Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea: A Story of Olympic Perseverance
MILAN (AP) — For Danny O’Shea, the path to his Olympic dream has been paved with hardship. The scars, bruises, and bumps tell a story of three decades dedicated to the sport. But the injury his pairs partner, Ellie Kam, sustained last year is different – a severe concussion suffered during a fall on the ice. This setback, occurring shortly after O’Shea’s foot surgery, threatened to derail their preparations for what could be O’Shea’s final chance at Winter Games glory.
Yet, when they took to the ice for the team event in Milan, and ultimately helped the United States defend its gold medal, the radiant smiles on Kam and O’Shea’s faces spoke volumes about their resilience. “I don’t really have the words because it’s supposed to be just another competition,” Kam shared, “but it’s so much more than that.”
An Unlikely Pairing
O’Shea, now 35, is a veteran in a sport often dominated by younger athletes. His athletic background is unconventional for a figure skater, having played football, soccer, basketball, and even practiced karate. However, figure skating always held a special place in his heart. He vividly remembers watching the Olympics as a child, a dream taking root that refused to fade.
“I wrote out all the years the Olympics would be. ‘Oh, it happens every four years, and in 2010, I’ll be 18 or whatever. That’s the one I’m going to go to,’” O’Shea recounted to The Associated Press. “That didn’t happen. But I am, if nothing else, pretty stubborn and determined – two sides of the same coin. I’m determined, and, you know, I believed in myself.”
Overcoming Obstacles
The journey wasn’t without its disappointments. O’Shea faced heartbreak in both the 2014 Sochi and 2018 Pyeongchang Games. In 2018, he and his then-partner, Tarah Kayne, were the first alternates, enduring the agonizing experience of being so close yet unable to compete.
Kayne’s departure from the sport amid allegations of misconduct involving their former coach, Dalilah Sappenfield, added another layer of difficulty. Sappenfield was later banned by the United States Center for SafeSport for abuse. O’Shea persevered, eventually finding a new partner in Ellie Kam for the 2022-23 season.
A Rising Partnership
The 21-year-old Kam, born at Yakota Air Base in Japan, quickly formed a formidable partnership with O’Shea. They have consistently dominated the U.S. national scene, winning the title in 2024 and securing a silver medal last month in St. Louis.
“It’s been really hard work,” Kam said, “but it’s nice to know that when I get through the day, I did enough.”
A Historic Pursuit
The U.S. has a limited history in pairs figure skating, with their last medal – a bronze – coming at the 1988 Calgary Games. While Kam and O’Shea aren’t considered frontrunners in the individual event, their performance in the team event was pivotal. They placed fifth in the short program, even surpassing reigning Olympic champions Sui Wenjing and Han Cong, contributing to the U.S.’s lead. Their fourth-place finish in the free skate further solidified the American victory.
“It’s what you worked your entire life for, both of us, since we were 4 years old,” O’Shea reflected. “You put every ounce of spare time – every time you could have gone and hung out with friends or had, I don’t know, normal moments, right? Instead, you’re back putting in the time on the ice. The sacrifices from our family but also from us, it just all goes into making this happen.”
Source: AP News
