Wantage speedskater aims for Olympics

WANTAGE — Nicholas Turro, a township resident and 2009 graduate of High Point Regional High School, is training full time at the U.S. Olympic Training facility in Milwaukee in an attempt to earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic Long Track Speedskating Team for the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics.

Turro is coached by former Olympic Speedskater Tony Marchese, Sue St. Pierre and Kreg Greer.

Turro, a former ice-hockey player who has played in highly competitive leagues in the U.S. and Canada, has won four silver medals in 2013 despite having been training on speedskates for a short time. He has finished second in the U.S. National Marathon Championship 25K, the U.S. National Marathon championship 50K, the North American Marathon Championship 5K, the North American Marathon Championship 50K.

While competing in the U.S. National and North American Marathon Championships, and only his third time on Long Track Speedskates, Turro was introduced to Patrick Wentland, a former U.S. National Team coach and member of the Speedskating Hall of Fame. He is currently the Talent ID Coordinator at the Academy Of Skating Excellence (ASE) in Milwaukee WI. The ASE program is designed to develop future medal winning speedskaters. With partial funding from the U.S. Olympic Committee, the ASE is a collaboration between U.S. Speedskating and the Pettit Center National Olympic Training Facility.

In September, Turro was accepted into the Academy of Skating Excellence (ASE) at the Pettit Center National Olympic Training Facility, and is on his way toward his Olympic dream. In late October, Turro competed in the U.S. single distance champions

On October 27,28, and 29th Nick will be competing in the U.S. Single Distance Championships/World Cup Qualifier/Long Track Am Cup at the Olympic training facility in Salt Lake City, a precursor to the Olympic Time Trials in December.

Turro trains approximately six to eight hours a day, six days a week. To learn more about Nick and his Olympic quest, visit his website www.nickturro.com and his Facebook page, Nicholas Turro.