Beijing Bound

BEIJING BOUND

The 2022 Olympic Games feature more than 200 current and former NCAA student-athletes from around the globe. No two stories are alike.
What binds them together is the world-class coaching they received as a college athlete and a love of competition that has propelled them to the top of their games.

Many reach the Olympics in sports they competed in as a student-athlete. Others get to the Games in a completely different sport from their college careers.
Read on for more on some of the college athletes turned Olympians that can call an NCAA campus home.

College Athletes at the Winter Olympics

More than 200 incoming, current and former NCAA athletes are competing in the Winter Games. They represent 21 countries across 5 continents. These students studied at 72 universities from all 3 divisions. Read the List >>

Former college athletes find Olympic success in different sports

The NCAA's longstanding branding tag line emphasizes that most of the nearly 500,000 college athletes will go pro in something other than sports. A very small percentage, however, go pro in a different sport. A few of these rare athletes will be competing at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, representing a less traditional part of the significant Olympic pipeline that is college sports..

Saint Michael’s freshman represents Ecuador as lone Olympian in Beijing

While attending an English seminar class at Saint Michael's, freshman Sarah Escobar penned her goals for 2022: Better myself in my sport and academics. Become the best person I can be. Moments later, one of those goals came true.

Michigan Tech alum takes unexpected path to 2022 Olympics

The moment Deedra Irwin learned she was officially an Olympian was part excitement and part relief. First, she called her parents to share the dream-come-true news of making the Team USA biathlon team for the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Sliding into the future

Kelly Curtis made her stamp on running tracks as a heptathlete at Springfield College. Now, she's looking to leave her mark on an ice track. The Princeton, New Jersey, native and former Division III student-athlete will represent Team USA at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games in skeleton — a sport she was initially reluctant to try.