From Students to Sochi: Speed skater Emery Lehman doubles as lacrosse standout at Oak Park-River Forest

On a regular school night, Emery Lehman wraps up his day at Oak Park-River Forest (Oak Park, Ill.) and hops on Interstate 94 to get to practice.

What has become an ordinary trip for Lehman is anything but a normal afternoon for a high school student. Lehman makes a 90-mile trek to Milwaukee to train with personal coach, before embarking on the return trip that evening, only to go to bed and wake up the next day, bright and early, for another full day at Oak Park-River Forest.

Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Such is the life of a high school student who doubles as an Olympic speed skater.



Lehman, 17, will be representing the United States in Sochi in both the 5,000- and 10,000-meter events, one of only a handful of American high school students who will be competing in the Olympics for the United States. The 5,000 begins at 5:30 a.m. Saturday, and the 10,000 is Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 8 a.m. (All times Eastern).

According to those around him, it has been Lehman's quiet determination that has allowed him to thrive at speed skating while maintaining his status on the school's honor roll as well as playing two other varsity sports at the suburban Chicago school.

"He has always been super responsible, super focused," said Heidi Lynch, Lehman's guidance counselor since his freshman season. "He's super organized. Super conscientious. He's kind of amazing, even without the athleticism."

Lynch said that even with his stringent training regimen, Lehman has hardly scaled back his academic pursuits, taking full academic loads as a freshman and sophomore, and cutting back only slightly as a junior and senior.

"He's never tried to wiggle out of anything," Lynch said.

In addition to his Olympic training and academic workload, Lehman also participates in both hockey and lacrosse, where he is coached by John Terretta. According to Terretta, Lehman's athleticism transcends speed skating and is apparent when he takes the field as a midfielder.



"He displays an extraordinary amount of athleticism as far as his endurance," Terretta said. "It's a rigorous sport, sort of like soccer or hockey. There's a real physical attribute to it, sustaining your wind and keeping going and going. He's obviously very good at that."

Terretta also described Lehman as strong and quick. He handles most of the team's face-off duties and is very successful at it.

Still, on the lacrosse field, it's Lehman's intellect, not his athleticism, that allows him to thrive. It's a trait that undoubtedly helps him on the speed skating oval as well.

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"His intellect really carries over into the sport, makes good time decisions," Terretta said, "He thinks on his feet real well. I think in speed skating, he's been able to use that cerebral nature to think his way through things, as far as training and form. He knows his body real well."

If he wanted to pursue lacrosse, Lehman could play at the Division III or Division II level, according to Terretta. This winter sports season, with speed skating trials in full swing, Lehman opted to sit out the hockey season.



Lehman headed to Utah in January for the Olympic trials, where he took second in the 5,000 behind only Jonathan Kuck. He followed up that performance with a stunning, come-from-behind victory in the 10,000 by a mere 0.07 seconds.

"That was pretty insane," Lehman said afterward.

Two weeks later, when Lehman was set to leave for Sochi, the school held a send-off ceremony for him. All of the attention was a little unusual for a senior who normally just blends in as a regular student athlete.

"He seemed a little nervous or embarrassed at the attention. He's very down-to-Earth," Terretta said. "To his friends on the lacrosse team, he's just Emery."

What are Lehman's post-Olympic plans? He's considering attending college at Marquette University in Milwaukee, which would allow him to continue his current training plan.

In the short term, he'll be suiting up for the lacrosse team once again this spring.