Born Kim Bong-Seok, at age three Toby Dawson and his mother were at a market in Korea, when he became lost and was never reconnected with his parents. He was later adopted by a couple from Vail, Colorado, who were both ski instructors and learned to ski from them. Dawson quickly made the US Ski team and débuted at the World Cup in 1999, placing fifth in his first event. In 2002 Dawson won his first US title, in the dual moguls, and in 2003 he won two bronze medals in the World Championships. He improved again in 2004, with three World Cup victories, seven top threes, and was second in the seasonal World Cup, then won his first World Championship in 2005 in the dual moguls.
Dawson met his biological father in February 2007 after the man saw a photo of him from the 2006 Winter Olympics, and Dawson also met his much younger biological brother. Dawson donates his time to the Korean Heritage Camp for Adoptive Families which teaches an appreciation of the Korean culture, and has stated an intent to start a foundation in Korea to prevent cases like his in the future. He is also a public relations ambassador for the Korea National Tourism Organization and worked for the 2014 PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games Bid Committee, which was unsuccessful.
United States