(Photo: Iowa Soybean Association / Joclyn Kuboushek)
Rural Route 2: Chasing the dream
February 3, 2026 | Bethany Baratta
This month, nearly 3,000 of the world’s most elite athletes will gather in Italy to compete in the Winter Olympic Games. Adorned with their country’s insignia, they’ll compete in ice hockey, curling, ski mountaineering, figure skating and a host of other events.
The Olympics has always been must-see TV for me. It starts with the opening ceremony — the pageantry of 93 nations gathering in one space to celebrate their country and their team’s presence at the Olympics is a sight to behold.
My first memory of the actual events was watching Kristi Yamaguchi secure the gold medal for Team USA in figure skating during the 1992 Winter Olympics in France. Her intricate footwork, triple jumps and speed was impressive. While the highlight reels show the 20-year-old with the gold medal around her neck after a nearly flawless skate, there are things those Olympic moments don’t capture.
Think about the number of trips to the skating rink, the money spent on professional training, the falls and bruises suffered as she perfected her craft. There were undoubtedly events and other social gatherings she missed due to training and other figure skating events.
Perhaps you can relate?
While others celebrate what the yield monitors show, only you know the full cost of a season. It’s the mental gymnastics, the in-person trainings, the early mornings and late evenings, the balancing of family commitments and financial sacrifices that never appear on a highlight reel.
But in a way, you’ve got a lot in common with Kristi Yamaguchi or your other favorite Olympian. Though you might not be doing the same kind of loops, and your field of play may be different, you’ve achieved what only some are brave enough to attempt.
Like these Olympians, you commit to a season before there’s proof it will pay off. Long before a seed is in the ground, decisions are firm, resources are invested, and expectations are set. It’s the quiet work ahead of your Olympic games. It’s focusing on the goal of getting to the podium but being proud of chasing your dreams. And while there may never be a medal or a highlight reel to mark the moment, the resolve it takes to move forward anyway is something worth recognizing.
Written by Bethany Baratta
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