BEIJING (AP) 鈥� For Kelly Curtis, representation absolutely matters.
And in her first Olympic appearance, she became a trailblazer.
Curtis finished 21st in the women鈥檚 skeleton event, her run at the Beijing Games ending Saturday. The result isn鈥檛 why she鈥檒l be remembered. Curtis was the first Black athlete to represent USA Skeleton at the Winter Olympics 鈥� and she hopes her presence at the Games will open more doors to her sport.
鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty important. It鈥檚 part of my identity, but it鈥檚 not the only thing that I lean on,鈥� Curtis said. 鈥淚 would like to be known as one of the best sliders. It鈥檚 nice with a cherry on top to be known as the first Black Olympian for USA Skeleton, but I would also like to be one of the best. So that that鈥檚 really what I鈥檓 trying to progress toward every time I go out there and slide.鈥�
There are plenty of fascinating elements to Curtis鈥� story. She has an intense dislike for cold weather, which isn鈥檛 a great thing for someone who competes in a sport where she slides at 80 mph with only a thin sled separating her body from an icy chute. She had six wisdom teeth. She once tried to jump over a fence and broke both her arms. She needed a miracle finish just to qualify for this year's Olympics.
In Beijing, though, most of the questions she鈥檚 fielding are about race.
鈥淲hether I wanted it or not, we鈥檙e here now,鈥� Curtis said. 鈥淚 think there鈥檒l be a lot more questions just because of my skin tone regarding that. And I didn鈥檛 expect to be in this position right now. But I鈥檓 just trying to embrace it all. ... This is the space I鈥檝e always been in. It鈥檚 just more people are taking notice.鈥�
Curtis is no accidental success. She was a big-time heptathlete at Division III鈥檚 Springfield College, a winner of that event at the 2011 Penn Relays and a three-time All-American at the same school that produced 2010 U.S. Olympic women鈥檚 bobsled medalist Erin Pac.
Her father, longtime and now retired athletic administrator John Curtis, was drafted by the New York Jets in 1971. A family road trip to Atlanta in 1996, after the city played host to that summer鈥檚 Olympics, opened her eyes to the Games. (鈥淚 still remember Izzy the mascot,鈥� she said.)
And now she鈥檚 here.
鈥淚鈥檝e been very blessed to be able to be in a family that has put athletics in such a high regard and understands that it鈥檚 a vehicle that can bring us to places that we never thought would be possible,鈥� Curtis said. 鈥淚鈥檝e always been known as John Curtis鈥� daughter, and now that I鈥檓 on Team USA he鈥檚 starting to be known as Kelly Curtis鈥� father. I like that.鈥�
She was one of three women of color in the skeleton competition at the Beijing Games. The others: Valentina Margaglio of Italy, and Brogan Crowley of Britain.
They echo Curtis鈥� sentiment on race within their sport: Being on the Olympic stage is perhaps the best way for skeleton to grow.
鈥淚鈥檓 really proud. I鈥檓 really proud,鈥� Crowley said. 鈥淚 know it鈥檚 different. I don鈥檛 really see it as different. But when people ask me the question, I guess I reflect a little bit. I am proud and I hope to inspire kind of a new generation of younger children and just make them believe that they can do whatever they want to. Really, there should be no restraints on what you think you can do.鈥�
Curtis looks at it the same way. She knows skeleton doesn鈥檛 get talked about much, and certainly even less in non-Olympic years.
And if anyone heard her story this week and drew inspiration from it, that鈥檚 what Curtis would call a win.
鈥淚鈥檓 standing on the shoulders of giants,鈥� Curtis said, 鈥渢rying to inspire the next generation.鈥�
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Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press
