A Colorado Springs-based figure skating duo recently overcame surgeries, a concussion, and other struggles to bring home gold medals for Team USA in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy this week.
Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea won their medals in the "pairs free skate" event on Sunday. It was in mid-January that they secured their places among 16 skaters representing the United States at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games.
Kam said her gold medal was, "definitely like a heavy weight to carry, but I slept with mine under my pillow, so that's how I'm keeping mine safe."
Asked if he could describe the feeling of being an Olympic champion, Shea said, "no, I don't think I could describe it," prompting his teammate to laugh.
"It's one of those things where it's been a dream we've been going after for decades now," the 34-year-old continued.
Kam, 21, said it, "felt like one of those magical moments where they say, 'oh, that's like your Olympic moment.' It felt like things kind of came together for us, and it felt like it was the right amount of energy and the right amount of trust and the right amount of patience."
In addition to winning the golds, the team achieved personal bests, earning 135.36 points after skating in the short program, free skating, and exhibition events.
The two teamed up in 2022 and both began skating when they were 4 years old. Kam previously skated with Ian Meyh, and O'Shea previously skated with Chelsea Liu, as well as Tarah Kayne, with whom he was the 2016 U.S. champion and 2018 Four Continents champion.
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