Photography courtesy of US Speedskating
Next month, at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, local speedskater Patrick Meek will compete in the 5,000-meter race (and potentially the 10,000 as well), the culmination of his athletic career. He’s continuing a proud tradition for St. Louis: This region has sent at least one speedskater to every Olympics since 1968, and locals have claimed quite a few medals. SLM called the St. Louis University High School graduate in Utah, where he now lives and trains, to chat about his Olympic dreams and, of course, Imo’s Pizza.
How did you get involved with skating?
Both my dad and my grandfather were speedskaters, so I started skating at the age of 2.
Wow, that’s young.
Yeah, it was definitely a young start, but my dad was a club coach at the time in Chicago, so he’d get home from work, and he’d pick me up and we’d go off to speedskating practice. I would push around a 10-gallon bucket as he would coach.
When did you start competing?
I started racing when I was 4, but I mean really throughout my entire life I was racing and competitive.
Your family moved to St. Louis from Chicago when you were 13, and you trained with the St. Louis Speedskating Club.
I had a fantastic experience with them. At the time, they were coached by a guy named Dan Carroll, who was on three Olympic teams. He was pretty transformational getting me to the next level as far as my career goes.
What was the best advice he gave you?
I think just the technique and the experience that he had. He’s considered one of the greatest speedskaters ever to not win a medal. Along the way, too, my dad was also helping as a coach. So it was a great experience for me, and I learned a lot in those formative years.
Do you ever make it back to St. Louis?
I do, in fact. My grandparents still live out in Creve Coeur. My aunt and uncle live out in Chesterfield. My parents, about six years ago, my dad got another job relocation, and they now live in Naples, Florida. When I go “home,” I guess it’s Naples, just because that’s where my mom and dad and my sisters are right now. But I don’t even have a bedroom there. I stay in the guest room.
Do you have any favorite St. Louis restaurants or attractions?
I don’t know anyone from St. Louis who doesn’t love some good toasted ravioli. I think also, if you’re not from St. Louis, you don’t appreciate it, but Imo’s Pizza. When you’re 17 years old and you just got your driver’s license and it’s 10:30 at night, you’re going to Imo’s. That was a cool hangout. That or Steak ’n Shake. I know they’re not the fanciest restaurants, but just when I think back to fun times with my friends from the U. High and Marquette and some of the other schools that we would hang out with back in the day, it always seemed that we would end up at Steak ’n Shake or Imo’s at the end of the night.
What have been your biggest accomplishments? I’m sure making the Olympic team would be at the top of the list.
I am a two-time U.S. national champion, so that’s kind of a special thing. Just being on the World Cup circuit and the World Championship circuit for the past six years or so has been a pretty amazing experience. I’m 28 years old, and I’ve been able to travel all over the world doing something I love. I’ve been to Kazakhstan, Russia, all over Europe.
Can you put into words what it means to make the Olympic team?
It’s an honor. The ability to represent this awesome country on one of the grandest stages that there is in sports is nothing but an honor. But I think also it is the satisfaction that all the sacrifices that myself, my family, the people in St. Louis speedskating made for me throughout that journey, it was kind of worth it. I could list dozens of people who along the way went out of their way and helped me out and made sacrifices for my career. In some ways, it was validation of all those sacrifices and all that hard work.
Describe your training regimen.
We’re at the oval about eight hours a day. I practice from 8 a.m. until noon, and then another practice from 2 until 6. So it’s a full-time job. Because we are working out so much, we are careful about what we eat, but we’re also not super-OCD about it. Our nutritionist gives us the advice of don’t eat crap. If you eat McDonald’s three times a day, that’s probably not the best thing for you. But if on a Saturday night, you just got done with a 10-hour training day and you’re really hungry, it’s not going to kill you to eat a couple pieces of pizza.
What about strength training? I read that you have very large thighs.
Yeah, each one of my legs is 29 inches around, the last time we measured it. We lift weights two days a week. We have an amazing strength and conditioning coach, a guy named Shane Domer, who I think is one of the most underappreciated guys on our staff. The work that he’s done with us has been pretty transformational. He’s really pushed us to the Nth degree in order to get stronger, faster, and leaner all at the same time. Without him and his guidance, I don’t know if I’d be where I can today.
Do you have a goal in mind for Sochi, or are you just happy to have made the team?
To be completely honest with you, I’m not going there just for a free jacket. There have been millions of dollars invested in Team USA. Everyone who’s going there is going there to get results. The definition of results is different for each individual athlete, but we’re not going there just to celebrate and have a good time. At the closing ceremonies, I think we’ll do that, but I am going there for a very specific job, and that’s to represent Team USA to the best of my ability and to bring home some results. I don’t want to say the M-word.
What can a casual speedskating fan watch for in the longer races?
In a longer-distance race, there is what I call a beautiful moment. You get tired, and you either fight, or you quit. I think that very distinct moment is a very beautiful thing, because you get to see the true nature of someone’s character. Are they out there fighting and having snot come out of their nose and drool coming down their chin, or they just mailing it in?
Is there anything you’d like to add?
The U.S. Olympic Committee is having a great fundraiser, where you can buy some pretty cool mittens that say Team USA. I think most people don’t realize the fact that the United States is one of the only developed countries in the entire world where the government does not support our Olympic team. So in a lot of ways, we are subject to donations and corporate sponsorships, but as a result of that, we’re truly America’s team. We’re out there being supported by local moms and dads and grandmas and grandpas. When you watch the Olympics, I think everyone can really relish in the fact that you’re supporting and you’re watching America’s team out there.
Good luck in Sochi.
Go Cardinals.
