The Winter (Olympics) Tale: How His Mom’s Curling Career Inspired Minnesota’s Desmon Sachtjen<\/strong><\/p>\n

Desmon Sachtjen<\/strong> had his choice of sporting influences growing up.<\/p>\n

His father, Karl, was a standout Division III football player and a long-time football coach. His sister, Sierra Sachtjen<\/strong>, seven years his senior paved the way to swimming with a career at the University of Northern Iowa<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Desmon Satchjen; Photo Courtesy: Craig Lassig\/Minnesota Athletics<\/p><\/div>\n
It was 12 years ago that Sachtjen watched his mom, an Olympic curler, reach winter sports\u2019 highest stage at the Vancouver Olympics. As the 2022 Winter Olympics are set to begin in Beijing \u2013 in the former swimming venue from the 2008 Games, once dubbed the Water Cube, being transformed to the Ice Cube \u2013 Desmon Sachtjen\u2019s journey as a swimmer at the University of Minnesota owes a debt to his mom\u2019s sporting prowess on frozen water.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was crazy,\u201d Sachtjen, a junior backstroker for the Golden Gophers, recalled last week. \u201cFrom what I remember, the excitement and everything, I\u2019ve never been to an event like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tracy Sachtjen was an accomplished curler for more than two decades. She was part of the rink, led by Debbie McCormick,<\/strong> that won a U.S. title in 2009, a fifth women\u2019s national title Tracy was part of. Sachtjen (nee Zeman) won a World Championship in 2003 on McCormick\u2019s team to go with a silver medal from Worlds in 1999. She also won a U.S. mixed national title.<\/p>\n
Desmon remembers his mother devoting a lot of time to curling, which often took her away from home in Lodi, Wisc., either to Canada or Europe for competitions and training opportunities. As a young kid, Desmon regularly hung around the curling club, Tracy bringing him along before his school years.<\/p>\n
Being so young, he didn\u2019t travel to many competitions then. But he was in third grade when Tracy earned the alternate spot with McCormick\u2019s squad at the Vancouver Games.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a competition Desmon remembers fondly. His mom organized a curling outing for his class and Skyped into school from Vancouver. Desmon watched the Opening Ceremonies from home, but he and family spent 10 days in Vancouver to catch the bulk of the competition.<\/p>\n
McCormick\u2019s team had a rough tournament, going 2-7 in round-robin play to finish last out of 10 teams. Tracy didn\u2019t get on the ice for a match, but she did get to celebrate her 41st birthday in Vancouver, Desmon and a group of fans serenading her from the stands. It was one of many sporting memories from those two weeks that Desmon cherishes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got to go and watch the women\u2019s hockey gold medal game against Canada,\u201d he said. \u201cThat to me was super cool, to see them win a gold medal was very cool. I got to watch moguls skiing and I got to meet a lot of athletes, which was really, really cool to see at such a young age.\u201d<\/p>\n
Curlers will call the former Water Cube home at this year\u2019s Olympics, thanks to newly installed detachable ice sheets. The curling competition has expanded to three events, with a mixed doubles field added. That competition runs Feb. 2-8, with men\u2019s and women\u2019s curling going Feb. 9-20. The U.S. has qualified teams in all three events, and the U.S. men are the reigning gold medalists from Pyeongchang. (Chris Plys<\/strong>, a member of both the mixed doubles and men\u2019s squad, considers Michael Phelps his idol, with a giant poster of him over his desk<\/a>; occupying the venue where Phelps won eight golds in 2008<\/a> is a special thrill for him, that gained Phelps\u2019 attention this week.)<\/p>\n
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\nLet\u2019s go team USA!! https:\/\/t.co\/FFVuyW9ZJr<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Michael Phelps (@MichaelPhelps) January 30, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n