IntroductionWhen winter arrives, do you get excited about going sledding or playing hockey on a frozen pond? Do you imagine racing down snowy slopes, catching air on a snowboard, or spinning gracefully across the ice? Or would you rather cozy up indoors with some hot chocolate and tune in to the Winter Olympics and Paralympics?
For many of the athletes in this book, watching the Olympics is exactly how their journey to the Winter Games began. When Johnny Weir was a little boy, he studied the skaters on his television so intently that he figured out how to perform a difficult jump called an axel before he even took his first lesson at the ice rink!
Figure skater Michelle Kwan was just seven years old when she saw the Winter Olympics on television and vowed that she, too, would become an Olympian. And then ten years later, a little boy named Adam Rippon saw Michelle skating in the Winter Olympics and was so inspired by her grace and artistry that he created homemade medals—and went on to become an Olympian himself!
Watching the Winter Olympics with her mom sparked Marie-Philip Poulin’s dream of representing her country in hockey. And eight-time medalist Apolo Ohno thought the speed skaters he saw on television looked like superheroes and decided to give the sport a try.
The Winter Olympics bring together the best athletes from all around the world. And they were all once just kids working hard to chase their dreams.
Some of them had parents who helped them start at a very young age. Lindsey Vonn was just two when her dad put her on skis, and Surya Bonaly was a toddler the first time she stepped on the ice with her mom. When Chloe Kim was small, her dad padded her ski pants with pieces of old yoga mats so her tumbles on the slopes wouldn’t hurt as much.
As these young athletes got older and training became their full-time job, their families played big roles in helping them pursue their dreams. Adam Rippon’s mom even learned to drive a Zamboni so she could clear the ice for the early morning skate at his rink.
Those early mornings were part of daily life for many future Olympians. Chloe Kim and her dad used to get up at 2 a.m. to make the five-hour drive to her snowboarding practice sessions, and Michelle Kwan had to get up before dawn for her skating lessons. She tried sleeping in her skating clothes so she could stay in bed just a few minutes longer.
With big events often taking place hundreds of miles away from these athletes’ hometowns, competing in winter sports involved a lot of traveling—and that sometimes meant an even earlier start to the day! Skier Lindsey Vonn’s dad used to carry her to the car, still asleep, and put her in a sleeping bag in the backseat.
For many young people, winter sports aren’t easy to get into, especially compared to some summer sports: while most kids can go for a run or pick up a ball, it’s not so easy to find a ski hill or an ice rink. That’s especially true for young athletes who live in places with warm climates, such as skiers Charles and William Flaherty. They grew up in Puerto Rico and could only ski because their parents were able to take them to visit colder countries.
Even in snowy parts of the world, there can be other kinds of obstacles. For instance, Callan Chythlook- Sifsof grew up in a remote village on Alaska’s Bering Sea, hundreds of miles from the nearest ski resort. But that hadn’t stopped her older family members from learning to ski and snowboard, and she was determined to learn too.
The Olympians in this book had to overcome many challenges, from discrimination and prejudice to bullying at school and difficulties related to both mental and physical health. Black speed skater Shani Davis and Asian snow boarder Chloe Kim faced racism throughout their careers. Cindy Ouellet and William Flaherty both survived serious childhood illnesses before becoming competitive skiers. Marie-Philip Poulin was the only girl who played hockey in her town in Quebec. And Kristi Yamaguchi and Johnny Weir had to overcome intense performance anxiety that threatened to derail their careers.
Luckily, they had people in their lives who encouraged and supported them: parents and siblings, coaches and teachers, friends and teammates. Some of them even met and were inspired by famous athletes who had overcome obstacles of their own. Despite the difficulties they encountered, they didn’t give up—and after years of hard work and determination, they all beat the odds to make it to the Olympics. Many of them won medals and broke records, skiing faster, jumping higher, and performing ever more difficult tricks. They pushed their sports to new heights, captivating audiences around the world—and inspiring new generations of dreamers.
Perhaps you are one of them.
Copyright © 2025 by Robin Stevenson; illustrated by Allison Steinfeld. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
