![]() ![]() Olympic team says all of its more than 200 athletes are fully vaccinated. athlete has to follow while they're in Beijing. No matter what happens, it will be a golden opportunity of a lifetime.īecause of COVID-19 restrictions, Kaitlin's parents and family will not be able to watch her in person in Beijing, but they'll be rooting her on from back home.Īnd there are a lot of restrictions that every U.S. And that’s a really cool thing to contemplate, actually being inside the Olympic venue and walking throughout all the other athletes." "I wonder what it will look like from my eyes. "I’m so used to seeing it on a screen," Kaitlin said. "When we see them walking in with the rest of the athletes with our flag and everything, it will be very special and I’m sure very emotional," said Jon. The culmination of a dream decades in the making. ![]() The duo’s efforts have resulted in major success, including a bronze medal at the United States Championships and qualifying for the Olympics in Beijing. "And I think that’s something really unique that you can say that out of your job, you have made a relationship that I know will never go away." As she calls it - a marriage - without being married. ![]() Together, the pair has traveled the world honing their craft. For the past 10 years, she’s been partnered with Jean-Luc Baker. "It never seems like a sacrifice because I get to do what I love every day and it feels very rewarding in that sense."Īnd she’s reaped the rewards of her dedication. "But honestly, my passion for skating has always been the driving force," Kaitlin said. I get to go to all these different countries." And her response was always, but look what I’m doing. "Like, you miss those rites of passage as a teenager, right? Going to homecoming and the prom and those things. "We were concerned," said Kirstin Hawayek, Kaitlin's mother. Eventually, that led to her moving away full-time as a high schooler. So with her skating career on the rise, and with the support of her parents, she began commuting from home in Western New York to train in Detroit, Michigan. "Once she puts her mind to something, there’s no stopping her." "She’s such a determined person," said Jon Hawayek, Kaitlin's father. Kaitlin combined those two passions - and by the time she was 12 or 13, she was firmly focused on ice dancing and competing at a high level. "I started skating around the same time I started dancing off the ice." "I think that a big part of the intrigue with figure skating was the artistry side to it," Kaitlin said. "It’s been a really long journey to get to this place and just being able to hear our names being announced to the Olympic team, it’s been so humbling," said Kaitlin Hawayek, an Olympic ice dancer.įor her, it’s been a journey of more than 20 years, since she began skating at 3 years old. An East Aurora native has paired her passion for skating and dancing into a chance for Olympic gold. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |