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Posted: Tue February 3, 1998 at 5:00 PM ET
Athlete notes Peterson has lived her life lately according to that old cliché, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going"...since being diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in the summer of 1995, Peterson, a three-time Olympic medalist, has endured a day-to-day struggle to regain her comfort on the ice..."I was totally wiped out," explains Peterson. "It didn't matter if I trained really hard or I didn't train at all, I was always tired"...there is no cure for CFS as of yet, but doctors have helped Peterson learn to cope with the | |||||||||||||||||||
Athlete notes
limitations brought on by the condition...Peterson, however, is determined to do more than just cope with it..."One of my strong points used to be that I had such a good feel for the ice. I totally lost that when I got sick," she explains. "I want to get that feeling back. People thought I would quit and that amazed me. The thought never even crossed my mind"...Peterson should have no problem getting that "feel" back...it seems to be in her blood...she comes from a long lineage of speed skaters starting with her uncle, Gene Sandvig, who competed in the 1952, 1956 and 1960 Olympics...her sister, Lynn, was a competitive national team speed skater until 1992...currently, 13 cousins participate in the either short track or long track...Amy's mother was also a speed skater and her father was a hockey player... in fact, Peterson's parents met on the ice...and they happened to be wearing speed skates... "They both used to go to the rink on Saturday mornings," recalls Amy. "It's actually called long-blading. They would skate to organ music. It's like ice dancing, but on speed skates"...Peterson, who began figure skating at the age of two, made her way through the "peewees, ponies and midgets" before she started racing at age six...she credits figure skating for helping her build strength..."It gave me strong ankles, which are crucial in speed skating," says Peterson. "It also helped in technique drills, giving me a feel for the edges and the balances"...in Albertville, Peterson won a silver medal as part of the relay team; then in Lillehammer, she added a 500-meter bronze and a relay bronze to her coffers...these days, Amy has had to make some adjustments to her Olympic objectives... "Three years ago what drove me was that I was so close to winning. I was always either third or fourth at major international competitions," Perterson explains. "I wanted to win world championships. I always thought I was too close to quit. Now, it is to the point where I just want to get back what I had. At the last Olympics I wanted to medal, now I just want to make it to the Olympics"...Peterson is doing so with the help of close friend and former coach Andy Gabel, three-time Olympian and the most decorated short track male skater in US history..."I admire Andy so much. He is very busy yet he has always been there for me and helped me to overcome my obstacles. Andy is proud of me and that is very important to me"...Peterson's family has also been instrumental in helping her maintain her will..."I want to please my family. Last season was as hard on them as it was on me."...As she works to find the "old Amy" once again, Peterson manages to find time for piano lessons and golfing...but the girl who deemed herself the "eternal homebody" carries the memory of a special woman with her whenever she is far from home..."All of my grandmother's children were speed skaters, and a lot of the grandchildren are too. I am the youngest grandchild and I have gone the farthest in the sport. My grandmother passed away after the 94 Olympics," remembers Peterson. "I won two bronze medals at the Games. It was one of those things. It was like she was waiting for me to come home and she knew it was okay to go"...
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