Athlete Finds Support at Home

Athlete Finds Support at Home


Save Story
Leer en espaƱol

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

Shelley Osterloh ReportingMany athletes credit great support and encouragement from family for getting them to the Olympics. Jen and Casey FitzRandolph met just before his first Olympic Games in 1998. She helped him prepare for 2002.

Casey FitzRandolph: "She would make sure that I was where I needed to be mentally. You know, and that she was there to support me and not distract me."

Athlete Finds Support at Home

Jen FitzRandolph: "I'm the listener when he comes home and he's not having such a great day. It's going to be better tomorrow. 'Remember last week when you were on top of the world? Its going to happen again,' that's where I fit in."

And when he won gold in Salt Lake City, he found Jen in the crowd of thousands.

Casey FitzRandolph: "It was an amazing feeling to be up in the stands and see my future husband achieving his ultimate goal in life. We have a picture that I have framed here in the house of the two of us kissing afterwards."

After the Games, the couple married and moved to Salt Lake City so Casey could continue training at the Utah Olympic Oval. They like the lifestyle Utah has to offer. Casey grew up in Wisconsin, where he learned to hunt and fish. Both enjoy the outdoors, things like swimming and hiking with their dog, Keyuh.

Jen is a teacher who works for Sylvan Learning Centers. She says she loves to see how learning can empower a child.

Jen FitzRandolph: "And to be able to help them through education and giving them the training and the tools to feel that confidence to say, 'I'm successful, I can do whatever I want in life.'"

Casey says Jen has helped him find success too in just being there, whether he wins another gold medal or not,

"You've still got family and friends that love you back home, or in the stands. So go out there and have fun, skate your best race and focus on what you're doing, and don't worry about the outcome."

Most recent Utah stories

Related topics

UtahOlympics
KSL.com Beyond Series

KSL Weather Forecast

KSL Weather Forecast
Play button