'It takes a village:' Duluth curler Korey Dropkin celebrates Olympic medal with friends and family

NINA MOINI: Duluth Olympic curlers Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin claimed silver medals in Milano Cortina during their debut in the mixed doubles event, falling to the Swedish team 6 to 5 in the gold medal game. This is the first time the US has earned a medal in the event and only the third time that the US has brought home a medal of any sort in Olympic curling. Thiesse is the first US woman to medal in curling at the Olympics.

Both Cory and Korey knew each other from Duluth Curling Club and started playing together in 2022. Korey Dropkin is with me now. Thank you so much for joining us, Korey. You must have just had a whirlwind week here.

KOREY DROPKIN: Absolutely, Nina. It's been a crazy week. It's been a dream come true on so many different levels. Still being in Cortina here, now I get to cheer Cory on with her ladies team, as well as the men's team. But thank you for having me on your show.

NINA MOINI: Yeah, I just wondered about this amazing debut. We had a reporter who was at a watch party with a lot of your friends and family, and it was just amazing to see that spirit of community and that you and Cory have known each other for so long. Tell everybody a little bit about just that connection.

KOREY DROPKIN: Yeah, Cory and I, we've known each other since probably 2011. The Junior National Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska, is probably when we first met. We were also competing the next year, and we both won the 2012 National Championships, Junior Championships, and went to Östersund, Sweden, to compete in Junior Worlds. That's when we really started to get to know each other a little bit better.

NINA MOINI: So you guys knew each other. Your families know each other. But I'm sure you had a lot of support with you as well in Italy. What's that been like?

KOREY DROPKIN: Oh, it's been amazing. We've had so many family members and friends that have showed up to support us in Italy. That's kind of been part of how special the week has been for us. It takes a village to get to where we've gotten. It doesn't just happen overnight. It doesn't happen by ourselves-- our family members who have inspired us and gotten us into curling, as well as our friends who have been part of this journey with us.

And having so many people-- we had probably over 60 people that showed up here to cheer us on. And it made the week as special as it's been, just hearing their cheers, hearing their engagement with us while we're on the ice trying to live our best lives and play the sport that we love to play at the biggest level. It has been a wild week. It's the most fun week of curling I've ever had in my entire life, but more so special to do that in front of all of our family and friends that have been part of this journey with us.

NINA MOINI: To say that you had the most fun at the Olympics is amazing to hear. I'm so happy for you because that's how you would hope that it would be to reach that point in life. What's so fun about curling is it looks very intense and very centered. But I wonder, what's going on in your mind as you're competing?

KOREY DROPKIN: Oh, my-- no. I try to live pretty loose when I'm on the ice. I feel like I curl my best when I'm having fun, when I'm loose, when I'm active and engaged-- and engaged with Cory but just with the audience as well. I like to show my passion and show my energy. And yes, at the most serious level of curling at the Olympics, you're always thinking about the next step, the next move.

Curling is a very strategic sport. It's like chess on ice, as many people say. And so we're always communicating about our next move and trying to keep composure as not everything works out as planned. The opponents here are amazing. There's 10 teams that could have made the podium, and every game is a grind. But we have so much fun when we're on the ice. We know how to play loose. And that's when we're at our best, and that's what we did here.

My big goal coming into this was, win or lose, I knew my family were going to be proud of me. And so I've been dreaming of this moment for 20 years. And I just wanted to make sure I had fun. I wanted to make sure I enjoyed the moment, enjoy the experience, and made the most of everything because you never know if you'll ever make it back here. It's been a dream come true.

Now, being on that podium too-- heck yeah. It was just an epic run that we made. We played some really great curling. Cory made some spectacular shots when we needed her the most, and that's what she does. She's just so incredibly clutch.

NINA MOINI: That's amazing. And she still has more to go, right? She's competing with the women's team. What is that going to be like for you, staying and supporting in that way?

KOREY DROPKIN: Yeah, it's going to be great. I'm finally getting my voice back, so I can be actively engaged in cheering, being her biggest cheerleader and her ladies, being the men's cheerleader. I got to do my role now and being their hype boy.

So we got more medals to win here in curling. We have two teams here that are still competing that have plenty of capability to get on that podium. So Cory is going to keep doing what she does, and that's focusing on the next game and the next shot. And she's got a mindset that's full of confidence and full of calmness. There's not many curlers that have the attitude that she has.

And she's such a great ambassador for this sport and for the future generations of little girls that want to grow up. She is now the first female US Olympian to bring home a medal in the sport of curling. And she's just such a big inspiration to so many people, so many kids, and hopefully so many little girls out there that want to pursue curling, pursue whatever sport, whatever passion they're into.

I get to curl next to her. I get to curl with her. I get to sweep her rocks. I get to pump her up every time she needs to go throw and make a big shot. And now I want to be on the sidelines cheering for her, cheering for her women, and cheering for our men that are competing.

NINA MOINI: And just, lastly, I know you still play with your hometown league and where you got your start, meaning that, I guess, beginners can show up and play with an Olympic silver medalist. What does that mean to you to be able to keep that connection going with people? It sounds like you're so passionate about the sport.

KOREY DROPKIN: Yeah, I mean, honestly, grassroots level, we play the sport of curling because of the community. People are there for each other. The curling community is one like none other where it's open arms, open doors. You want to learn how to curl? Walk into a curling club. They'll be relaying the curls for you to get out there and try the sport.

I'm always open ears and a phone call away for people that want to get out there and try. I love playing league and getting out there on Tuesday night and just having fun, having an adult beverage, enjoying great conversation, and throwing some rocks with some people that I love hanging out with.

NINA MOINI: All right, Korey Dropkin, thank you so much for taking some time with us while you're still in Italy. Have an amazing rest of your time there.

KOREY DROPKIN: Thanks, Nina. I appreciate it.

NINA MOINI: Thank you, American curler and silver-medal-winner Korey Dropkin.