KEARNS — Every push, every stride, and every lap at the Utah Olympic Oval brings speedskaters closer to their Olympic dreams. Now, a program is helping them prepare for something that lasts far longer than a race: their future.

Speedskaters like Ethan Cepuran and Mia Manganello, both U.S. Olympic bronze medalists, spend most of their days training.

“It can be up to eight hours a day, like five, six days a week,” said Cepuran. “And then even the off days, it’s all about recovery.”

“Even on our off days, it’s a three or four-hour bike ride sometimes,” Manganello added.

Ethan Cepuran, an Olympic athlete training for the 2026 Winter Games and has enrolled in the “Beyond the Podium” program. (Alex Cabrero, KSL TV)

That kind of dedication doesn’t leave much time for a traditional college

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