(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second in a two-part series profiling Olympians with deep roots in the 352. You can read our first feature, on fellow Ocalan speed skater Erin Jackson, here.)

OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Competing on a large stage and demonstrating her athletic prowess is nothing new to Ocala’s Brittany Bowe.

Bowe will be competing in the Women’s 1,000 meter, 1,500 meter and Team Pursuit speed skating events at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. It will be the Ocala-born and raised athlete’s fourth and final Winter Olympic Games. The Women’s 1000m heats begin Feb. 9, the 1500m, Feb. 20 and the Women’s Team Pursuit Quarter Finals start Feb. 14, with all three events being held at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium.

At an age when most toddlers are trying to master simple motor skills, Bowe was putting on basketball dribbling demonstrations at collegiate basketball games during halftime.

That was a sign of what was to come for Bowe, a graduate of Trinity Catholic High School, who not only excelled on the hardwood but on the soccer pitch prior to her teen years, before focusing on basketball and inline skating, which Bowe first tried as an eight-year-old.

It’s Bowe’s relentless ascent to the top of each discipline that she participated in, however, that’s so remarkable. Bowe was an unstoppable force in inline skating, winning more than 30 medals during an incredible run from 2002-2008, raising the bar and setting the standards at the senior championships.

She won:

  • Eight Gold Medals
  • One Silver
  • Two Bronze

If that wasn’t enough, she would also show her inspiring tenacity and leadership on the hardwood as a point guard for the Florida Atlantic University Owls. But her talents weren’t just limited to athletics–Bowe demonstrated her erudition by graduating from FAU in 2010, majoring in sociology and social science. She was inducted into the learning institution’s hall of fame in 2019.

Not one to rest on her laurels, Bowe received inspiration from friends and fellow athletes, who had enjoyed success as inline skaters, and found themselves competing in the 2010 Winter Olympics. Bowe would transition from basketball to the ice, cementing the commitment by relocating to Salt Lake City and immersing herself in speed skating, the discipline with which she would become synonymous.

Bowe now works with U.S. team coach Ryan Shimabukuro.

It was during the 2012-2013 season Bowe began making the world take notice, reaching multiple podiums. She would finish second overall in the 1000m competition.

Bowe’s focused mental approach, discipline and consistency saw her rise meteorically through the ranks, and she would soon establish a world record in the 1000m, shattering the former bar with a time of 1:12.58 in the world cup, in her adopted home of Salt Lake City. No longer just a national phenomenon, Bowe qualified and competed in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Bowe specialized in long track events, the 1000m and 1500m, but has not been restricted to just those distances during her career, having competed in the 300m, 500m, and 5000m relay, the team pursuit and other sprint events.

As Bowe’s career evolved, she became a consistent contender on the global stage, winning her first Winter Olympic medal, capturing the bronze in the Team Pursuit in the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. In 2019, she would punctuate a powerful campaign by establishing the current world record in the 1000m, covering the distance in 1.11.61 on March 9, 2019, at the Utah Olympic Oval in Salt Lake City, cementing her place in history as one of the most dominant speed skaters in history. Bowe is a six-time speed skating champion. She has set four world records, all during World Cup competition:

  • Three world titles in the 1000m
  • Two world titles in sprints
  • One world title in the 1,500m
  • 33 first place finishes
  • 88 podiums made

Bowe has won 17 world championship medals and 20 national titles.

At the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, Bowe added to her huge hardware collection, this time earning an bronze medal in the 1000m. The respect for Bowe as a person and athlete found her sharing the honor of carrying the U.S. flag at that event’s opening ceremony.

Her consistency and determination have her remaining near the top of her sport at age 37, finishing the 2024-25 World Cup as the highest ranked U.S. Skater in the Woman’s 1000m, where’s she’s ranked second, and in the 1,500m, in which she’s sixth.

However, when one speaks about Bowe, it’s her character and selflessness that make her stand out among athletes, something that has been echoed universally.

When her friend of two decades and teammate, Ocala’s Erin Jackson, slipped during the Olympic Trials for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in the 500m, which Bowe won, she gave up her spot in the 500m, knowing that Jackson was better suited for the distance. Jackson repaid the gesture by winning the gold medal in the 500m in Beijing, demonstrating the U.S. Speed Skating team’s unbreakable bond and spirit, and the sisterhood the two women share.

Her presence on and off the ice make Bowe stand out so much more than her status as an elite athlete. Her leadership and ability to connect with others at all levels have made her a powerful presence on a number of platforms. She currently serves as an ambassador for Right to Play, an organization dedicated to empowering children in disadvantage communities through organized sport.

Bowe is also an advocate for wellness, prioritizing mental, physical and spiritual health through yoga.