(Photo Credit: Clive Mason/Getty Images)
McGregor native Katie Uhlaender, 33, finished 13th in the 2018 women's Olympic skeleton competition in PyeongChang on Saturday. But, you should still be proud of her -- and everything she has overcome.
She nearly earned a bronze medal from Sochi after the third-place Russian finisher was stripped of the medal during the Russian doping scandal. But, the Russian's medal was ultimately reinstated. Channel 6 spoke with Uhlaender about that decision in January.
In the years since Sochi, Uhlaender has suffered multiple hardships, including the death of her best friend and Olympic bobsledder Steven Holcomb, as well as an autoimmune illness that nearly killed her in 2016. She has always been a survivor, though, battling through several surgeries in recent years.
Despite not winning a medal, there was a moment in PyeongChang that -- for many viewers -- was more powerful than any award. Uhlaender and her mother had a falling out four years ago and had not spoken since, according to Summit Daily. But, just seconds before beginning her first skeleton race on Friday, Uhlaender made eye contact with her mom, who had flown thousands of miles from Colorado to cheer her on, the Washington Post reported. No matter what happened in the past, they shared a moment that no words could accurately describe.
As a teenager, Uhlaender ran track and played baseball at McGregor High School.
Family, friends and supporters watched her final heat inside McGregor's Coffee Shop Cafe on Friday and Saturday.