the world.
The 2023 show featured a mix of Olympians and rising locals, with the likes of Caitlyn Kukulowicz performing a beautiful rendition of “Forever Young” program set to Lily Kershaw’s piano version
Ye-lim Kim’s skating career follows a familiar twenty-first century pattern. A child watches Yuna Kim crown a golden night in 2010, then laces up and starts the long haul. By her early twenties, Ye-lim was a national champion, a three-time ISU Challenger Series winner, and an Olympian at Beijing 2022.
There is a small biographical wrinkle that historians like to note. Sources list her birthplace as Seoul in the ISU database, while many profiles attach her closely to Gwacheon, where she grew up. Either way, the date is certain. January 23, 2003. The path is certain, too. Start in 2010, rise through juniors, join the senior ranks, and carry the flag on the biggest stage.
The end came sooner than fans hoped, which is common in sports that ask a lot from the spine. After injuries that trace back to 2022, Ye-lim announced her retirement in February 2025, citing a severe herniated disk.