Bonnie Blair's Life And Accomplishments

Have you ever been passionate about something, but scared of the unknown that is awaiting in the future? Bonnie Blair was a persistent speed skater who did not let the thought of being the youngest child of a recreational family get in the way of her achievements. With the help of her impressive skills and strong-willed personality, Blair was able to attain six Olympic medals in total.

Bonnie Blair was born on March 18, 1964 in Cornwall, New York however, grew up in Champaign, Illinois. She was the youngest of six kids. Speed skating was a popular sport that ran in her immediate family. Four out of her five siblings held a national title in this sport. With this, Bonnie had big shoes to fill. She began skating when she was two years old.

Mike Crowe began to train Bonnie within these years in preparation for the 1988 Winter Olympics. Crowe's coaching and Blair's technique payed off in this Olympics. "In the 500-meter race she won her first gold medal, defeating the defending champion by .02 seconds and setting a new world record in the process" (Gettings). Adding on to this, Blair received a bronze medal in the 1,000-meter race. After this, Bonnie began to train more and more to prepare for the next Olympic games that she competed in. In 1989 she became the first American to win the World Sprint Championship (Blinde). More success was to follow. In the 1992 Olympic Games in Albertville, Bonnie won two more gold medals in the 500-meter and the 1,000 meter race. Blair was about to turn thirty in her next Olympic games however, she did not give up. She took home two more gold medals in the 1994 Lillehammer Games. "That year she was also named A.P. Female Athlete of the Year, Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year, and Glamour magazine's Woman of the Year" (Gettings). Bonnie had great success, however she wanted to give back and help people around the