MILWAUKEE, Wis. — The Winter Olympic Games in Italy are about 100 days away, and right here in Southeast Wisconsin, local athletes are training hard for a chance to represent the United States on the world stage.
Watch: Delafield speed skater races toward Olympic dreams as Winter Games approach
Among them is long-track speed skater, Blair Cruikshank from Delafield.
“I just love the speed. I love to be competitive,” said Cruikshank.
Speed skating runs deep in her family — and while she didn’t always plan to follow in her parents’ footsteps, it didn’t take long before the ice called her name.
“I was like, I'm never gonna do what my parents did. I just wanted to be different. I don't know why. And then I tried speed skates, and I fell in love with it,” said Cruikshank.
Her mother, Bonnie Blair, is a five-time Olympic gold medalist, and her father, David Cruikshank, is a four-time Olympian. But when Blair Cruikshank laces up, she competes as her own athlete.
“When it comes down to it, you know, it's you on the line, and it—it comes down to you with that. I enjoy the aspect of an individual sport,” said Cruikshank.
Many athletes like Cruikshank are putting in long hours on the ice, hoping to make the U.S. Olympic Team. The U.S. Olympic Trials Long Track speed skating will be held at Milwaukee’s Pettit National Ice Center in early January.
“Everybody in the facility, staff, speed skating clubs and groups are all just really looking forward to watching our American skaters compete for a coveted spot on that Olympic team,” said Carolyn Spiewak, Director of Speed Skating.
Spiewak says the Pettit Center has been instrumental in developing Olympic talent for decades.
“Pretty much anybody who's been on an existing Olympic team has trained here at some point on their Olympic journey,” said Spiewak.
For Cruikshank, the road to the Olympics is not defined by what’s ahead, but by embracing every stride along the way.
“It's not going to be easy, but I think just having the opportunity, I'm super excited for, like, feel like not a lot of people, you know, get to be a part of something like this," she said.
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