Kelly Curtis Didn't Know If She'd Ever Slide Again. Then She Went Faster as a Mom.
Kelly Curtis was standing at the finish line of the last World Cup of the 2022-2023 circuit. Her eyes filled with tears, but not about the race itself. She was pregnant, and her husband was the only other person who knew.
"I remember tearing up and just thinking to myself…this could be it. This could be my last time sliding." She pauses. "I'm still getting emotional about it now."
All the Clichés Are True
Her plan was always to come back. But, the comeback wasn’t easy.
"It's hard to articulate exactly how being a mom changed me. All the clichés about motherhood are true. You're more tired than you've ever been. But, you've also felt more joy than you've ever felt. It just feels like another level of responsibility, love, and joy all wrapped into one."
After her delivery went smoothly, her mentality shifted.
"I was almost preparing for the worst. And then when everything went well, it's just like…okay. Let's go."
Live, Laugh, Love
Getting back to Olympics form was humbling in ways Curtis hadn't anticipated.
"To be completely honest, it was a very humbling experience. Just learning how to breathe again, taking steps outside. It was a pretty long journey to get back."
Three months postpartum, she was back on the ice in St. Moritz. As a member of the Air Force World Class Athlete Program, she had both the financial and logistical runway to ease back in to the sport.
"I'm in the World Class Athlete Program, so my job is to train and be the best representative of Team USA as possible. Without the Air Force's support, I wouldn't be able to afford to do that. And that played a critical role into getting me back, physically, mentally, and emotionally, into competition."
The physical comeback, she'll tell you, was actually the easier part. What took longer was rekindling her competitive fire.
"My first few months of postpartum, it was just live, laugh, love, and I hope everyone does well. My competitiveness wasn't as present as it was before I had Maeve."
And then, slowly, the racer came back.
Anyone’s Day
"Once I started performing at the top level again, seeing Maeve at the finish line just made it all the more special."
Curtis has ranged from second to 22nd in a single World Cup circuit. At the Olympics, she finished 12th individually and 10th in the mixed team event.
"In the women’s field, It just feels like it could be your day, any day. For example, I’ve beat every single person in one race or another, except one!”
She laughs.
“That’s the fun part about racing, you’re just trying to put down your best performance. On the right day, with the right run, the podium is always within reach."
It's this same can-do attitude that Curtis applies to everything else in life.
ABOUT THIS SERIES
I’m Amy Wotovich and I am on a mission to interview 100% of Team USA's 2026 Olympic and Paralympic athletes to create the most comprehensive mindset record of a single Games cycle. What do elite competitors actually believe about pressure, identity, failure, and joy? Kelly Curtis is one of hundreds of athletes sharing their unfiltered answers. Follow the journey!
