Of the 232 U.S. Olympians competing in Milan, only one hails from New York City.

At just 21 years old, speedskater Kamryn Lute is living a dream she has chased since she was five.

When asked if it felt real to be headed to her first Olympics — set to race this weekend — Lute said, “I feel like it gets more real day by day, but it still doesn’t feel like it’s actually happening.”

Now, it is real.

What You Need To Know

Kamryn Lute is the only New York-born athlete on the U.S. team at the Milan Winter Olympics

Lute, 21, is competing in short track speedskating, where skaters race head-to-head on a 111-meter rink

She has trained six days a week since childhood, making sacrifices including relocating and switching to online high school classes

Lute represents both Team USA and New York, carrying forward her parents’ legacy of service in her own way

Lute is in Italy representing Team USA at the Milan Winter Games. Behind her smile is sixteen years of dedication and sacrifice.

“I was born in Manhattan and we’ve had an apartment in Tudor City ever since,” Lute said.

Speedskating isn’t a common path for New Yorkers, largely because there are so few rinks. But the Vancouver Games in 2010 captured Lute’s imagination as a five-year-old.

“I think just the speed — it was like nothing I’ve ever seen in sports,” she said.

The daughter of two Army veterans, Lute initially trained in Washington, D.C., where more skating options were available, plus a coach.

“I knew from the get-go, I wanted to go to the games, so I’ve been training six days a week my whole life,” Lute said.

The sacrifices began early.

At eight, Lute’s family moved to D.C. full time so she could focus on training.

In high school, she left friends behind and moved to a nontraditional form of schooling to prioritize her sport.

“Especially in high school, moving away from friends,” said Lute. “And the last two years of high school I actually switched to online school just so that I could focus even more on training.”

College was also a strategic choice, as she attended the University of Utah to stay close to the U.S. Team training center in Salt Lake City.

“I don’t think I ever would have imagined myself living in Utah or going to the University of Utah, but this overarching goal was to succeed in skating,” Lute said.

Long days away from home filled with countless hours on the ice defined her youth.

“But then once you get going, you’re kind of just stuck in it — not in a bad way, but that’s what you want to do so you’ll just do anything to make it happen,” she said.

At 21-years-old, the dream came true when she became one of eight American skaters competing in short track speedskating.

 Unlike long track, where only two racers compete at a time on a 400-meter oval, short track uses a 111-meter rink, and skaters race head-to-head with only the top finishers in each heat.

“You have to make very clean passes and really pre-plan whenever you’re going to make a move on someone because if you hit them or get in their way, you could get penalized, which prevents you from advancing,” Lute said of the strategy.

She said she is also excited to follow in her parents’ footsteps of serving the nation.

“They represented the U.S. in the military and through their work, and now I can do it in my own way,” said Lute.

She’s also representing her home state, sneaking in a brief visit to New York over Christmas.

“Did you go to the rink at Bryant Park or Rockefeller?” asked Stef Manisero, NY1’s sports anchor.

“I went, I didn’t skate,” Lute laughed. “It’s a little hectic, but it’s fun. It makes me so happy. It’s my favorite place in the world.”

Win or lose, after three weeks in Milan, the city could become a close second.