first Junior World Cup. Everything just changed. I want to be the best. I want to be an Olympian. You compete in the Junior World Cup, dude. That's incredible.
This is so much fun. I want to keep doing this for the rest of my life. How do you stay grounded and stay like dedicated to um your goals from South Bend to Evansville and everywhere in between? This is Get In, the show focused on the Hoosier State and the incredible stories happening here today. I'm Nate Spangle, founder of Get Indiana, and I will be your host for today's conversation. All right, folks.
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Good vibes, amazing food, and amazing hospitality. Now, let's get back into it. Today, I'm joined by Quinn Durheimer. He is a nationally ranked speed skater from Greenwood with dreams of making it to the Olympics. He's known for his explosive speed and unmatched endurance. He's been turning heads in competition since age six.
Uh this guy is unreal. He is currently 16 and is on track to be a national you are a nationally ranked speed skater. We're going to be talking about how we got into speed skating, what life looks like that for a high schooler that's traveling across the world to compete in speed skating and uh see what uh your future dreams and ambitions are. Quinn, welcome to the show.
Uh thank you. It's it's so great to be here,
dude. I am pumped for this one. Uh I think I don't know maybe a few months ago you guys got on my radar and we just had to schedule around your recent visit to China
where you where you got to compete. So he's like, "Oh yeah, I'd love to come on the show. It might take a little while, a few months because I'm going to China to compete in speed skating where you're apparently now a local celebrity over there, right?
Yeah.
No, we were talking before and you said you uh you had your first interview while you were over there.
Um I had my first like eight interviews. There was one where uh I don't I think it's CTV. It's like the biggest channel in China and we were live streamed on it. Like all of my teammates were being interviewed. It was just really great. And then there was some like little kids that were like, "Hey, can you sign my jacket or can you inter can I interview you?"
No way.
Yeah, it's really cool.
You had to sign some autographs. So, you're you're you're famous in China and soon to be famous in the United States,
hopefully.
Before we get into like all the crazy stuff and then, you know, the international travel. Uh, we have to talk about how you end up pursuing a life of speed skating. You know, it's not like every six-year-old boy walks out and is like, "You know what? I'm not I'm gonna forego little league dad to join the speed skating. So, how did you get into it?
I started off as hockey and I didn't really like getting pushed around. That sounds a little but I I just like going around really fast and I just do circles. And then this one time public skate this group of speed skaters were on the ice same time as me and they saw me and they were like, "Hey, do you want to try speed skates?" And I was like, "Yeah, sure." So they grab my dad, they talk about it, and I'm on the speed skates and I obviously love it. And I've just been doing it ever since.
Trying the hockey route, it's like, hey, you know what? Like that's more Americanized I feel like a little bit, but then getting into speed skating. So what does the route look like? You just started at the public the public rink speed skating.
Yeah. I mean, the group that picked me up, they train in I think it's Fisers and they don't train anymore. They don't have a team, but I went from that team to what's called Full Throttle, and they are also they skate in Columbus,
Columbus, Indiana.
Yeah, Columbus, Indiana.
Okay.
And then I moved from them to uh Milwaukee, which is where I train now, and it's at the Olympic Ice Center.
Man, when we're going to get into this whole training at the Olympic Ice Center, like, put it in perspective. And and I know you're very humble. Uh but like how how good at speed skating are you like what and like if you talk about national rankings and the opportunities you've getting like just give us the facts.
There's ranking like there's ages. So there's seniors and then there's juniors. For juniors
right now most of the juniors are kind of older. They're going up to the senior level. I'm not like some prodigy that's going to like for sure make it to the Olympics. I'd say I'm okay. Uh, you're being humble. So, I mean, I'm looking through some some rankings here. The 2022 US Speed Skating Age Class N Junior D Boys, were you ranked sixth?
That that was when I was 12.
When you were 12? Yeah.
Okay. So, now four years later, you're I mean, you're you're getting to go compete. You're going to go overseas. So, like you're you're pretty solid at this whole speed skating thing, right?
And is the goal to make it to the Olympics? It's yes, that is the main goal. That's what I've always wanted to do.
I love it, dude. I think that's like an awesome passion to start pursuing at a young age. So, as you started getting into speed skating, when did you realize that, hey, this might be the thing that I that I really want to pour into?
It really I think it was at this competition where it was really secure that I was going to win and I was like, this is so much fun. I want to keep doing this for the rest of my life.
What's the accolade you have that you were the most proud of at this moment? probably making my first Junior World Cup.
Okay. So tell me what is the Junior World Cup?
So the Junior World Cup. So World Cup, Junior World Cup and World Cup is two different things. World Cup is for seniors and anyone older.
And how do you how do you distinct those two juniors versus seniors? What is that? What's the age?
Uh 18 and anything above 18.
Okay. So 18 and up is in the senior division.
Below 18 to 15, I believe.
Okay. Is juniors and so you're currently right in the middle of being a junior.
Okay. So, Junior World Cup brings all the best 15 to 18 year olds together to compete.
Okay. Where's it at?
Uh, it depends. It could jump around anywhere. My first one was at uh Bormio, Italy.
Italy.
Yeah.
Okay, dude. So, like, you're being so humble. Like, I'm okay. Like, bro, you don't just get to go to Italy if you're okay at something.
I mean, I did get fifth overall for the uh when I made it, so I kind of just cleared it. So like fifth in the nation.
No, no, no. Like fifth over all juniors
in the world
for for USA.
So So fifth in the nation for juniors
basically
in the country. Yeah.
In the United States of America.
Mhm.
You're a top five junior speed skater.
Yeah. For America.
Like if if I'm okay. I'm okay. Like I'm not that bad, dude. That's incredible. Okay. How old were you when you got fifth?
Uh 15.
So you're 50. So this is last year.
Yeah. for was that like uh September
last September you compete in the Junior World Cup and uh because you got fifth in in the United States. So so you get to go to Italy
as a 15-year-old
or like mom and dad tagging along. You going solo? What does this look like?
So basic so my mom comes with me but the hotels we room with our teammates. So it's basically like we're alone and it's
So you're hanging out with your teammates in Italy. Where are your teammates from? My Well, they're from Milwaukee. Well, actually, one of them was with me the whole time, my whole career. His name's Wesley Jones.
He's Yeah, he's he's from Indiana, but he lives in Milwaukee right now just like I do. And he
But you don't You mean you're like in Milwaukee like the whole time, but you're also like splitting. You're driving up there and coming back to Greenwood going.
Yeah. They they full on just moved.
This is nuts. Okay. So, you're you're growing up and you win a race and you realize that you're going to you want to keep doing this, but like even winning a race, like when when did you break through on the national circuit where it was like, "Hey, I'm one of the best for my age group."
So, I'm not really the best for my age group, but I'm like I'm right there. Like,
I mean, you're in the mix. You're you're I'm in the mix.
Yeah. There there are four. Let's say you're top 10. Let's just We'll say you're one of the 10 best junior speed skaters in the country. Mhm.
Like I know some really good football players that are still like the thousandth best quarterback in the country, you know, like being top 10 in anything is insane.
So like where did you like break out? Where did you stand from like, hey, he this is recreation and you're you're good to like holy smokes, this could take you across the world and even if you don't end up going to the Olympics down the road, it's like you still got to see the world as a 15-year-old kid. You're in Italy. That's sick. I think it started at the beginning to the middle of the season is where I really started to push myself really hard and start gaining on some people that I never thought I'
Is it a lot of it based on times?
Uh yes, I can explain that to you. So my fastest lap, like one lap and it's 1100 meter track is called it's 8.4 24 seconds. And in like car terms, that's like 30 mph on one leg. So that's like three G's on
one leg. You only have one leg down.
Yeah. So we pivot. So we bring one leg up and this leg is on like is planted and we put our hand down to turn the corner easier. Okay. So you're going in in car terms 30 miles hour. It's 100 and 11 meters.
Yeah.
Around this track and 8 seconds. 8 point what?
8.4.
So like what's the Olympic record?
Uh 7.8 I think.
So you're less than a second away from there.
Yeah. But it's so like once you really do it, you're like, "Oh my god, it's way faster than you think it is."
Oh, I'm sure. All right. I got to like watch a a video about this speed skating. We'll see what the fastest one.
Yeah. You might have to put short track because uh I do short track and there is this thing called long track and long track is very different.
Okay. Okay.
I also do skate sometimes train with the fastest skater in the world. His name is Jordan Staltz.
He has the world record for
crazy because it says Jordan Stoultz sets new speed skating track record. And I was literally clicking on that video.
Okay. So I'm looking at this one. You're in this like
that's long track.
Oh, this is long track. Okay. Wait. fingers down on the ice.
Do you have like a special glove?
Yes. Um, our left glove, it has plastic or metal tips on it so it glides through the ice instead of slows us down so we don't lose any speed.
Wow. Pulling three G's on one leg
cuz you're like almost sideways. Yeah.
How often do you have to sharpen your skates?
Well, I do it every single day after practice, but you don't have to do that. I just like the feeling of the sharpness. I mean, if you want to be the best in the world, you have to do that, right?
Dude, this is unreal. So, you're you just lean down in there. Your left foot do you always go in the same direction?
Yes.
So, it's always
counterclockwise. Go fast. Turn left. Fingers down. Like a little smidgen of like millimeters of blade.
Yeah.
Are touching
and you're pulling what? Over 30 mph.
Yeah.
How often are you up in Milwaukee versus how often are you in Indiana? Um, well, right now I've I'm in Indiana more because I'm on offseason. So,
what's Yeah, what's the season? What does that look like?
Up until May, like April to May, I have it off, but like on May 30th, I think I go back and I'm just all on skating
from June till next April.
Yeah.
Okay. So, and you what did you just get back from? What was in China?
Competition. It was like a Chinese invitational one. I had one in Beijing and I had one in Tongen. What tournament or race did you have to place well in to get invited to Italy the first time? And was that your first time going international?
Yes. Yeah. For Well, it was my first time skating for the USA internationally, but I've been to China twice.
Wait, you're like on team USA?
No. No.
But you're skate you're representing America.
Yeah. So, I I got to use I got to wear the stars and stripes. It's like I got to wear the suit, but there is a junior team and I did not make that this year because I didn't do nationals. So, because I wanted to do China and Yeah.
Okay. Where was Where did they go?
New York.
Yeah.
I'd probably choose going to China over going to New York. I'm walking here in China. Come on. Um, so you go to China and are you you have teammates that are also doing this all from Milwaukee or all that all train in Milwaukee with you?
Yeah.
And that's at the Olympic Ice Center. Is that what it's called?
Uh, it's called the Pettit National Ice Center.
What? Okay. So, and is that where this Jordan like one of the fat he trains up there too?
Yeah. And that video that you were about to watch is where the National Ice Center is. That's where I train.
Oh, really? Yeah.
So, how many people are training in the National Ice Center? A lot of people from a lot of different like countries come here. Like sometimes the whole nationals team trades here. What was your first exposure? Like where did you get that first invite where like this was legit?
I think it was go to Utah or no Canada. Canada. That was my very first like
How old were you?
14 13.
So like yeah you're 13 14 you get invited to go to Canada to skate for an invite.
It wasn't Canada invitational. It was just a race in Canada that we decided to go to because our coaches are amazing.
Yeah. And were at that point were you training in Milwaukee or were you still training? Okay. Milwaukee.
So at that how did you get hooked into Milwaukee?
So I've known my coach the one that's in Milwaukee for like ever since I started skating. But um I I think I left Full Throttle when I was 10 maybe 11. So, I've been sk I've been skating with coach Hongyong for quite a minute.
And is this like a any any Joe Blow could just go up there and skate with this coach in Milwaukee?
So, there are the team that I skate on. No, there's a club and then there's a junior team.
So, you're on the junior team?
Yeah. So, you have to make a certain time to get on the junior team.
So, I couldn't just like go like try out for the junior team.
I mean, you get on Pinnacle.
Is that the club?
Yeah, that's the club. Oh, that's like development, you know. Maybe maybe you just have fun speed skating. You join the club. But if you want to be on the junior team, the trains at the National Ice Center in Milwaukee, you got to be putting out some good times.
And it's training every single day day and in the afternoon in Pinnacle. They're training three times.
Are there a week
kids that you might have started this with when you were 10 or 11 that like bail out? They're like, "Yeah, this isn't for me."
Oh, yeah. I mean, how do those conversations go with like say if you have friends, have you do you have friends that have maybe like thought they wanted to do this and then they're like they're like, "Oh, I'm gonna go all the way with this." And then they're just like, "I can't keep like for my for instance, my sister, she was really good, but she wanted like the high school experience." And so she just quit and that was her like biggest regret ever to this day.
How old your sister?
She's 17 now. when she quit, she was 15, I think.
But it's hard because you're giving up your life,
but you're gaining a lot, you know, like you're you're on you get to go to China and eventually one like
you have to be and I I always say this positive light, you got to be a little bit crazy if you want to be the best at anything. Mhm.
You know, if you want to be in the Olympics or in the MLB or wherever, like not even in sports, you want to win the national spelling bee, like you got to be crazy and like study the dictionary every day
and then tell people like, "Yeah, I study the dictionary and like they look at you like you got a arm growing outside of your neck." So then I mean I'm assuming that as you start to get tastes of freedom or being a kid, you know, like you're 15, you say you have a friend that doesn't speed skate and they're like, "Yeah, you want to go to the movies on Friday?"
And I'm like,
"I can't do that because I am I have to do I have to work out. I have to go up to Milwaukee. I have to do anything I can to be the best." Where does that desire to excel in this come from? You just have to want it. How many hours a week do you spend dedicated towards being the best skater you possibly can be?
My sessions are two hours every single day. And on Wednesdays we have two ice sessions. So that's four hours.
Wait, so seven days a week you're on the ice for two hours.
Yeah. And on Wednesdays we train.
How many days? No off days. Like not like hey we'll do 14 days and then take one off.
We have Monday and Sunday off.
So Monday and Sunday. So you have 5 days a week that you're 2 hours on and on Wednesdays you're for 4 hours.
Yeah. So I take Sunday and Monday off because I have to go back to Indiana. But um if I didn't it would just be one day off. You It would just be Sunday.
Mhm.
No, it would just be Monday. Monday off,
dude.
Unreal. So you're traveling. So like what Tuesday? Like give me give me take me through a week in your life. You're a 16-year-old kid. At some point I'm pure school. Like you have to do some homework and write a paper or something.
Like I'm on online school so I can pretty much do where do it wherever I want. Like I do it in the car. I can do it at the airport. I can just do it whenever.
Wow.
Yeah.
Okay. So take me through a week. Okay. I I want to start uh you wake up I guess it would be you have Monday off. You wake up Monday morning
a couple days ago. Monday morning during season. Right now we're in offseason, so we have two months of like hanging out, coming do doing your media tour, coming and being awesome podcast. You wake up Monday morning. What time?
9.
Oh, okay. Normal kid. 9:00 on a Monday. What does that day look like?
So, I wake up, take a shower, and
Where are you Where are you at in the world? Also on a Monday morning during the season.
Uh, I'm in Indiana.
You're in Indiana. So, Southsider, shout out Greenwood.
Uh, you're you wake up at 9:00 a.m. in Greenwood. Take me through the week. So, I wake up 9:00 a.m. and I eat breakfast and I do some school before I have to leave because it's a long drive. It's like 5 hour drive. And I normally leave around 12 to 1, sometimes two cuz on Tuesdays I have weights. I have an ice session and then weights.
Okay. What time do you So, you drive up to Milwaukee Monday night?
Yeah. And I'll get there at like 7:00.
Okay. You know, then you go to sleep. What time do you have to wake up on Tuesday?
Uh 5 o'clock.
5 a.m. Yeah.
You're 16 years old. You wake up at 5:00 a.m.
Yeah. Just to train.
Dude, I started waking up at 5, maybe when I was like 25. It's game changer if you want to be successful. Like, it's a it's really, really good. But I don't know many 16-year-old kids that want to wake up at 5:00 a.m.
It's not fun.
So, you wake up at 5:00 and on Tuesday. What do you have to go do? So, I get there about like 6:15 and then I do my warm-ups and then I get on ice and train for two hours and then
So, like 6:30 to 8:30.
Yeah.
Okay.
And then I have to uh at like 4 I do an hour and 20 minute weight session with my whole team
like lifting.
Yeah.
What kind of what kind of lifts do you do for speed skating?
Mostly uh lower body, but we do do upper body for like just to stay in shape. Well, I can only imagine you doing like one leg on the bench, one like single leg squats.
I mean, yeah, we do do those. Um, my favorite is my favorite weight exercise has to be a squat.
Really? You're again crazy. What 16-year-old Every 16-year-old kid I know is like, "Let's do some curls. Come on." Do some squats.
So, you hit a 2-hour ice session and then between the ice session and the weightlifting session, what does your day look like? So, I get back, I eat some breakfast, and then I immediately, well, I take a shower and while my dad's cooking breakfast, and then I eat some breakfast, and I do school the whole day until I have to go to weights. And by the time Weights comes around, I'm pretty much done. Sometimes I even get done earlier, like 2:00, maybe even like 12. It's probably earliest.
Do you find it hard to stay focused and do your schoolwork and do you get good grades? Like,
I mean,
I don't know anything about online school. Yeah, I it's it's a lot easier to focus because there's no distractions around. So, you can just like be in your own mind and just you have a clear head. Cuz like I always had
cuz you didn't have people like me in class like trying to distract you by telling you like the latest like like knock joke or whatever.
Yeah. Like in when I was in brick and mortar school, I always had to I couldn't focus on anything. So, I had to like take this like extra like class where I had to like be in my own room and just do my stuff, which was not fun because I got to miss out on like a bunch of stuff like going playing at like recess or PE or even eating lunch. I couldn't eat lunch with my friends cuz I couldn't focus on what I was supposed to do. I had to do it on my own. But now my my mind is always like it's clear cuz there's no one like talking to me while I'm trying to take this test.
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Hit up rule the roadind indiana. com for all the details and give Alliance Highway Safety a follow on Facebook and Instagram to stay in the loop. We'll see you at rule the road indie at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Now, let's get back into the episode. The biggest distraction now would be like I got to like lock my phone away and just like focus on my like school work like learning like what are you learning right now? What's what are the classes like for for you?
I'm on the flex program so I don't actually go on the classes. That's basically what it is. Flex. You don't have to like attend the classes, but you still have to do the work.
Oh, wow. So, you just like do you just get homework, you like go read the book or learn about whatever.
If you write like an essay like I'm thinking about when I was like a sophomore, it's like having to read like Lord of the Flies or something like that.
Yeah. Uh sometimes we have to do discussions, but um if I wasn't on Flex, I would have to like do a class while I'm like practicing.
Oh, I got you. Okay. So, you're going through class. You have two two workouts a day. You go home, eat dinner after your lift, you know,
chill out. Like, do you like scroll on TikTok? Like, what like what's like what what do you do for fun outside of skating?
Um, when I'm in Milwaukee, I just instantly ride my bike every single day. I just ride my bike. So, I have a road bike, so it's just so fun to me to just do that and go fast. get done working out all day, doing a little doing some school, working out all day, and you're like, "Yeah, you know what I really want to do is ride a bike."
I rode a bike for like an hour and then
we need more kids like you in the world, dude. I saw kids climbing a tree the other day, and it gave me hope for the future. I was very pumped up about that. Okay, so then you go to bed, I'm assuming.
Yeah.
You like watch like Netflix or anything?
Uh, so I watch Netflix, go to sleep sometimes, and go to bed at like 9 or 10.
Wednesday, you wake up. What are you doing? Uh, Wednesday, same song.
5 a.m.
Same same thing, except instead of waits, it's another practice at 4:00.
Four hours on the ice on Wednesday. And that I'm assuming that pretty much continues out the rest of the week.
The only day that isn't a two day is Thursday and that's my favorite day of the week.
So, you are a normal kid. Like,
yeah. Like, it's not like I'm like, let's go work out and kill me. I'm like, you know. So then how do you like convince yourself that this is the right thing to do?
I just say always I'm getting stronger than everyone when I'm like pushing myself the hardest. I'm like because sometimes I have thoughts I'm like I don't want to do this. I want to tell coach I want to get off the ice but then I'm like but I'm getting stronger than these guys cuz I'm working harder.
Yeah. And it just motivates me to go more.
Where did that mindset come from?
I don't really know to be honest. It just I think it happened this last year when I first made my first Junior World Cup. Everything just changed. I was like, I want to be the best. I want to go to the Olympics. I want to be on the podium for I want to be an Olympian. It's like a delicate balance between parents and kids that want to be really good. And I'm sure sometimes you're like cuz like your parents probably hold you accountable to like, hey, you said you wanted to do when you were in in clear and conscious mind. you made the decision to go down this track, but then like when you're a kid sometimes you, you know, get a little bit upset and maybe throw tantrums and you're like, "Screw this dad. I don't want to do this."
Yeah. There was times where like so I had an injury
and and my foot and it was broken and I had to do exercises or else I wouldn't like come back. I'd be so far behind everyone that like what's the point?
Oh yeah.
And I was like so fed up with it. I was like, you know what? Why don't I just like quit and I'll be over with it. And I'm thankful I did not do that because that was very dumb of me.
And and it's like when you're it's this high stakes like one irrational decision.
Yeah.
Where you're like I'm done and you take a month even a month. Yeah. You could probably come back but like you're missing a month.
It's even for me like a week. Like if I miss a week of skating I'm like I miss the ice cuz I I miss skating when I like right now I wish I could be skating right now.
Like I hate podcast. I just want to be skating.
It It's so like when you're just going slow around the turns, it's so like peaceful cuz you don't hear anything when you're skating. It's so weird when you're going like 84, 85. It's just you and the feeling of the ice. You can't hear anything. I mean, some people are different. They can hear like their coaches, but I just
just you and the ice.
When you think about this non-traditional pathway, it's it has to be hard. And obviously breeding K-Rex Thursday is my favorite day because we don't have two days which is like that's good. You're a normal kid like
kids it is still work. Uh but when those moments of difficulty come around where you're like oh man the easy route to like how do you stay grounded and stay like
dedicated to your goal?
I'm always tempted to take the easy route but I just need to remember I'm getting stronger and one day I will make it to the Olympics. That's what I have and believe. How are you pacing along that? Where? Like, are you on track?
Like, do things look like that? What What would you say has to happen for that to become true?
Well, I'm going to have to beat the whole national team. Well, not the whole national team, people on the national team. And that's possible. I've done it before.
Like, how old is the average speed skating Olympian?
22.
22. Okay. So, you're 16.
Mhm.
And when is this? This is Winter Olympics.
Yeah.
So, the next one is be 26. So when does our team get slated?
So we have our own trials. It's not with like another country.
So it's going to be at Utah again. That's where they always host everything that's involves like
juniors and up because that's where US speed skating is. That's where they are.
So is that in 2025?
No. Yeah, that's in September. Up up up up and coming September.
So this September.
Yeah.
Are you going there?
Yeah, I'm going to race it.
How many spots are there on this team?
Uh four spots. There's four spots on the team from all ages. So it's like you at 16 I can't go. Like I would be able to go but I'm too young. It's 17 and up.
What?
Yeah.
The Olympics are 17 and up.
They they changed it.
So you're still going to compete?
Yeah. I can still do the trials. I just can't go. If I somehow like win the whole thing.
If you won the whole thing, they'd still say no.
Yeah. It's
Wait, even if you're 17 next year?
No. No. If I'm 17? Well,
by the time the Olympics happen.
Yeah. No.
What? All right. So, but you're going to go compete. What's the number that you think like the relative number that is going to get someone in those one of those four spots?
Fastest guy on the national team. He's got like a 40 point like nothing 500 and my 500 is like a 42.
Okay. And he's okay. So, Sean, he's like a prodigy. He's he's a prodigy in skating right now. He's 18. He's probably going to make the Olympics. Maybe there is a chance because I know a couple people on uh the national team are quitting if they don't make the Olympics this year. So
So quitting is like giving it up and going to go be
I mean they're they're like 25 and Yeah. And they've been doing it since they were like my age.
Okay. So wait, it's the current Olympic record. What's the distance that you
three distances? 500,000 15.
And what's your best distance?
Uh it's got to be the 15.
The 15 is 13 laps. 13 and 12 laps.
13 laps.
Yeah.
Okay. Wait. 1,500 m. 209 213.
209 213
is the men's record currently.
Is that long track or short track?
Olympic short track.
Okay. Yeah.
So, 1500 209 213 from uh in happened in Beijing in 2022. Dude from Hungary.
Yeah.
Shaolin Sandor.
Yeah. Lucin.
Okay. That's the current world record holder. 209. How where what's your 1500 time?
225.
Okay. So, we got some work to do if we want to be the best in the world. But like this one's like no one's gone. And that's like that was a time trial. So that's going off the gun and just instantly going like 84 and just holding on for dear life. But normally how a 1500 works is you go off the line slow to save energy
and
cuz cuz it's not necessarily time travel. You want to win the race.
So it doesn't matter about your time. You just want to be first. Yeah.
Okay. And this guy's 29 now, so like come on.
He's still skating though. Like he's in the He's in the seniors.
Huh. Okay. So you to make that one of those four spots for the Olympic team. Yeah. What do the times look like on that?
I don't know any of the times like to make it. I think you have to be just in top four.
Okay. All right. That makes sense. But uh there always is like a fifth spot which is like a backup. So if someone like breaks their leg during like a like a race, they can call in someone from
the relief pitcher, baby. And so you'll go out to Utah in September. Yeah.
To do that.
Uh how many people will be fighting for these four spots?
Uh a lot of people. Like all of my team, the entire national team will be fighting. They don't just get to go because they're on the national team. They still have to.
You got to prove it.
Yeah.
Wow. How do you get on the national team? So there's junior national team and national team. So junior national team you just basically have to get recognized but you have to be a
how many at this point how many h like how big is the pool of elite speed skaters that are 16 years old?
It's it can go well if we're talking like just in like America there's a well actually the junior developmental team is like a junior team like it's 16 to like 17. Yeah.
15 17.
I didn't get to get on it because I did China instead of nationals. But if I did do nationals, I would have got on it. Okay.
So, there's probably how many kids are on that team and how many kids went to China? Like, I'm just trying to like gauge like how many elite speed skaters that are 16 to 17 years old that you're competing to like continue to like get thinned out.
15 or 20 kids. But not all of them are like el well yeah all of them are pretty much elite.
Pretty elite. So what's the next big domino that has to fall in place for you to continue to take steps towards your Olympic dreams?
Make the national team. Really? I think I just have to make the junior national team or the national team. And I'm I'm really like I really believe I'm going to do that this year or next year. As you think back on some of these memories, the cool stories from Italy to China, like are there are there stories of like that have just like moved you and inspired you of like this is so cool. I get to do XYZ thing.
I mean, we've done like a I don't know how to call it like it's like a kebab thing. So, when we were in China, there's this like we went up this big mountain and it's like a tourist. No, we went from the Great Wall of China. So, I got to see that. And
you're like at the Great Wall of China.
Yeah, I ran up it. I ran it up.
How many steps?
I don't know. Well, we didn't do the whole thing because we would have been there for like a whole year, but um we did like partially.
Yeah.
And I ran it up. I ran up the Great Wall and it was I was so dead.
Like when you saw that like what did what was the feeling when you see the Great Wall of China?
I thought it was going to be like not like there's stairs on it
which is we I didn't know that. And um but it's so hard to run up the Great Wall cuz they're like this and then they're like this and they're going that way. So I almost like twist my ankle one time like Oh yeah, let's chill with that. So you then you did a kebab thing on the top of a mountain.
Yeah. So there's this like sled. It's like a slide but you're on like um a sled and you push this way. You go for to go like faster and you go like this to go slower. And we were going like really fast.
Like a bob sled.
Yeah, like a bob sled but like on like summer.
What?
Yeah. It's like a just a really big slide down a mountain on a bob sled.
I mean that's pretty crazy.
Okay. Are there other moments of of travels and skating that have just like really impacted you?
Just seeing like China is and all of these like places that I see like online is so cool. I'm like, "Wow, I'm really here." you would not be afforded all the opportunities and, you know, going to Milwaukee once a week or like most of the week without your parents.
Oh, yeah.
What What do uh what does their sacrifice into your future and potential career mean to you?
Uh my dad, he's the one who's always with me. His sacrifice has got to be time and family. Yeah.
Cuz he's always with me.
Well, what does that mean to you? You know, the easy thing, if you think through like how you're choosing not to do the easy thing. Oh yeah.
How you're like I'm gonna do it's like the easy thing to do would just be like get a 9 toive job at the hardware store in Greenwood and chill
send you put you back in ice hockey.
And about like a job like it's so hard to find a job and do this every single day. But I did find a job. I just haven't applied for it yet. It's actually at the place that I'm that I skate at. So
Oh, so you're going to you're going to work too.
Yeah.
I mean I'm just thinking through of like Yeah. You have to have some pretty cool parents to be willing to
drive you to Milwaukee once.
And like it's not like these are paid for trips like like Bormo Italy that wasn't that wasn't uh funded. Like we had to pay for that. I mean there are some like when you get to a certain level
on the national team like when you get to the national team most of this stuff is paid for. Like the senior world cups, it's paid for, but like anything below it's like not even halfway paid for.
Yeah. I mean, like for your your parents to invest in your future like that, that has to mean a lot.
Yeah. To go.
So when So when mom and dad listen back to this episode, what's the what's what do you want to say to mom and dad in a in a podcast environment?
Thank you for making money.
Yeah. Right. Yeah.
I love it. He's at the at your core, you're still a 16-year-old kid. whether you're one of the best speed skaters in the country or not, that's like a typical 16-year-old. So, I coach a wrestling team high school at Chitaard
and all the kids like you try to get them to say anything like sentimental or nice and there's like thanks coach like
no problem, Billy. Glad I could invest 27 hours a week into your future and career. That's what you do it for, though. whether you're a parent or a coach or anything like that. Have there been any coaches that have really uh made a big impact in your life?
Yeah, my coach now, someone to look up to. He's such a great guy. Someone to look up to. I've known him my whole life and I am very, very thankful that he's my coach.
Heck yeah. I love that. What about teammates? Are there like Oh, they're like brothers to me. Brothers and sisters. I've known them since I was six years old. Since I was doing this, six or eight, and they've been with me through the whole thing. Heck yeah, man. Uh, how can we root you on? Where do we like what's the next place we can watch you? How do we see the results? Give us the details there.
Trials, it'll be live streamed on YouTube.
Live stream in on YouTube in September in Utah.
Yeah.
And I mean, we're going to see you pull some times that are going to get you to the Olympics.
Hopefully.
Well, cuz cuz if you're not old enough for this cycle, then it would be the 2030.
Yeah. 2030.
So that How old would you be in 2030? Five years from now, you'll be 21. Yeah. Right in the sweet spot. So, five years from now, we're gonna come back. Yeah, I'll be in my prime at that point. That's your What's as is the prime? How long is that?
So, my prime. I'm not in my prime right now. I'm still escalating. Like, I'm nowhere near my prime.
Oh, I'm not in my prime either, brother. I'm 28. I'm yet to hit my prime.
I think 17 to 18, maybe 20 is where that's where it's going to happen. Where I'm going to be.
So, you're you're saying 21? You're going to be in your You're a young man at 21 if you've been do imagine this. How long have you been like legit training in Milwaukee?
Uh four years.
Four years. Five years. Five years.
You're 16. This will be f double the time.
Like imagine how good you've gotten since you were 10 to now. And then I'll be like, you know, having to hit you up like, "Yo, dude, remember me when you make the Olympics and get your gold medal." Incredible career thus far. Is there a single proudest moment that you've had?
It has to be making Gender World Cup. Like when I made that, I was so like my dreams actually coming true. I'm really doing this. Like I'm just getting closer and closer to that.
What did you have to do to make Junior World Cup?
Um I had to make two uh no one time. So 42 second under 43 second 500 or the thousand under a minute and 30 and I got both of them.
You hit both. Yeah.
Little double whammy.
Yeah. And I also made top five so I get to go.
Wow. So, you hit the time on both.
If I didn't hit the time and I still made top five, I can't go.
Oh,
cuz you had to be a certain speed.
What was your What were your times? So, you had to be 40 45.
Destroyed that time. I got 425
and then
and like you're I love how you say destroyed and it's like a half a second, but in like the speed.
It's such a big like.
Yeah. Yeah. I mean like cuz what's like the pinnacle Olympic 500 time? Uh 39. Okay. Two.
So you gota you we got to find we want to win a gold medal. We got to find three more seconds then.
Yeah. But like there there hasn't been anyone. Well, actually yeah, there has. I'm pretty sure.
Okay. So you you you beat the 43 by half a second.
Mhm.
And at that moment, but you still had or did you already know that you were making Junior World Cup when you hit that time?
I was in the spot. I was in the spot to make Junior World Cup. I just had to make the time.
Okay. And then like how did you feel when you hit that time?
I was like, "Oh, I just looked at my coach." I was like, "Yes, I'm so I just I did this because there's like a big screen and it it tells you your time." And then I was like, "Oh my god, coach, I got a 42. I'm going to go to General Cup." And he was just yelling with me, "Heck yeah, that's hype." This pumps me up. the sacrifice that you have to make and your family has had to make just like this non-traditional path
the goal that a 2030 Olympic cycle hit the I mean hit the times do your stuff win world cups like do the whole thing
but even if at the end you become a 30year-old young young man I still say 30 is going to be young right I got two more years till that like you're going to be you're going to look back in this time
and I assume still be like man what a life
like you're living a lifetime in 16 years.
I'm trying to go through all of this with no regrets. So,
yeah, I love that mentality, man. And again, I said it earlier in the show. It's like you kind of have to be crazy if you want to attempt to be the best at anything.
Yeah.
Like, I love a little I like to hang out with crazy people. Like, the crazier the better. Man, I appreciate you coming on and sharing your story. If there are young kids, maybe there actually I bet that our our audience will be parents. If there are parents that might have, you know, young kids that they want to inspire to go do big things, what would you say to them?
You don't want to push them so hard where they don't want to do it anymore. Cuz if you do that, then they're going to be like, I this isn't for me. But you just have to let them experiment experience. Like let them try new things. Like maybe even put them on the ice, do any like just But you have to be there. Like you can't just like, "Okay, go. I'm just gonna go stand over here." You have to be on the stands like videoing, cheering them on. You have to be that person even if it seems like it's not a lot. Cuz I know parents like on my team that like won't even watch their kids.
Wow. That's hard. Yeah. I mean,
well, and think about I think that you like you're putting in a ton of work,
but if you want your kid to be good, too. It's like you also have to put in a bunch of work, but you also have to balance that without like just straight up forcing them because there's always those kids that burn out and yeah, my dad just makes me do this or my mom just makes me do this and like I actually hate tennis. I don't want to play tennis. I want to be in the orchestra.
Yeah, I know kids like that. It's it's it's sad. Yeah.
So, it's like a delicate delicate balance of being supportive and in the stands
with also uh not forceful.
It's there's a balance and you have to find that.
It's been awesome getting to know you. As you think through what the future holds for you, what are you the most excited about?
Well, my favorite thing when I go to these new countries, I just love meeting new people. Like especially like the Chinese friends, they're so fun to hang out with.
They speak the same language or you have to have like an interpreter. There they have like special phones and there's a translator built into it.
No way.
Yeah, that's really cool.
That's wild. Okay, that's pretty cool. Okay, you did hint at the fact that your sister was really good, too. But now when you guys if you guys were to compete against each other, who wins?
Oh, probably me.
Oh,
but the only reason why is cuz I have man testosterone and she's
Yeah, buddy.
Like I'm just stronger than her. But she could have been so good, but she just didn't like that. She didn't have that mentality to keep going.
Yeah.
And it's
and like you want to be a kid. And you can't blame a kid for want to be a kid, but also you that the outcomes, the inputs that you put in are the outcomes you're going to get. And like
Yeah. And you said like now there's for your age group, how many elite skaters, male 16 to 17 skaters are there?
10.
10.
Yeah.
So it's like the final 10 now. is like you just got to like
final Yeah. final 10 to make it to the national team.
Yeah. There's around 10.
Yeah.
It's like at this point it's just like war of attrition. Like who's going to give up first? You just got to be the last one to keep going
there. And there's one spot to make it on the national team this next year.
So it's like you just got to look at them and it's like man I think you'd look good in a tux at prom. You should probably go do that, right? Like oh like you like you belong on the football team buddy. And it's like you just got to keep lasting. Um, okay. So, when you're hanging out in Indiana and you're not skating,
Yeah.
what what's what are the spots you love? Where do you hang out? What's a place that just makes you feel happy that's not an ice rink?
My room. I'm kidding. But, um, I do love hanging out with my friends. Like, I have
What do you guys do?
We just drove around and talk catch up on each other cuz like I haven't gotten to talk to him for like
Yeah.
so long cuz
of skating. We always go to these parks and just mess around and then we find more people somehow.
What park? What park do you go to?
Uh I went to uh Independence Park and then uh Freedom Springs Park.
Heck yeah. Okay. Uh is there like a a restaurant or a spot on the south side that just like always that always makes you feel like home? I barely know where the mall is now cuz I'm never here. I'm like where like I went to the mall with my friend like a week ago. I'm like wait where's the mall? And it's like 5 minutes away from my house. And I'm like oh because I'm I know where everything is in Milwaukee. I forgot where everything is out here.
That's funny. Um, so no place in Indie that you're like when you come home you're like, I have to go stop here. I love this place.
Oh, my favorite food place has got to be Zachby's. I love that place so much.
Zachs, not even a local Indiana place. This guy. Um, okay. As you travel the world and you think about growing up in Indiana,
what has growing up here meant to you?
I mean, to be honest, I wish I could spend more time in Indiana. There's so much more to Indiana than you really think. Like when people are like, "Oh, Indiana, ew." I'm like, it's there's so much more. There's cool spots in Indiana. Like, Indiana is a cool place to live and it's a great place to grow up and I love it so much.
Yeah, man. I love that. Uh, it's been awesome having you on the show and hearing about your journey from,
you know, having to relocate and spend a lot of time up in Milwaukee to what the future holds of, you know, I mean, I think of the bigger moments, right? You talked about making the the Junior World Cup
and trying to make the junior national team or the national team coming up. You're doing big things. You're a hooer by heart and and I'm excited to follow along. Like I don't know anything about speed skating, but now I'm going to watch speed skating.
If people want to follow follow you, connect with you, how can they find you? Social media website, where can we see?
Uh you can uh find my Instagram. It's Quinn.nk.
You can find me.
What's NNK stand for?
Uh I don't really know. I made that Instagram when I was like heck yeah. But he's loyal to it, baby. Quinn.nk NNK this September is gonna be competing the Olympic trials. That's so sick, dude. I I love it. I now have a favorite speed skater. Welcome. Uh appreciate you, man. And keep up all the good work. We'll be rooting for you.
Thank you. Thank you for listening to this episode of Get In. If you like what you heard, make sure you leave us a review wherever you listen to podcast. This show is made possible by our friends up at Sweetwater. Whether you're looking to start a podcast or take your content to the next level, click the link in the description to see all my gear recommendations at sweetwater.com. If you want a behind-the-scenes look at everything we're doing across the state, make sure you follow me on Instagram and Tik Tok @ Nate Spangle. Thank you so much for listening and being part of what makes the Who's Your State great. We'll see you next time here on Get
