The women's singles luge competition kicked off in Italy, and a young athlete from Southwest Florida will be watching the event closely.
Isabela Aponte discovered her passion for luge at a training camp in Latvia when she was 15 years old. It was her first time seeing a sled, and she quickly developed a love for the adrenaline rush that comes with the sport.
"You're literally racing for 1000s of a second. It's very intense," said Aponte.
She spent the following year traveling the world, focusing on both physical and mental training to prepare for competition.
"You're doing weightlifting, you're doing exercises like balance exercises and like speed and agility to help work on our power out of the start," said Aponte. "Visualizing your way down the track and what steers you're going to do and drives.”
In 2024, Aponte made history by qualifying for the Youth Winter Olympics in South Korea. Born in Puerto Rico, she was the first athlete to represent the Caribbean Island at the Youth Games.
"It was just so cool being able to be with all these athletes from all these different countries, all these other sports," said Aponte.
Though she is now focused on her freshman year of college, studying Psychology at the University of Florida, Aponte's luge gear, including her Olympic race suit, helmet, aerodynamic booties, and gloves with spikes, remain tucked away in her gym bag.
She has found other ways to satisfy her need for adrenaline, such as skydiving to celebrate her 18th birthday.
Although Aponte is taking a break from luge, she remains a dedicated supporter of the Olympics, understanding the hard work it takes for athletes to reach that level.
