BERKS COUNTY, Pa. – What are your favorite memories from the Winter Olympics in Milan?
“When I was watching the women’s ice hockey, my head was like exploding the entire game and I went home that night and I couldn’t sleep and I just keep replaying this amazing moment,” said Olympic speed skating legend Apolo Ohno
Many of us caught some of the historic Winter Olympic moments, and gold medal winner Ohno is no different.
“We don’t see them as political rivals or foes or enemies. I think we see someone who is a competitor. I can’t speak for everyone, but that’s how I looked at it,” Ohno said.
Ohno is no stranger to our area.
“For ten years, we would go to this location where I would shut out the rest of the world. I’d never even heard of any of these places. You go this way and there’s Amish people. You go this way, downtown Reading. It’s like polar opposites of the world. This is crazy,” Ohno recalled.
He says the people here left their mark.
“There’s just a realness and authenticity that I really appreciated. People work hard,” Ohno said.
He trained and remains close with legendary trainer John Schaeffer of Cumru Township. He credits John with taking his career to the gold-medal-winning-level.
“Creating this alignment with your intention and purpose, and believe this unwavering conviction that anything is possible. John is that. He served that for me for many years of my career,” Ohno said.
Ohno says there’s nothing like Olympic competition and the way sports can unite people.
“Anyone who’s ever played sports or been athletic, they can just tell you it’s a foundation of their life. In whatever career they are, and we’ve been very lucky in this country to love sports in that way, I just hope it keeps bringing us together because we need it,” he added.