Joel Jin Nwamadi is making headlines again — but not for acting. The former child star of Descendants of the Sun just turned the sports world upside down, winning Korea’s first-ever gold medal in the men’s 400-meter relay at a major global event.
Nwamadi’s shift from screen to track stunned fans. He first caught attention in 2016 playing a young boy from Uruk on KBS2’s hit K-Drama. His line, “I want a goat, not shoes,” hit viewers hard, capturing the pain of children in conflict zones.
Now, nearly a decade later, Nwamadi is a national-level athlete following in his father’s footsteps—his dad was a Nigerian long jumper. Starting athletic competitions in elementary school, Nwamadi climbed the ranks, winning medals through his youth.
His adult athletic debut came in April 2025 at Korea’s national team trials for the Asian Athletics Championships, where he won first place in the men’s 100-meter race.
But his breakthrough came in May when the Korean men’s 400-meter relay team claimed historic gold with a national record of 38.49 seconds.
Then in July, he and his team took gold again at the 2025 Summer Universiade in Germany, narrowly beating South Africa with a 38.50-second finish.
The victories have sparked major buzz, as Korea had never earned gold in a global relay event before.
When Nwamadi returned to Korea on July 29, he was met with overwhelming support from fellow Koreans.
Joel Jin Nwamadi’s journey from K-Drama child actor to national sports hero is fast becoming a fan favorite story.
