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FRANKLIN PARK, Ill. – Every four years, it’s a sport that creeps back into the national sports conscious as the Winter Olympic Games commence.

That’s the same here in 2022 as the sport of speedskating is featured often on broadcasts and frequently mentioned in the coverage of the Bejing games.

Yet at the Franklin Park Ice Arena, the sport that tests agility and velocity on a sheet of ice is always top of mind, whether in an Olympic year or not. For the speedskating club that bears the city’s name, the work is year round and around the clock.

“Preparations are daily,” said Franklin Park Speedskating Club president Dejan Gakovich. “Some of our skaters practice twice a day, they travel to Milwaukee daily to practice.

“So these athletes, as you can see, they’re all doing it for the love of the sport.”

That can be for recreation along with Olympic glory, as is the case in 2022 with Franklin Park Speedskating club member Emery Lehman competing in the Beijing games. Dave Tamburrino knows about the commitment it takes to do that, having competed in the 1994 and 1998 Winter Games with Team USA in the speedskating.

He is one of the coaches who works with those athletes in the Franklin Park Speedskating Club as they train for whatever level they seek to reach in the sport. A number of athletes from Chicago and the Midwest have represented the United States in speedskating, as athletes start as early as six years old and, unlike other sports, tend to peak later in their athletic window.

“One of the great parts about speedskating is that there is a very strong social community. The Chicagoland area, Wisconsin, Minnesota, all have very, very deep roots in speedskating. Countless Olympians have come out of the Chicagoland area as well as Wisconsin and Minnesota.

“Really from our development perspective, it’s critical that we support these clubs and let people know what’s happening here.”

Chip Brewster and Larry Hawley did that before the Winter Olympic games this year, taking an evening to learn about this speedskating club while also trying out their speedskating skills.

You can see that story from WGN News Now in the video above.