Nam was a very good skater as a child. She won the silver medal (second place) at the 1999 United States national championships behind Michelle Kwan at age 13. She would have normally gone to the World Championships after doing this, but she was too young according to the rules. She could have gone if she had won a medal at the World Junior Championships, but that was the last year the World Junior Championships were held before Nationals and Nam did not go to those championships.