Not Fitting In, Part 2:

In just about any group, a person can find others whose company they enjoy. Last winter's World Cup trip was much better for me than previous ones had been; it probably helped that I had more confidence in my own skating and therefore felt like I belonged on the circuit for the first time.

Some of the most fun times I had outside the rink involved going out for coffee in the afternoons with the rest of the sprinters.

I remember talking with Chris Witty about life after skating. She asked me some questions about college life. When she sounded concerned about what would happen after she retired from skating and had to finish school, as I had done, I replied, "Chris! What are you worried about? You have gold medals and a world record! I am in awe of you!!!" And she just laughed.

Joey Cheek is always fun to hang out with, as well. When Joey retires from skating, which will most likely be after this season, he plans to go to Harvard. Joey and I had some interesting conversations; I remember talking about why some guys don't find smart women attractive - a potentially touchy subject, but somehow that didn't matter.

I find that Joey is very curious and open-minded when it comes to individual differences between people, and this is one of the reasons why I think he will make a terrific politician some day. In a group, he likes to get people going on a controversial topic of discussion to see how they respond to tough questions...definitely, Joey has turned out to be one of the most fun and interesting members of Team USA.

What I have found in my interactions with my teammates is that, in the end, people's differences in background and perspective on life don't necessarily lead to conflict. What matters is how a person deals with these differences. I find that those who are not threatened by individuality are the most fun to be around.

In my day-to-day life as a speedskater in training, I'm glad to be a part of the High 5 Team. We're all a bunch of misfits, but the main thing we have in common is that we really love this sport. We support each other and we have fun together, both on and off the ice.

I'm still not very social with most of the speedskating community, and sometimes I feel like I may have missed out on some potential friendships with some of the "real people" in the sport. But then I think about what always ended up happening when I'd try to make myself go to a "National Team party:" Typically, I'd grab a bottle of Corona and go sit in a corner, smiling and nodding and pretending to be a part of the two conversations that were happening around me. I'd keep looking at my watch and waiting for an acceptable length of time to pass so that I could take my leave.

This blog probably makes things more difficult for me as well. In addition to being a speedskater, I've taken on this role of being a sort of "investigational journalist" for the speedskating community. Sometimes I give a voice to my fellow skaters, and other times, I am critical of some of them.

There are some things that need to change in this sport, and maybe some of those with whom I have had differences in the past will see that I can be useful to them because I'm willing to take a stand against unfairness without fear of tainting my image. I really do see any conflicts I have had with other skaters in the past as miscommunications, and nothing more.