Brett Perry Speed Skater
Donation protected
My name is Brett Perry. I am a Long Track Speedskater with aspirations of representing the USA in international competitions and am working on my dream of skating in the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. I currently reside in Salt Lake City Utah where I train at the Utah Olympic Oval. I am asking for your assistance to make my Olympic dream a reality. The financial costs of speed skating are very high. I have devoted a huge part of my life to this sport and I want to be a great skater. That is why I have created this page.
My journey on this path started when I was nine years old in my home town of Midland Michigan. A family friend suggested that I come out to check out The Midland Speedskating Club during one of their practices to see if I and my parents might be interested. It looked like fun, so I signed up to give it a try. It didn't take me long to pick up basic skills and with my great coaches I progressed very quickly into a competitive racer. I had wonderful coaching and support through my developmental years in skating. I started racing in local State meets and progressed into larger meets in Ontario Canada and eventually to the US National level. These were fun times growing up in speedskating.
At the age of 16 I was selected and offered the opportunity to live and train at the U S Olympic Education Center (USOEC) at Northern Michigan University (NMU) in Marquette Michigan. Marquette is a six hour car trip from Mid Michigan all the way to the shores of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula. This was both a difficult and at the same time easy decision for me and my parents to make this move. So I made the move and my Junior and Senior years of high school were spent living in a college dormitory at NMU and attending Marquette Senior High School while training with the program skating team at the USOEC. My third year in the program were spent as a Freshman student at NMU majoring in Electronic Imaging. While training at the USOEC I had the benefit of having my ice time, coaching, and room and board paid for. Unfortunately after my third year in the skating program the funding was discontinued and me and my training partners were forced to find alternate private training programs.
I decided to follow my USOEC coach to Milwaukee where a new skating program was being initiated at the Pettit Center in West Allis Wisconsin. My short track season that year was the most productive of my career and I was able to take a 3rd place finish in 500 meter final of the American Cup Racing Finals. This is the highest level of competition in US domestic racing. While training at the Pettit I was also able to get some exposure to training and racing on the long track 400 meter oval. I did have some early success on long track finishing 2nd overall in the Age Group Nationals. I was encouraged by coaches to pursue this discipline of skating as well.
Following my one year in Milwaukee there was a coaching change in that program and that prompted me to eventually move to Salt Lake City as most of the top US skaters were preparing there for the upcoming 2014 Olympic Trials. When I first started Summer training with the FAST Team in SLC I spent the majority of my time with the short track training group. On the side I also cross trained with the long track team. Eventually I spent more and more time on the long track . My times progressively got better and as my coaches worked with me on proper technique I came to the realization that the best opportunity for long term success was on the long track. My body was better suited physiologically to the mode of a long track sprinter. I was only one of a handful of skaters that qualified for both the long track and short track Olympic Trials. After those Trials and having better success in long track with Personal Bests at every distance my family and I decided to devote my full attention to long track speedskating.
I am now in my second year of training in Salt Lake City with great new coaches and a top group of training partners with my sights set on being a top level skater. I am now 21 years old and entering what most people would agree are the peak years of a long track skater.
Speed skating requires a very dedicated training program. I work out on the ice, in the weight room, road biking and off ice conditioning and agility twice a day 6 days a week. This of course is very time consuming and leaves a limited amount of time for a job to help pay for my expenses. Up to this point I have relied on my parents, grandparents and other family members for financial support. There have also been a number of other generous people who have already donated to my efforts through this page. For that, I am most grateful.
Costs that I incur include skating boots, blades and equipment, coaching fees, ice time, transportation locally and trips to meets , food and rent. Total costs per season can easily exceed $8,000 dollars. So as I hope you can see, I am facing some big challenges to continue to reach for my goals. I expect very much of myself this season and the years leading up to the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. I hope that you will consider donating to my efforts. Any amount you are able to contribute large or small would be most appreciated.
Please continue to follow my GoFundMe page as I will continue to provide updates on my progression in training leading up to the upcoming long track racing season.
Thank You for Your Consideration,
Brett Perry
My journey on this path started when I was nine years old in my home town of Midland Michigan. A family friend suggested that I come out to check out The Midland Speedskating Club during one of their practices to see if I and my parents might be interested. It looked like fun, so I signed up to give it a try. It didn't take me long to pick up basic skills and with my great coaches I progressed very quickly into a competitive racer. I had wonderful coaching and support through my developmental years in skating. I started racing in local State meets and progressed into larger meets in Ontario Canada and eventually to the US National level. These were fun times growing up in speedskating.
At the age of 16 I was selected and offered the opportunity to live and train at the U S Olympic Education Center (USOEC) at Northern Michigan University (NMU) in Marquette Michigan. Marquette is a six hour car trip from Mid Michigan all the way to the shores of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula. This was both a difficult and at the same time easy decision for me and my parents to make this move. So I made the move and my Junior and Senior years of high school were spent living in a college dormitory at NMU and attending Marquette Senior High School while training with the program skating team at the USOEC. My third year in the program were spent as a Freshman student at NMU majoring in Electronic Imaging. While training at the USOEC I had the benefit of having my ice time, coaching, and room and board paid for. Unfortunately after my third year in the skating program the funding was discontinued and me and my training partners were forced to find alternate private training programs.
I decided to follow my USOEC coach to Milwaukee where a new skating program was being initiated at the Pettit Center in West Allis Wisconsin. My short track season that year was the most productive of my career and I was able to take a 3rd place finish in 500 meter final of the American Cup Racing Finals. This is the highest level of competition in US domestic racing. While training at the Pettit I was also able to get some exposure to training and racing on the long track 400 meter oval. I did have some early success on long track finishing 2nd overall in the Age Group Nationals. I was encouraged by coaches to pursue this discipline of skating as well.
Following my one year in Milwaukee there was a coaching change in that program and that prompted me to eventually move to Salt Lake City as most of the top US skaters were preparing there for the upcoming 2014 Olympic Trials. When I first started Summer training with the FAST Team in SLC I spent the majority of my time with the short track training group. On the side I also cross trained with the long track team. Eventually I spent more and more time on the long track . My times progressively got better and as my coaches worked with me on proper technique I came to the realization that the best opportunity for long term success was on the long track. My body was better suited physiologically to the mode of a long track sprinter. I was only one of a handful of skaters that qualified for both the long track and short track Olympic Trials. After those Trials and having better success in long track with Personal Bests at every distance my family and I decided to devote my full attention to long track speedskating.
I am now in my second year of training in Salt Lake City with great new coaches and a top group of training partners with my sights set on being a top level skater. I am now 21 years old and entering what most people would agree are the peak years of a long track skater.
Speed skating requires a very dedicated training program. I work out on the ice, in the weight room, road biking and off ice conditioning and agility twice a day 6 days a week. This of course is very time consuming and leaves a limited amount of time for a job to help pay for my expenses. Up to this point I have relied on my parents, grandparents and other family members for financial support. There have also been a number of other generous people who have already donated to my efforts through this page. For that, I am most grateful.
Costs that I incur include skating boots, blades and equipment, coaching fees, ice time, transportation locally and trips to meets , food and rent. Total costs per season can easily exceed $8,000 dollars. So as I hope you can see, I am facing some big challenges to continue to reach for my goals. I expect very much of myself this season and the years leading up to the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. I hope that you will consider donating to my efforts. Any amount you are able to contribute large or small would be most appreciated.
Please continue to follow my GoFundMe page as I will continue to provide updates on my progression in training leading up to the upcoming long track racing season.
Thank You for Your Consideration,
Brett Perry
Organizer
Brett Perry
Organizer
