Olympic gold medalist, West Allis native working with NASCAR drivers

WEST ALLIS, Wis. - Dan Jansen became an American sports hero by going fast and turning left.

What we know:

The speed skater from West Allis remains one of the most recognizable Olympic gold medalists in recent memory, and now he is helping others go fast when they turn left.

Jansen's greatest exploits took place on Olympic ice but he never would have gotten there if he wasn't so determined to prepare for that stage. That parallels the experiences that NASCAR drivers have.

Local perspective:

Physically, as well as mentally, a driver who is going to battle g-force and attrition for hours in a race suit needs to do all they can to build their endurance.

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"We do a lot of cardio training and we mix that up, from running to cycling. Some of the guys who are more advanced, as willing, we have done long bike rides," Jansen said. "Last year, up to the top of Mount Mitchell [...] the highest point east of the Mississippi [River]."

In racing, as in speed skating, you are never going to win every race. Jansen himself learned that lesson and he says that the drivers he works with, even if they are much younger than he is, are very receptive to his ideas on that point.

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Jansen has enjoyed a long post-skating career as a speaker, trainer and instructor, in part because of his ability to connect with his audience through those experiences and, being a father, he knows that sports success isn't everything. He takes pride in his influence on racers.

"Just watching them grow up, grow up is weird they are adults but still very young, and just be people that you want to be proud of when you see someone on TV," he said.