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Erin Hamlin Luge Fast Facts • Born Nov. 19, 1986, in Hartford, New York (age 31) • Favorite athlete is former U.S. women's soccer star Mia Hamm • Is an athlete mentor for Classroom Champions, a non-profit organization that pairs Olympic and Paralympic athletes with students and teachers in underserved communities • Was a sectional all-star in soccer and track at Remsen High School • Is the first American luge athlete to medal in singles competition at the Olympics E rin Hamlin took interest in luge at the age of 12 and began competing shortly after, winning a gold medal at the Junior World Championships at 17. Now, at 31 years of age and with a number of successful seasons behind her, Hamlin holds the title as Team USA's greatest luge athlete of all time. At her third Olympic Games, Hamlin became the first U.S. luger to win a medal in the singles competition when she took the bronze medal at Sochi 2014. Having successfully qualified for Pyeongchang 2018, it is widely believed that Hamlin will retire from the sport following her fourth Olympic Games. No doubt, Hamlin has her goals set higher than bronze for what could be her final few rides on the sled, and she hopes to end her career a little higher on the Olympic podium. Sarah Hendrickson Ski Jumping Fast Facts • Born Aug. 1, 1994, in Salt Lake City, Utah (age 23) • Attended the Winter Sports School in Park City for her senior year • With the No. 1 bib at Sochi 2014, she became the first woman ever to ski jump in Olympic competition • Her motto is "live each day and ski jump like it's your last" • Considers Lindsey Van to be her hero in the sport W ith a father and an older brother who were both ski jumpers, it comes as no surprise that Sarah Hendrickson was on skis by age 2. She was first introduced to ski jumping as a 7-year-old watching the 2002 Winter Olympics in her hometown. Fortunately, being from Salt Lake City, Hendrickson was able to take advantage of the sudden interest surrounding ski jumping and got an early start on the jump at the Utah Olympic Park, where her love for the sport grew. Her dream of competing in the Olympics was strictly a dream up until Sochi 2014, when women's ski jumping was first introduced to the Winter Olympic Games. Hendrickson nearly missed out on the 2014 Olympics after suffering a torn ACL, but she recovered just in time to compete in the historical inaugural event. She has dealt with four more knee injuries following Sochi 2014, which has hindered her development in the growing sport. Again, she has recovered from injuries in time to qualify for Pyeongchang 2018 and looks to improve on her 21st placement in 2014. WHO tO Photos courtesy USOC/NBC Olympics Jamie Anderson Snowboarding Fast Facts • Born Sept. 13, 1990, in South Lake Tahoe, California (age 27) • Launched an environmentally conscious clothing company called TRYE (To Respect Your Earth) • Favorite non-snowboarding activities include hiking, camping and yoga • Was homeschooled with her five sisters, the eldest two of whom introduced her to snowboarding • Her sister Joanie won the 2007 X-Games in snowboardcross J amie Anderson learned to snowboard when she was 9 years old when she was first introduced to the sport through her older sisters. By the time she was 13, she was competing in her first Winter X Games. At 15, she surpassed Shaun White as the youngest snowboarder to achieve a podium finish at the Winter X Games, and at 16 she became the youngest woman to win a Winter X Games gold medal. Since then, Anderson has won multiple gold medals in the slopestyle event and won several season championships in the TTR World Tour and Winter Dew Tour. Anderson made history at Sochi 2014 when she became the first Olympic gold medalist in slopestyle snowboarding. She looks to defend her gold medal in the slopestyle event, while adding to history again when the big air event makes its Olympic debut at Pyeongchang 2018. Lowell Bailey Biathlon Fast Facts • Born July 15, 1981, in Siler City, North Carolina (age 36) • Enjoys playing the guitar and mandolin in two bluegrass bands • Often repeats a Theodore Roosevelt quote in the starting gate that says, "Do what you can, with what you got, where you are" • Was a three-time NCAA All-American while attending the University of Vermont • Has a Bernese mountain dog named Hazel G rowing up in Lake Placid, New York, Lowell Bailey participated in several winter sports, including cross-country skiing, but only shot his first biathlon rifle at the age of 14. After years of competing, Bailey saw his breakout season at the age of 30, when he broke into the top 20 of the World Cup rankings for the first time. He finished 14th at the end of the 2011-12 season, improving on his ranking of 41st from the previous year, and he finished last season in eighth position. His first World Cup podium came in 2014 when he finished second in the 10 km sprint at Kontiolahti, Finland. Most recently, a year before considering retiring to become a cattle farmer, Bailey became the first American biathlon world champion when he won his first World Cup gold medal at the 2017 World Championships in Hochfilzen, Austria. In doing so, he also became the oldest individual gold medalist in world championship history, at 35 years and 216 days. Bailey will be an inspiration for most at Pyeongchang 2018, since he exemplifies why one should never give up on their goals. WHO tO Photos courtesy USOC/NBC Olympics 6 2.4.2018 Most Trusted Name in Hearing Care More than 75 years of experience and a 95% patient satisfaction rating! 11 Halsted Circle C • Rogers • (on Walnut east of S. 28th Street) 479-372-4883 • Call today for an appointment! Hearing aids starting at $ 899 each - 0% interest WAC