Peterson still hooked on OlympicsPioneer Press / 02/18/2010
www.twincities.com/columnists/ci_14429660?source=rss&nclick_check=1Long before Vancouver became Vonncouver and Lindsey Vonn became an Olympic darling whose roots could be traced to Burnsville, the Minnesotan most known for winning medals at the Winter Olympics was St. Paul native Amy Peterson.
Winner of one silver medal and two bronze medals, Peterson's career as a short track speed skater spanned three decades and five Olympics. She started in Calgary in 1988 and finished in Salt Lake City in 2002, when she had the honor of carrying the Olympic flag for the U.S. contingent during the opening ceremony. I caught up Thursday with Peterson, who's now Amy Peterson Peck. She is married to a dairy farmer in upstate New York and the mother of two young boys. She no longer skates competitively, but she does some coaching and puts on speed skating clinics.
BS: Have you been glued to the TV watching the Olympics?
AP: Yeah. My problem is, I had to travel last week and I had a coaching clinic in Salt Lake. I didn't catch a whole lot last weekend. And I'm coaching this weekend in Milwaukee. I do have my DVR set back home, so I'll log a lot of hours next week.
BS: Is short track speed skating your favorite event to watch?
AP: Yeah. I like to watch all the speed skating: Long track and speed skating. Speed skating is a little more exciting because you never know what's going to happen. But I really enjoy watching all the sports.
BS: Are you, like many Americans, caught up in the Lindsey Vonn hysteria?
AP: As soon as she won (Wednesday night), she broke down right away. I said, "Nobody really knows the pressure she had on her." She was in the media limelight. She had the injury. She had to be just relieved to make it down the mountain. To actually win was great.
BS: What was the most memorable Olympic moment for you — winning a medal or carrying the Olympic flag in Salt Lake City in 2002?
AP: That's a tough one because I feel like you can't really compare them. For one, you work your butt off your whole life to win. The other one you can't work for. You're chosen for it. They're both the thrill of a lifetime.
BS: Stupid question: Can you rattle off where you won your medals or do you need a moment to remember?
AP: In 1992 (at Albertville) was my silver. In 1994 (at Lillehammer) were my two bronze medals. The silver medal was a relay, and one of the bronze medals was for a relay. The other bronze was for the 500-meter race.
BS: Is coaching a hobby or do you want to turn it into a vocation?
AP: It's actually what I graduated with a degree in from Concordia: kinesiology, with a minor in coaching. It's kind of hard to make speed skating coaching your career. The coaching I do actually is consulting with Minnesota kids from the Midway Speed Skating Club in Roseville.
BS: Do you coach short track and long track speed skating?
AP: I help with both the long track and short track program. It's just, at this time, there are very few short track kids at Midway.
BS: Are people surprised when they hear that not only were you a five-time Olympian but that you also took part in one of the most physical sports at the Games?
AP: Yes, they are. I don't know why, but the misconception is that if you were in the Olympics they should have heard of you. Most of the times, they haven't heard of you. A lot of times I get, "Oh, I guess I heard of you."
BS: Do you believe them?
AP: I wonder sometimes if they're just saying that. When I say I'm a five-time Olympian, they look at me like I have five eyes.
BS: I asked you before about being caught up in Lindsey Vonn hysteria. How about (short track speed skater) Apolo Ohno? Are you caught up in what he's doing, too?
AP: Well, he is an incredible athlete. It's hard not to jump on his bandwagon and, of course, he's a short tracker, as well. He helped put short track on the map for us.
