One Last Race: How Olympic Speed Skater Dan Jansen Held on to His Dream Until the Very End [Episode 10]

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Legendary Olympic speed skater Dan Jansen joins Laura on this episode of the Hope Sports show. Dan grew up in Canada and, as the youngest of nine children, got his start in the sport by tagging along with his older siblings to the ice. He went to his first Olympics at age 18 in Sarajevo in 1984, recalling them as low pressure, enjoyable, and successful despite not making the podium. This was the first time he faced the reality of public perception, however, as he returned home incredibly proud of his fourth place finish even while the media expressed its disappointment.

This pressure further mounted as Dan climbed the ranks of international success. He entered the 1988 Olympics favored to win, which only brought more scrutiny of his upcoming performance. The morning of his race, however, his older sister passed away from leukemia. Devastated and overwhelmed, Dan fell in both the 500m and 1000m races. Over the next few years, he would continue to have an incredible international presence, winning several World Championships and setting World Records one after another. The Olympic podium continued to evade him, though, until he raced the very final event of his career, the 1000 meters. Dan set a new World Record, stood at the top of the podium with gold, and closed that chapter of his life. His journey is one of perseverance and hardship, dedication and determination as he learned to be satisfied giving his best effort and be proud no matter the outcome.

Learn more here: https://www.hopesports.org/one-last-race/

For more about our host, visit www.laurawilkinson.com and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

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