By: Katherine Reutter

By: Katherine Reutter

By: Katherine Reutter

By: Katherine Reutter

Say hello to Katherine Reutter, a short-track speedskater with gold-medal potential. The Champaign native has been kind enough to give us an inside look at her quest for Olympic glory by writing a monthly diary for The News-Gazette. Her fifth entry:

The Games are creeping closer with fewer than 100 days left until opening ceremonies. With the big day coming up, our sport has gotten more coverage in the past few months than it has had in four years. NBC has bought all the TV rights to our competition, so the only video available of our season so far is on Universal Sports Television or on universalsports.com.

NBC also has been swarming the athletes for in-depth bios. It seems every week that there's a new camera crew complete with audio, lighting, producer, and correspondent. A lot of the coverage has been for Apolo Ohno, but I've been fortunate to have camera crews come out for me a few times, too. All are set to air during the Games. NBC Sports has come to Champaign to get footage of me where I'm most comfortable, at home. And NBC Nightly News has been to the Olympic Trials, Champaign, and Salt Lake City.

In addition, Nike sent a camera crew to Salt Lake City to cover speed skating as a special broadcast on nike.com for its 100-day countdown to the Games.

Given all the attention that athletes get during an Olympic year, people may assume that the life we live is glamorous. Not so! But for a day or two at a time, the media lets me feel (like my story is) important.

The first media event leading up to the Games was an all-day event in West Hollywood, getting lifestyle footage of athletes and what they're like outside of their sport. That was by far the most fun. Hair, make-up, and even assistants to make sure that you and all your stuff got where you needed to be on time. Then a few calls and e-mails between NBC Sports and NBC Nightly News, and before I knew it I had people following my every move at competitions and at home.

It is fun and glamorous, at times. But it always ends with a huge REALITY CHECK! As quickly as it started, you go from people offering to bring you lattes and touch up your make-up to five sets of 30 laps with dryland training right after – and that's just the morning practice! It's taught me over and over again how important it is to define who I am and to be confident enough in that to share my story.

I feel like, so often, blending in with the crowd is the desirable thing to do – especially for young girls who don't know how to draw attention to their talents without being perceived as arrogant.

But I've learned that the best way to be noticed is to do it through your actions. Talk is cheap and looks only go so deep. The way to live a life worthwhile is to define yourself, your goals, and your fears and live your life upholding and overcoming all those things. It is the greatest challenge, but being an athlete where I don't necessarily have a deadline to meet has taught me quickly that it's not always about my results, but the way that I performed (the process).

If I keep working hard, then hopefully my story will continue to be followed and I will continue to represent myself and my country through my actions.

Diary No. 1 - link

Diary No. 2 - link

Diary No. 3 - link

Diary No. 4 - link