RIDE OF A LIFETIME: Kelly Curtis gets ready to compete in a skeleton race this winter on the World Cup circuit. Curtis, a former star athlete for Princeton High, will be competing for the U.S. this week in the women’s skeleton at the Beijing Winter Games as she makes her Olympic debut. Heats one and two of the event are slated for February 10 (Eastern Time) with heats three and four to take place on February 12. (Photo provided by Kelly Curtis)
By Bill Alden
Throughout her athletic career, Kelly Curtis has displayed a penchant for rising to the occasion.
In her years at Princeton High, Curtis, a 2007 PHS alumna was known for sinking clutch free throws on the basketball court and flying high on the track, making the Meet of Champions in the long jump.
Doing a post-graduate year at the Lawrenceville School, Curtis racked up Prep A titles on the track, competing in the long jump, high jump, hurdles, and javelin and still holds the school record in the triple jump.
At Springfield College, Curtis came through on one of the biggest stages in collegiate track, winning the heptathlon at the 2011 Penn Relays.
After getting a graduate degree from St. Lawrence University while helping to coach its track team, Curtis got the itch to compete again and was encouraged to head over to nearby Lake Placid to take part in a bobsled combine to see if she had a future in winter sports. Excelling in the fitness tests — which included 5-meter sprints, shot puts, and standing long jumps along with squats and power cleans in the weight room — Curtis was invited to join the bobsled program. more