Winter Vinecky, 24, is probably the person who fits the most with the Winter Olympics.
According to the Olympic official website, there are summer Olympic players named "Winter" in history, and there are also Winter Olympic players named "Summer", but the name "Winter" appears in the history of the Winter Olympics, and only Winter Venegie is alone.
Winter Vinecki came to Beijing for the Winter Olympics.
The Beijing Winter Olympics was Winter Vinecky's first trip to the Winter Olympics, where she competed in freestyle skiing aerial skills. But before that, she belonged more to summer — 5 years old, completed her first five-kilometer race; at 10, she completed the Olympic-length triathlon; and at 14, she became the youngest marathon completer on seven continents.
From marathons and triathlons to freestyle skiing aerial skills, her dream is to participate in the Winter Olympics, even if she does not make it to the final of aerial skills: "In Beijing, I will not stop at the challenges of life." I dream big and never give in. ”
Winter Venecki in his youth.
At the age of 14, he conquered seven continents marathon
The name "Winter" is rare among girls, but Winter's parents are ingenious.
"There are many girls whose names are autumn, spring and summer, but what about winter?" No one named their baby 'Winter', but my due date is December 28. Mother Dawn said when she accepted NBC.
Thus, the name of Winter Venecki appeared.
However, Winter's life did not start with ice and snow, but it was always closely linked to sports - at the age of 5, Winter completed his first 5,000-meter race; at the age of 8, Winter completed the first 10,000-meter race; at the age of 9, Winter completed the Olympic-level triathlon, of which swimming 1.5 kilometers, cycling 40 kilometers, running 10 kilometers.
Winter grew up in northern Michigan and has loved the outdoors since he was a child, "I love running around in the woods and playing outdoors, so it's natural to compete in triathlons." ”
But she ran into a problem, there weren't too many kids' races in her area, "As a girl, I should be competing for kids, but in triathlons in northern Michigan, there aren't many kids' races." ”
Winter Venecki (right) runs a marathon.
"So naturally, I started competing in some adult races, but it was comfortable to run that distance and I had a lot of fun." Recalling his youth, Winter did not notice his cross-level challenge at all, "The race organizers had to set up a separate starting point for me because I was too young. They say I'll never be able to finish it. But I did, and I did a good job in all the adult races. ”
Winter's most memorable race was her 14-year-old marathon in Antarctica.
"The whole trip was a complete adventure, we ran a marathon along the base, but then went to see the penguin colony." Winter recalled that when they returned from the Drake Channel, the ship also suffered a hurricane, "We had a wind of 75 miles per hour, and a 35-foot wave, and our boat and the waves slammed into each other. ”
But it was this journey that allowed Veneki to unlock an identity — the youngest marathon runner on seven continents.
Winter Venecki staged at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
In her father's name, she founded a non-profit organization
Outdoor sports is Winter's passion, but the youngest seven continents marathon challenger is Winter's intention.
When Winter was 9 years old, her father Michael was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and 10 months later his father left her forever, and that triathlon was the last time Winter's father saw his daughter.
It was then that she came up with the idea of forming a nonprofit organization, Winter Team, to raise awareness of prostate cancer. She partnered with the Prostate Cancer Foundation to donate the trophy she won in marathon and triathlon to patients, raising more than $100,000 in her first year alone.
"One day, I flipped through a world record and saw the youngest marathon challenger on seven continents." Winter saw the record, which originally belonged to a 17-year-old, "so I told my mom that I wanted to get this record and honor my father in this way, and at the same time to bring the world's attention to the disease of prostate cancer and bring my father's memory to the world, which would be very cool." ”
To date, Winter has helped the "Winter Team" nonprofit raise more than $500,000 by participating in marathons and triathlons around the world, NBC reported.
What made Winter's mother sigh the most was, "Whether running or participating in the Winter Olympics, her dream was never about herself, but about his father and the families who suffered from prostate cancer, and she hoped to help those families and save those lives." ”
Winter Venegie takes part in freestyle skiing aerial skills.
The Winter Olympics, because of a coincidence
Participating in marathons and giving speeches and publicity everywhere has made Winter have excellent eloquence since she was a child, and she has also had a lot of influence.
But the connection with ice and snow sports is a coincidence. In October 2011, Winter received an award from the Women's Sports Foundation in New York City, along with aerial skill athlete and three-time Winter Olympics player Emily Cook.
Cook approached Winter: "Hey! Why don't you come and try my sport? You're so young that you might be a great aerial skiller. ”
It was this encounter that took a turn in Winter's life, "I thought, I didn't even know what it was. But in the end, I decided to give it a try. ”
The following summer, Cook invited Winter to train with her in Park City, Utah. According to her mother, "Winter is a perfectionist, she's good at a lot of things. I don't know how many people can do everything like she does. ”
Participating in the Winter Olympics, she wants to inspire the world
From marathon crossing to aerial technique, Winter felt like a fish out of water.
"I barely did backflips or anything like that on a trampoline, and I didn't have a background in gymnastics. I know how to ski, but I don't know how to flip. ”
Winter recalls that when he first started practicing his aerial skills, he wasn't in the snow, but in the pool, "I don't even know how many times I jumped, and if I turned too little, I would turn my face toward the pool, and if I turned too much, it would become a head landing, which was too painful." ”
In addition to this, she also has to overcome homesickness. Being away from home is not easy for anyone, and Winter's first year at Park City was more of a thrill. By the second year, she had to make daily video calls with her brother.
Once when she came home, she was still wondering if it was worth it to train so lonely, "I remember crying with my mom in the closet, and I thought, I don't know if I'm going back." ”
Her mother encouraged her to go back for another week and see how she felt. After this time, Winter never looked back — she described it this way, "It's amazing when you stick with it." It's a unique feeling. ”
Originally, she had the opportunity to participate in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, but in August 2017, when Winter was training on a new move, her face was slapped on the water, and two titanium plates were finally put on her face. A month before the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, Winter's anterior cruciate ligament tore, and she finally watched the Winter Olympics on her couch in Park City.
At the Beijing Winter Olympics, Winter finally realized his dream, "I always wanted to be an Olympian, whether it was skiing, triathlon or marathon. I want to do my best to use my platform as an athlete to help others. ”