An Olympian from a small town in Vermont said it’s an honor and a thrill to represent her state and the nation at the Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang.
“It’s been a really exciting journey,” said cross-country skier Kaitlynn Miller of Elmore, who will travel to South Korea after completing other competitions on her schedule.
Miller trains at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center as part of its Green Racing Project.
The athlete said that as a child she used to imagine going to the Olympics as a figure skater. But it was in both sprint and distance Nordic skiing where she’d excel in competitions around the world.
“We’re all so happy and so pleased for her, that she’s achieving goals that she has set for herself,” said Miller’s mom, Deborah. “I think all parents are like that, right? We want our kids happy!”
Also representing the Green Racing Project and Craftsbury on Team USA are Miller’s fellow Olympians, Ida Sargent and Caitlin Patterson.
All told, half of Team USA’s 20 cross-country athletes are either from Vermont, went to school in the state, or train here.
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“It really speaks to the depth of the ski culture in Vermont, the training opportunities, and the dedication of the people here that half the team does have Vermont ties,” Kaitlynn Miller told NBC 10 Boston and necn Monday.
Green Racing Project coach Pepa Miloucheva said she has high hopes for Team USA’s cross-country skiers at the Olympics.
“The U.S. is really competitive,” Miloucheva said. “And there’s this really big chance for medals. They can win the medals; they know it. It’s really exciting and really nerve-wracking, also.”
Kaitlynn Miller and her teammates will have to put aside any nerves and rely on the endurance and speed they’ve built up, as they look to race to Olympic glory.
