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“The decisions I made as a young teen heavily influenced where I am today. In fact, many of the decisions I’ve made off-the-ice have contributed the most to my success” - Apolo Anton Ohno.

Apolo Anton Ohno is a short track speed skater who is the most decorated American Winter Olympic athlete of all time -8 Olympic Medals total. He is a solid example of perseverance and dedication to his sport.

Apolo was born in 1982 in Federal Way, Washington and he grew up in Seattle. His interest for short track speed skating began when he saw the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer. With his father’s support and encouragement, he was admitted to the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center as the youngest skater when he was just 13 years old.

Apolo won his first Olympic medals in 2002 at Salt Lake City - gold in the 1500m and silver in the 1000m. He went on to win three more medals at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy - gold in the 500m, bronze in the 1000m and the 5000m Relay.

In preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics, Apolo followed a rigorous training regimen. He got his weight down to 145 lbs. and his body fat percentage to 2.5% by working out 3 times a day for 5 months and by following a strict nutritional program. Apolo was quoted as saying, “I’ve never prepared like this in my life—for anything.”

As a result of his disciplined training, Apolo won three medals at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver - silver in the 1500m, bronze in the 1000m and bronze in the 5000m Relay.

Apolo recently formed his own charitable Foundation, the Apolo Anton Ohno Foundation, which will focus on providing youth of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds with the opportunity to play sports, be active and learn about the benefits of making responsible and positive choices. In conjunction with the newly formed foundation, Ohno has partnered with The Century Council and its Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don’t Mix program, and just made his final stop on a five-city tour to schools throughout the U.S. encouraging kids to say “YES” to a healthy lifestyle and “NO” to underage drinking.