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From inline to ice: How a speed skating star got her Olympic chance

Heather Bergsma is a world record holder and world champion. Now she's on the hunt for Olympic gold.
MILWAUKEE, WI - JANUARY 07: Heather Bergsma leads a group of skaters in the Ladies Mass Start event during the Long Track Speed Skating Olympic Trials at the Pettit National Ice Center on January 7, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

If there's one thing Heather Bergsma enjoys, it's speed.

And that's actually how the former inline skater became an Olympian.

"With inline you keep hearing, oh it’s going to be in the next summer games, the next summer games so I was really looking forward to that," Bergsma recalled. "Finally, I lost hope and I think my only chances are to switch over to ice.”

But switching sports didn't slow her down.

“The less you try, I know it sounds crazy, the faster you’ll go,” Bergsma explained.

Since Sochi she's switched coaches, got a new training program and is basically doing "everything differently." And the results have been clear.

In 2017, the two-time Olympian won two golds at the World Championship, giving her confidence for the upcoming games in South Korea.

Heather Bergsma skates during training for her third Olympics.

The other big change in her life was getting married to Dutch speed skating champion Jorrit Bergsma.

"He always gives me confidence going in before my races, so that's nice," she said.

She might not get to see her husband a lot in PyeongChang because she'll be representing Team USA in four separate events. And competing in her third Olympics means a lot to her.

Heather Bergsma, a member of the U.S. Speed Skating Team, will be competing in her third Olympics.

"Just being role models, for younger girls that they can also pick a sport and achieve it."

As for those youngsters looking to be Olympians one day, she says to focus on working hard and having fun, but mostly have fun.

And what's Bergsma's good luck ritual before racing? Putting on chap stick.

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