- Utah Olympic speedskaters' parents have played crucial roles in their children's careers.
- The parents have made great sacrifices, including time and travel, to support their athletes' dreams.
- Nervous yet proud, parents also have unique traditions and see their children as winners no matter the outcome.
MILAN — When Utah's Olympic speedskaters first hit the ice as kids, their parents didn't know those shaky first laps would lead to the Winter Games.
"When he stepped on to the ice he said, 'That was so much fun, Mom, sign me up.' And I thought it would be a passing sport, but he never looked back," said Tami Dawson, mother of speedskater Casey Dawson.
"It as all for fun, we started skating on a lake, and it was all about the fun," said Jean Latai, mom of short-track speedskater Julie Latai.
Other parents, however, saw early signs that skating lessons were more than fun. "Yes, we always knew she had it in her. It was a matter of whether she would stay in love with the sport," said Paul and Vicki Stoddard, the parents of short-track skater Corinne Stoddard.
"I hoped. My goal in life was to do whatever it took to get her there," said Donna Soukup, mom of short-track skater Kristen Santos-Griswold.
Carpooling is just the start of the sacrifices
As she and other parents would eventually learn, it takes a lot of sacrifices for the whole family to get here. Tami Dawson said washing stinky skating skins and sharpening skates was just the beginning. "I would drive to the Oval two to three days a week and spend two to three hours. I would wait around, watch and find a way to pass the time," she said.
The Stoddard family hasn't taken a trip that isn't skating-related in years. "You generally spend all your vacation time and budget traveling to sporting events … in the winter," they said.
Nerves in the stands
On race days, parents sit in the stands, with some of the same nerves as their athletes. "My palms get so sweaty and my heart is pounding out of my chest, it's crazy," said Donna Soukup.
Jean Latai said watching her daughter, Julie, race feels like a workout. "She takes my breath away every time she steps up to the start line and she pulls me along a wild ride with every lap," she added.
Good luck traditions?
Vicki Stoddard wears a charm necklace to every race. It holds charms for different national races. "Every time we went to nationals, there was a jeweler who made charms, and Paul would buy me a charm. So this is sort of a good luck charm," she said.
Jean Latai wears a hoodie with a picture of her daughter speedskating and her name prominently displayed: "Julie Latai."
They all believe no matter how the race ends, their children are winners by just getting here.
We can say the same for the parents.
"The parents in the stands, all of us, joke that we're exhausted," Latai said.
