The 2026 Winter Olympic Games are coming up on Feb. 6 in Milano Cortina, Italy. Athletes from across the globe will perform together on the highest platform their sports can reach.
This year, we have a fellow Wisconsinite to cheer on: Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Deedra Irwin. She’ll be shooting, skiing and representing Team USA in the biathlon. Coming off her 7th place finish in her Olympic debut in Beijing in 2022, she currently holds the best placement for an American athlete in the event.
Irwin is from Pulaski, Wisconsin, and she’s also part of the Army’s World Class Athlete Program (WCAP). She joined Lake Effect’s Audrey Nowakowski to share more about how she got into the biathlon ahead of the upcoming games.
Deedra Irwin’s biathlon journey
Irwin recalls her Pulaski upbringing fondly — from polka festivals and Polish baked goods. Growing up, she dreamed of becoming an Olympic runner. But, as high school track and cross country took a toll on her body, she took up Nordic skiing…