Noelle Pikus-Pace facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | December 8, 1982 Provo, Utah, U.S. |
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| Height | 5 ft 10 in | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 160 lb | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country |  United States |
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| Sport | Skeleton | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Noelle Pikus-Pace (born December 8, 1982) is an American retired skeleton racer. Skeleton is a winter sport where a person rides a small sled head-first down a frozen track. Noelle started her career in 2001.
She won five medals at the FIBT World Championships, which are major international competitions. She also competed in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Later, she won a silver medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
Contents
Noelle's Skeleton Career
Noelle Pikus-Pace quickly became a top athlete. She won the overall title in the women's Skeleton World Cup during the 2004–05 season. This showed she was one of the best skeleton racers in the world.
A Challenging Accident
In 2005, Noelle won a silver medal at the 2005 World Championships. This made her a favorite to win a medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. However, her dreams were put on hold on October 19, 2005.
During training in Calgary, a four-man bobsled failed to stop. It crashed out of the track and hit Noelle's right leg, breaking it. She had surgery to fix her leg, which included putting a titanium rod inside.
Returning to the Ice
Even after such a serious injury, Noelle returned to competition just seven weeks later. Her amazing comeback story was even featured in a documentary called 114 Days: The Race to Save a Dream.
Unfortunately, she couldn't compete in the 2006 Olympics. But her determination was clear to everyone.
Taking a Break for Family
On October 3, 2007, Noelle announced she would take a break from the 2007–08 Skeleton World Cup season. She was six weeks pregnant and wanted to focus on her family.
She returned to racing in November 2008, finishing fifth in a World Cup event in Germany.
The 2010 Winter Olympics
On January 17, 2010, Noelle qualified for the 2010 Winter Olympics. She finished fourth in the Games. Her husband, who works for a metal company, even designed a special sled for her to use. This was because her previous sleds had been damaged, one in the bobsled accident and another during transport.
Retirement and Amazing Comeback
After the 2010 Winter Olympics, Noelle Pikus-Pace decided to retire from skeleton racing. However, in the summer of 2012, she announced her plan to return. She wanted to try and qualify for the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Winning Again
Her comeback was very successful. On January 11, 2013, Noelle won her first World Cup event since 2004 in Germany. This was a big moment for her return.
She continued to do well at the FIBT World Championships 2013 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. She helped Team USA-1 win a gold medal in the team event. Her fast time helped her team take the lead. She also won a silver medal in the women's individual event at the same championships.
Olympic Silver Medal
Noelle finished the 2012/13 World Cup season with another win in Sochi. On January 18, 2014, she was officially named to the 2014 Olympic team.
On February 14, 2014, Noelle Pikus-Pace achieved her dream. She won her first Olympic medal, a silver, at the Sochi Games. This completed her incredible comeback story before she retired from the sport for good.
Noelle's Personal Life
Noelle Pikus-Pace is the youngest of eight children in her family. She married Janson Pace in 2002. They have a daughter named Lacee Lynne, born in 2008, and a son named Traycen. In July 2015, they welcomed twins, Payton and Makai.
Noelle is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. During the Sochi Olympics, she wore a special medallion she earned from a youth program in her church.
See also
In Spanish: Noelle Pikus-Pace para niños
Images for kids
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Noelle Pikus-Pace competing at the 2014 Winter Olympics
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