The injuries speed skater Sarah Warren overcame to get to the Winter Olympics is stunning

Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
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        Sarah Warren considered watching “Miracle,” believing the tale of the 1980 US Olympic hockey team would provide the perfect boost of motivation.
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        Upon further reflection, however, Warren realized "Miracle" contained moments of adversity. It was January 5th, and later that very day, at the Milwaukee skating center where she had honed her skills since childhood, Warren would crouch at the starting line, her surgically rebuilt knees poised to propel her towards a spot on the US Olympic speed skating team.
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        What she truly needed, Warren concluded, was an unambiguous morale booster. So, "Miracle" was sidelined, and "Moana" took its place.
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        “The core strength Moana possesses is belief,” Warren shared with CNN Sports. “It's not about anything else; in the movie's pivotal moment, she simply trusts herself. That really resonated with me.”
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        Much discussion has surrounded the power of belief at these Olympic Games, especially concerning what an athlete can achieve with a compromised knee. Perhaps no one is better equipped to speak on this, not even Lindsey Vonn, than Sarah Warren.
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        Warren underwent her initial arthroscopic procedure at just 13, and her latest at 28, to correct complete meniscal failure. Between these, she endured six additional knee surgeries and one on her ankle. She suffered tears to both ACLs – the right in 2016, the left in 2018 – dedicating four cumulative years to rehabilitation and recovery. As recently as two years ago, she struggled to balance on a single foot and had to re-master skating.
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        This Sunday, she is set to compete for Team USA in the 500m speed skating event. When posed the question many might direct at Vonn, currently recovering from a complex tibia fracture – *why?* – Warren simply shrugs.
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        “For me, anything is always possible,” she stated. “Setbacks happen, but I see them as taking two steps back to take three steps forward. Letting surgery derail my dream would have been the same as surrendering.”
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        In a detailed injury timeline provided to CNN Sports, Warren outlines her procedures with the clinical precision of a future doctor—she's currently pursuing a graduate degree in biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University—listing terms like “<em>lateral meniscectomy, arthroscopic debridement of articular cartilage, posterior horn lateral meniscectomy, suprapatellar pouch release, revision notchplasty, tenolysis of peroneus longus, extensive synovectomy</em>.” This contrasts with the raw emotional truth of a patient who has lived through each one. <em> </em>
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        “<em>Lying on the field, I knew a serious injury had happened, one that would profoundly affect my athletic future. Determined not to miss the season, I chose to brace my knee and kept competing. </em>
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        “<em>On the flight home, I stared blankly at the seat in front of me, fully aware this injury might be the breaking point, the absolute end. The way forward no longer seemed clear, but those close to me gently reminded me that an uncertain path doesn't mean I'm lost.</em>”
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   <picture class="image_large__picture"><source height="undefined" width="679" media="(max-width: 479px)" srcset="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/gettyimages-2260647496.jpg?c=original&amp;q=w_679,c_fill/f_webp" type="image/webp"><source height="undefined" width="967" media="(min-width: 480px) and (max-width: 767px)" srcset="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/gettyimages-2260647496.jpg?c=original&amp;q=w_967,c_fill/f_webp" type="image/webp"><source height="undefined" width="860" media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/gettyimages-2260647496.jpg?c=original&amp;q=w_860,c_fill/f_webp" type="image/webp"><source height="undefined" width="860" media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/gettyimages-2260647496.jpg?c=original&amp;q=w_860,c_fill/f_webp" type="image/webp"><source height="undefined" width="860" media="(min-width: 1280px)" srcset="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/gettyimages-2260647496.jpg?c=original&amp;q=w_860,c_fill/f_webp" type="image/webp"><img src="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/gettyimages-2260647496.jpg?c=original&amp;q=w_860,c_fill" alt="Warren's resolve to just earn a spot at these Winter Games is remarkable." class="image_large__dam-img image_large__dam-img--loading" onload="this.classList.remove('image_large__dam-img--loading')" onerror="imageLoadError(this)" height="4000" width="6000" loading="lazy"/></source></source></source></source></source></picture>
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        Warren is unapologetically candid, never implying her conviction remained unwavering or that she didn't question its worth multiple times. Being wheeled in for her second ACL surgery, she confessed to her mother, Katherine, "I don't think I can do this."
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        In 2024, facing extensive surgery after a prior meniscus procedure failed, she inwardly questioned, “Is this a sign?” And to her coach, Mike MacDonald, regarding her Olympic aspiration, "Do you still believe it's possible?"
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        Yet, hearing Warren recount her injuries, surgeries, and sources of inspiration offers a profound glimpse into what it means to be blessed with athletic talent and then commit a lifetime to pursuing its full potential.
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        Sporting success rarely follows a straightforward path. Michael Jordan was famously cut from his middle school basketball team, Muhammad Ali faced defeat against Joe Frazier in the "Fight of the Century," and Simone Biles contended with the "twisties." For ordinary individuals, it's tempting to question why athletes push through such adversity, perhaps assuming it stems from a desperate pursuit of validation or an addiction to adrenaline.
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        But what if it's far simpler? What if it's merely an inherent conviction that "this is my destiny"? A true calling, where challenges—like the twisties, defeats, or cuts—are seen not as roadblocks, but as trials to fulfill a deeper purpose.
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        For Warren, at least, this rings true. Her competitiveness was boundless. If her older brother John asked her to retrieve something, merely uttering, "I'll time you," would send Warren sprinting. She engaged in every sport imaginable while growing up—basketball, soccer, track—but the ice held a special allure. She can't articulate why; it simply felt intrinsically correct.
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        As a child, she was a member of an all-boys ice hockey team, instantly recognizable by the enormous bow her mother, Katherine, affixed to her hair for the Chicago Blues team photograph. However, as the boys grew larger and quicker, Warren had to transition. Her parents enrolled her in speed skating at the Petit Center in Milwaukee when she was 10.
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        “I remember stepping onto the ice that first day and thinking, 'Oh my God, I get to go fast and race on the ice!'" Warren recalled. "It was the ideal fusion of everything I loved.”
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        Three years later, she underwent her first surgery to alleviate chronic swelling, a procedure she initially gave little thought to, and rightly so. For seven years, she enjoyed an exceptionally successful athletic career. Warren broke high school track records, guided her club soccer team to an Illinois state championship, claimed the US Junior speed skating all-around title, participated in the Winter Youth Olympics in Innsbruck, and secured seventh place in the 500m at World Juniors.
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   <picture class="image_large__picture"><source height="undefined" width="679" media="(max-width: 479px)" srcset="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/2012-01-19t120000z-1938980189-bm2e81j10f801-rtrmadp-3-short-track-youth.JPG?c=original&amp;q=w_679,c_fill/f_webp" type="image/webp"><source height="undefined" width="967" media="(min-width: 480px) and (max-width: 767px)" srcset="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/2012-01-19t120000z-1938980189-bm2e81j10f801-rtrmadp-3-short-track-youth.JPG?c=original&amp;q=w_967,c_fill/f_webp" type="image/webp"><source height="undefined" width="860" media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/2012-01-19t120000z-1938980189-bm2e81j10f801-rtrmadp-3-short-track-youth.JPG?c=original&amp;q=w_860,c_fill/f_webp" type="image/webp"><source height="undefined" width="860" media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/2012-01-19t120000z-1938980189-bm2e81j10f801-rtrmadp-3-short-track-youth.JPG?c=original&amp;q=w_860,c_fill/f_webp" type="image/webp"><source height="undefined" width="860" media="(min-width: 1280px)" srcset="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/2012-01-19t120000z-1938980189-bm2e81j10f801-rtrmadp-3-short-track-youth.JPG?c=original&amp;q=w_860,c_fill/f_webp" type="image/webp"><img src="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/2012-01-19t120000z-1938980189-bm2e81j10f801-rtrmadp-3-short-track-youth.JPG?c=original&amp;q=w_860,c_fill" alt="Warren, left, competes in a short track event at the Youth Olympic Games in 2012." class="image_large__dam-img image_large__dam-img--loading" onload="this.classList.remove('image_large__dam-img--loading')" onerror="imageLoadError(this)" height="1802" width="2659" loading="lazy"/></source></source></source></source></source></picture>
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        In 2014, she chose to pause speed skating, enrolling at Illinois with a soccer scholarship to play and pursue biomedical engineering, a field inspired by her initial surgery. It was during a 2016 practice session there that misfortune struck: Warren stepped on the ball with her left leg, falling awkwardly on her right, resulting in torn ACL and meniscus.
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        Though understandably disappointed, Warren wasn't consumed by fear. Her brother, John, had torn his ACL in high school, recovered, then re-tore it on his very first day back at football practice. As a senior, desperate for a scholarship, he played through the injury with a brace, only to tear his *other* ACL in the final game. Both knees were ultimately repaired simultaneously. For months, he resided in the family's basement, the sole floor with a bathroom.
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        “I thought, 'I only have one, what am I complaining about?'" Warren recounted. "I understood the recovery process. I had incredible support. I simply told myself, 'Alright. I can do this.'”
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        This, however, marked merely the beginning of an arduous eight-year cycle of surgeries and recuperations. Warren tore her remaining ACL at the conclusion of her collegiate soccer career. After recovering, she moved to Salt Lake City to dedicate herself entirely to speed skating, only to require yet another surgery a year later to resolve lingering problems from the prior procedure.
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        By 2024, a period of relative stability allowed Warren to finally envision grand aspirations. She had enjoyed five successful, surgery-free years and was achieving tangible results on the ice, including three World Cup team sprint podium finishes.
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        Nearing the close of that season, her skating boot began causing ankle issues. She persevered, and alongside Erin Jackson and Brittany Bowe, earned a silver medal in the World Championships team sprint, yet sustained a complete rupture of all ankle ligaments in the process.
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        This occurred in March 2024. Four months subsequently, she underwent another surgery. The strain from her ankle injury intensified pressure on her knees, necessitating an arthroscopy for relief. Warren returned to training in October, only to experience what she termed "meniscal failure" during her inaugural week back on the ice.
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        Her extensive history of knee injuries ultimately culminated in an arduous rehabilitation period, spanning six to nine months, during which Warren fundamentally had to re-learn how to skate.
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        Why did she persist? Not driven by the necessity of an Olympic medal; the Olympics weren't even her focus. Instead, her mind returned to a 2018 conversation when she confided in her mother, uncertain if she could recover from another ACL tear. Katherine offered a gentle smile and responded, “Sweetheart, I don't think you have a choice.”
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        “I was at the base of the mountain, just trying to discern the way forward,” Warren explained. “It felt like there was no alternative. You simply had to do your utmost to navigate through it. Yes, there's a grand objective, but that's not the immediate concern. It's about healing, about re-engaging your quad muscle, savoring minor triumphs. You absolutely must begin modestly.”
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        On January 6th this year, Warren approached the starting line on the identical ice where she first developed a passion for speed skating nearly two decades prior. Serendipitously, the Petit National Ice Center had been chosen to host the 2026 US Olympic Trials. The previous day, Warren had narrowly put herself in contention for the team by a mere .02 seconds. To solidify her place, she needed to equal or surpass her time of 38.86 seconds and hope no other competitor outpaced her.
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        She had dedicated almost all of 2025 to recovering from her most recent surgery. Curiously, this forced "reset" proved beneficial. Warren focused intently on the technical nuances of speed skating, elements she had frequently neglected in her singular pursuit of victory and velocity. She felt, with conviction, that she had emerged as an even more skilled skater.
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        At 29, however, she also recognized that her competitive skating career was nearing its conclusion. Realistically, another Olympic opportunity was highly improbable.
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        Thus, empowered by the spirit of Moana, Warren approached the starting line in the most theatrical scenario imaginable: the ultimate pairing of the 500m trials, with only one remaining slot on the Olympic roster, and her .02-second lead hanging by a thread.
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        “I kept picturing young Sarah on that ice, brimming with excitement,” Warren stated. “I continuously reminded myself of the privilege this moment was.”
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        Warren sped across the finish line in 38.66 seconds, an improvement on her prior attempt and sufficient to secure her place on the Olympic roster.
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        “The ironic thing is, as I approached the line, I felt like I had already triumphed,” Warren explained. “I made it. We dedicate our whole lives to that single moment, but it's just 38 seconds, and you find peace in knowing you did absolutely everything possible to reach it. There were countless instances where I could have given up or abandoned myself. But I held onto my belief, and because of that, in my mind, I had already won.”
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