• News
    • Campus
    • Local
    • World
  • Arts and Entertainment
    • Performing Arts
    • Visual Arts
    • Music
    • Film
    • Fashion
  • Lifestyle
    • Campus Happenings
    • Community Happenings
    • Food
    • Business
    • Travel
    • Calendar
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Video
    • Globe News
    • What’s Bruin
    • Bruin Lens
    • Film
    • Music
    • Globe Shorts
  • Radio
Search
17.4 F
Salt Lake City
Tuesday, January 31, 2023
  • Newsletter Signup
  • Contests
  • About The Globe
    • Staff
    • Jobs
    • Issue PDFs
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account
Forgot your password? Get help
Privacy Policy
Password recovery
Recover your password
A password will be e-mailed to you.
The Globe The Globe
The Globe The Globe
  • News
    • Campus
    • Local
    • World
  • Arts and Entertainment
    • Performing Arts
    • Visual Arts
    • Music
    • Film
    • Fashion
  • Lifestyle
    • Campus Happenings
    • Community Happenings
    • Food
    • Business
    • Travel
    • Calendar
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Video
    • Globe News
    • What’s Bruin
    • Bruin Lens
    • Film
    • Music
    • Globe Shorts
  • Radio
Home Features SLCC student Kelly Gunther achieves Olympic glory
  • Features
  • Sports

SLCC student Kelly Gunther achieves Olympic glory

By
Derrick Gainsforth
-
February 19, 2014
0
American speed skater Kelly Gunter at a World Cup event on March 7, 2010.
American speed skater Kelly Gunter at a World Cup event on March 7, 2010. (Richard Hugen)

Kelly Gunther, an early childhood education major at Salt Lake Community College, placed 33rd in women’s 1,000 meter speedskating at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

The prestigious opportunity to compete on the world’s stage was preceded by her life of dedication and passion for the sport of speedskating.

Born to a working class family in Lorain, Ohio, Gunther found her passion for skating at six years old. She began her career as an inline skater, competing on the U.S. Junior World Championship team.

Gunther’s father left home when she was 11 years old. Being brought up in a single parent home has kept Gunther humble as she worked cleaning apartments in the evening.

It did not stop her from pursuing her passion for skating. In 2009 Gunther traded in her wheels for blades as she began ice speedskating. She moved to Utah to get a spot on the 2010 Olympic winter team.

However, due to a technicality she narrowly missed qualifying for the final spot on the team. Gunther stuck to her trademark will to “always believe” and never stopped training for her second opportunity at Olympic glory.

In the spring of 2010, Gunther was competing in a 500 meter race at the Utah Olympic Oval.

She was coming into a turn when she slipped on the ice, sliding into the track’s pads.

Gunther suffered a severe injury to her ankle stating in the YouTube video “Ready To Believe: The Kelly Gunther Story” that if the skate had been removed, her foot would have been removed with it. She underwent intensive rehab and began skating a mere six months after her accident.

Four years later, Gunther has been labeled “the comeback kid” with a spirit and determination that has now brought her to her goal – a spot on the 2014 U.S. Olympic speedskating team.

Gunther recently tweeted words of encouragement to her fellow SLCC students: “Never give up on our dreams & always chase for what you want! Always believe in you & never give up!”

 

@kafabee

  • TAGS
  • Kelly Gunther
  • Olympics
  • Winter Olympics
  • Women's 1000 meter Speedskating
Derrick Gainsforth

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

Lit cauldron at Yanqing Winter Olympic Cultural Square

SLCC shines at Beijing Winter Olympics

Speed skater Erin Jackson practicing on the ice

SLCC alumna Erin Jackson becomes first Black woman to win Olympic medal in speedskating

Eddy Alvarez sitting on top of Olympic Rings

SLCC alum heads to 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Bobsled

Salt Lake City prepped for 2030 Olympic bid

Former SLCC athlete earns silver medal at Sochi Games

The Globe
ABOUT US
About The Globe
Staff
Jobs
Issue PDFs
FOLLOW US
  • About The Globe
  • Staff
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs
© 2023 The Globe