From Florida Atlantic basketball to Team USA Olympic speedskating: Brittany Bowe set for last Games at Milan Cortina

For the past 16 years, Olympic speedskater Brittany Bowe has lived her life in quads, a four-year grind shaped by the same dedication and team-first mentality she learned as a Florida Atlantic women's basketball student-athlete and now carries into her final run at the Milan Cortina Games.

Within each quad — the four years between each Winter Olympics — Bowe completely dedicates her mind and body to her training, with a goal of excellence in the form of an Olympic medal. 

Even when she reached the podium by winning bronze medals in the 2018 Pyeongchang Games and 2022 Beijing Games, Bowe continued to pursue another level.

"(Winning a medal) is a feeling like none other," Bowe said in a 2024 article. "I get asked the question all the time, 'Why are you still doing it?' And that feeling of euphoria is just that. I'm obsessed with winning."

Following the 2022 Winter Games, however, Bowe decided that the 2026 Milan Cortina Games would be her last. 

"I have been so blessed to have such a long, successful career," said Bowe, 37. "It's just time. I'm excited for what life will look like next. What that looks like, I have no idea. But I'm just grateful to be able to end on my terms."

Before Bowe made it to this point in her career, preparing to compete one last time and close the chapter on a notable career, she learned what it took to be a competitor in what may seem like an unexpected place for a speedskater: on the hardwood as a women's basketball student-athlete at Florida Atlantic.

Florida Atlantic foundation

Bowe grew up in Ocala, Florida, in a home where sports ruled. Her mom was a college cheerleading coach, while her dad ran a girls high school basketball program. Bowe gravitated to basketball early on and continued to play it even as she found inline speedskating — the indoor equivalent to ice speedskating — at age 8.

In high school, Bowe played for her dad and earned All-State honors in her senior season. When the opportunity arose to earn an education and play basketball at Florida Atlantic, nearly four hours southeast of home in Boca Raton, she jumped at the offer.

In college, Bowe quickly learned that being a collegiate athlete took a high level of dedication, commitment and selflessness, all skills that translate to her life today in speedskating. She credits her coaches for helping her find the value in those skills.

"Coach (Chancellor) Dugan and Coach (Shannon) Litton, they were hard on me, but they also lifted me up," Bowe said. "They really taught me what it's like to be resilient, to keep pushing through. I am forever grateful for the lessons that I learned from them, and I continue to talk to them regularly."

Bowe improved on the court during each of her four years and won Florida Atlantic's Most Outstanding Female Athlete award as a senior in 2010. Off the court, Bowe continued to improve as an inline speedskater as well. By the time she was a senior, she already had competed in world championships and won gold medals.

From inline to ice

When the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver began, Bowe watched and imagined herself competing there. She believed her dream could become a reality, sparking her switch from inline to ice speedskating.

So following graduation, Bowe began her first quad, moving to Salt Lake City to begin her journey to becoming an Olympian. Bowe accomplished her goal, making Team USA and competing in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Even though she didn't reach the podium, the experience inspired Bowe to keep pushing for another chance in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. 

Her journey would take a sharp detour in 2016, however, when she suffered a head injury that kept her sidelined and in rehab for nearly a year. This challenged what Bowe knew about resilience, as well as how to navigate her mental health.

"Growing up … you just think that you can't show weakness, you have to be mentally tough all the time," Bowe said. "That was the first time in my career that I realized it was OK to say that I wasn't OK. I struggled with panic attacks, anxiety attacks, and prior to this head injury, I've never experienced this before. It wasn't until I could admit that I wasn't OK that I finally started to heal."

Bowe didn't just heal; she got stronger, both physically and mentally. She returned to the ice and trained vigorously to be ready for the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, where she earned a bronze medal. 

Bowe repeated the feat at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, winning her second bronze medal. She also was a part of one of the best stories from the entire Games, as she gave her spot in the 500-meter relay to teammate Erin Jackson, who went on to win gold. 

That act of selflessness is one that Bowe attributes to being a good teammate, something she developed as a collegiate athlete.

"I compete in an individual sport now, but I train every single day with the U.S. national team," Bowe said. "So being able to continuously lift people up around me makes a really big difference."

As she prepares for her final Olympics, her focus is on continuing to value how she got here and not just what she is after.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't going for a gold medal," Bowe said. "But at the end of the day, any time I've looked at the outcome, it hasn't come out the way that I've wanted. So really trying to embrace each step of the way and just performing to the best of my ability on that day will be a huge win."

How to Watch

Bowe's 2026 speed skating events at Milano Cortina Olympics can be watched across NBCUniversal's coverage, led by NBC and its affiliate networks. Every event will also be livestreamed and available on demand on Peacock. Daily broadcast schedules are available at nbcolympics.com/schedule.