Peachtree City’s Lisa Cervantes not only loves when the Winter Olympics come around every four years, but now has someone to watch for on the big screen. Her son, 26-year-old Kyle Carr, is a 2014 short track speed skater and Winter Olympic hopeful.
Kyle’s mom was a nationally ranked speed skater; so naturally, when Kyle turned one, he was given his first pair of roller skates. He started skating at the age of three and competed in his first national competition. Kyle went on to race all over the country, and for various sponsored speed teams. When his family moved to Birdsboro, Penn. in 1999, he put the wood floor aside for some time on the ice.
Lisa remembers her three year-old son saying to her, “Mom, I’m going to the Olympics one day.”
And In 2001 Kyle decided that he was going to do just that and he made the full transition from roller speed skating to short track speed skating. Because roller-skating is not a recognized sport in the Olympics, Kyle’s only chance to be an Olympian was through short track speed skating. Kyle took off on the ice.
In February of 2004, Kyle competed in the US National Age Group Championships in Cleveland. Kyle was feeling tired but had one last race in the competition, the 3000-meter race, or 27 laps. Kyle was determined to win that race. With legs shaking and his heart pounding through his chest, Kyle crossed the finish line in 1st place and broke the national record. But that is Kyle, determined. Since that race, Kyle has become even more determined and hungry for an Olympic medal.
In 2004. Kyle was invited to train at the U.S. Olympic Education Center in Marquette, Mich. where he trained full time while finishing high school. At the same time Kyle’s parents were preparing for a big move to Peachtree City.
In 2005 Kyle participated in his first International competition at the Junior World Championships and World Cups, at a senior level, where he earned his first World Cup medal (gold) in the 5000 meter relay event in Spisska Nova Ves, Slovakia.
Just a few months after making the team and a few weeks shy of his first shot at the Olympic Team, Kyle was involved in an accident on the ice and broke his ankle.
Kyle flew to Atlanta for surgery and spent almost a year recovering at home in Peachtree City.
Speed skating did not stop advancing and neither did the skaters. After playing catch-up with extra hours of training,
Kyle has successfully gotten his gift back and was invited to train in Salt Lake City, Utah with the US Speed Skating National Racing Program. While training with the best athletes this nation has to offer, Kyle has had some of his best years yet, making various World Cup and World Championships teams and earning several medals along the way.
Due to the amount of training and dedication required this season to make the Olympic Team,
Kyle has had to leave the desk behind and focus entirely on skating. Kyle trains about as many hours a week, if not more, than lot of people work.
His monthly stipend has been cut to only $600 due to lack of funding available for the athletes.
This has put a huge burden on Kyle’s ability to maintain proper nutrition and meet the day-to-day living expenses.
While Kyle knows that this is the sacrifice he must make to fulfill his childhood dream, residents can help Kyle achieve his dream by donating to support the “home town” skater, as they cheer him on the big screen in Sochi, Russia. For information, go to www.gofundme.com/kylecarr
