Sarah Warren will make her Olympic debut in the 2026 Winter Olympics on February 15th, where she will compete in the Women’s 500 M Speed Skating race. But the moment she steps on the ice in Milan will represent far more than a single competition. Her journey to the Olympics has not been easy, as Warren has had to overcome many obstacles and displayed relentless determination when reaching for her goals.
Warren’s skating journey began long before the Olympic Trials. She started playing hockey with her brother at a young age, but she retired from the sport during her preteen years. Soon after, she discovered speed skating.
“And so I tried [speed skating], and I knew at that moment I absolutely loved it,” Warren said.
With the support of her parents, Warren committed herself fully to the sport. Throughout high school, she continued skating and began competing at a high level. She earned spots on multiple Junior Worlds Teams and qualified for the Junior Olympics as well.
But when it came to college, she shifted her focus.
She attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she played soccer for 5 years. During her time at UIUC, she endured a series of major knee injuries.
“During that time, I did tear both ACLs,” Warren said. “And then I had another knee surgery while I was there. So we had three. I had 2 priors, so at that point we’re at 5 knee surgeries.”
She tore her ACL for the first time her junior year. The second came in the final game of her fifth year, with just ten minutes left in the Big Ten season.
“So, it was as late as possible,” she said. “Obviously got a full season, so that was nice, but [it] put some doubt in my head for sure.” But she didn’t let that stop her, even though the mental recovery process was extremely difficult.
“Coming back from the 2nd [injury] is always a tough one on the mind because you know what you’re about to go through,” Warren said.
Her support system was crucial to her recovery, with Warren saying, “The people around me are what got me through. Brother tore his [ACL] 3 times. Mom and Dad always, always knew what to say to get me to the next day and keep my eye on the prize.”
After her final year at UIUC, Warren went to Milwaukee to rehabilitate her knee and resume her speed skating career. After rebuilding her strength, she moved out to Salt Lake City, where she eventually earned a spot on the national team.
Two years ago, Warren competed in the Team Sprint at the World Championships alongside Erin Jackson and Britney Bowen, where the team earned a silver medal.
But, things took another turn for the worst as Warren suffered a severe ankle injury, stating it “obliterated my ankle.” Because of previous knee problems, she underwent double knee surgery last July. Just as things were looking up, another complication struck.
“We were coming back. We were looking good and then I ended up tearing my meniscus [while] walking. The device failed, and it was super unfortunate.” Warren said.
Last season alone, Warren underwent four surgeries, three on her knee and one on her ankle.
“So obviously not the exact prep one would want for the year before the Olympics,” she said.
Still, she refused to let the setbacks define her. Through the support of her coach,Ryan Shimabukuro, and her parents, she kept working hard, and this all led to the Olympic Trials.
“Final race of Olympic trials. Last pair. It was as storybook as it gets, in my home rink,” Warren said about her qualifying win.
“We head to Milan tomorrow,” she said. “A very, very long journey for one goal.”
Looking back, Warren encourages students to “not limit yourself,” she said. “I think in high school, you have the opportunity to try everything and give everything your all.”
Throughout her career, she refused to choose one path.
“For me it was, do I have to pick soccer? Do I have to pick a track? Do I have to pick speed skating? Do I have to pick a school? And the answer was all of the above,” Warren said.
Warren exemplifies her advice as she refused to let speed skating get in the way of her academics. While training professionally for speed skating, Warren also pursued a master’s degree in applied bioengineering from Johns Hopkins.
“[It was] kind of nice because it reminded you you’re not just an athlete. You’re a human being total. And so, I thought it helped balance me out as a person,” said Warren when asked about the experience.
Warren’s skating journey has been tough and full of setbacks, but her perseverance and grit have led to tremendous success. Make sure to cheer on Warren during her race this weekend!
