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Katie Uhlaender
- 2006 U.S. Olympian in skeleton
- Won her first World Cup medal (silver) at Lake Placid in 2005 and won two World Cup bronze medals in the 2006 season
- Three-time U.S. National champion (2003, 2004, 2005) and two-time Junior National champion (2003, 2004)
- Considered one of the world’s top pushers in women’s skeleton during the 2005 season finishing the season ranked sixth in the overall World Cup standings and second in the U.S. standings
- “She’s a coach’s dream because she’s a sponge,” coach Tim Nardiello said to Colorado Springs Gazette. “She listens to everything.”
- Competed in ski halfpipe until she met bobsledder Sara Sprung and started training with her
- “I love the feeling,” Uhlaender told Colorado Springs Gazette. “[Skeleton’s] like flying. Bobsled, it’s like driving a car.”
- “Her biggest strength is her strength,” said 2002 Olympic gold medalist Tristan Gale. “You should see her in the weight room. This girl can move some weight.”
- Grew-up skiing with her brother while their mother was at work; played baseball on a boys’ team, softball, golf, basketball and power lifting in high school and didn’t know if she should pursue collegiate softball, track or become a halfpipe skier
- Runs in the flamily – her dad played for the Cincinnati Reds in the 1970s as an outfielder
- “She never walked,” Karen Uhlaender said about her daughter to Colorado Springs Gazette. “She started running … She started riding a bicycle, the training wheels were on for an hour. She said, ‘Mom, I don’t need them.’”
- Slid down a 100-foot rock face while photographing friends, breaking her ankle in the process but was not diagnosed by doctors until a year later
- “I’m a huge Batman fan and the superhero’s philosophy has helped me in life – live selfishly by my own potential, yet ultimately affect the world in a positive way,” said Uhaender in her Home Depot profile
- Works in the outdoor garden department at The Home Depot in Avon, Colo.
- Enjoys skateboarding and photography; volunteers with the National Wildlife Conservation Society and the Environmental Conservation Society, where she take part in the Adirondack Black Bear project
Uhlaender doesn’t take more than three days off during her training schedule. “Her work ethic really plays a large role in her success,” U.S. strength and conditioning coach Greg Sands said to NBCOlympics.com. “And it’s not just on the track – it’s in the weight room, in her sprints. Sometimes I kind of have to pull in the reins on her.”
“When she found something she really liked, she was obsessive about it,” Uhlaender’s mom said to Colorado Springs Gazette. Skiing, anything she became interested in, she just stayed with it … Her schoolwork, she put it in her mind she was going to get an A, she got an A.”
On handling pressure: “You can add pressure or take it away depending on your perspective,” Uhlaender said to Summit Daily News. “Pressure is all a state of mind. When I’m out there I focus on my objective, not consequences.”
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Height: 5’ 3”
Born: 7/17/1984
Hometown: Vail, Colo.
Resides: Breckenridge, Colo.
Sport: Skeleton
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