Now that the skating season is coming to an end I’m now able to put more focus on cycling specific training. This means I haven’t been able to put in the traditional amount of training for cycling one would in the winter months because I’m having to travel the world and complete at World Cups for skating. So right now my cycling training takes a bit of a backseat and comes in when it can while skating has priority. The toughest part is knowing which sport takes priority, because I’m not sure it would be possible to go all in on both sports. I’m a member of the US Long Track National Team coached by Gabriel Girard and I’m lucky to have the help of Corey Hart on the cycling side. To become an Olympian was the dream then to walk away with a medal was a very delicious cherry on top. I have no regrets or disappointments from my first Olympics. After pulling off with one to go, much like bike racing, ‘you know what’ happens and Heather wasn’t able to cross the line top three. We sat in the back and waited for the right moment for me to go to the front and lead Heather out for the medal. I was racing this along with my teammate again, Heather Bergsma. I ended my first Olympics with probably the most fun of races, the Mass Start. This was the first medal for USA Long Track Speed Skating since 2010 and the first one for the US women since 2002. After three rounds and the help of our fourth teammate Carlijn Schoutens, we were able to earn the bronze medal. We knew we were capable of a lot but still not sure what to expect. This was going to be the first time the three of us, Brittany Bowe, Heather Bergsma and myself, would be racing with one another. Unfortunately I was ill going into this race so I just did my best, which is all I was looking to do anyways a medal was not in sights for me in that event. The first event for me at the games was the 1500m. I qualified in three events, the 1500m, Mass Start and Team Pursuit. Mia Manganello Kilburg: I was extremely honored to have made my first Olympic Team in 2018. PEZ: The Winter Olympics, PyeongChang, did you make it and how did it go? Her agent, ex-pro Mike Englemann thought we might like to catch up with her as she takes up where she left off with her cycling career, riding for UCi squad DNA Pro Cycling. It was back in August 2017 we last spoke to Mia Manganello Kilburg she was about to put her cycling career on hold and concentrate on her first love of speed skating with a view to making the Winter Olympic Games in China.

Mia ice skating game