Women's History Wednesday: Speed Skater Bonnie Blair.

Bonnie Blair, USA, during a training session in 1992. (Mike Powell/Getty Images)

You could say that speed skating was never a matter of if, but when, for Bonnie Blair. As the youngest of six children, she went on to see all of her siblings win National Speed Skating titles. For her part, Blair contributed 6 Olympic medals (5 gold and one bronze) to the family collection, making her the most decorated American woman in the history of the Winter Olympic games.

It’s All in the Family

Born in Cornwall, New York and raised in Champaign, Illinois, the youngest Blair sibling began skating at two years old. However, her announcement into the sport came on the day she was born, “The day that I was born, my brothers and sisters had … speed skating competitions. Back in those days, the husbands weren’t really allowed in the delivery room. So, my dad, I think, figured since my mom had already been through this five times, he’d just leave her at the hospital, he’ll just take the rest of the kids to the skating meet, and then it was announced over the loudspeaker that there had been another Blair girl added to the speed skating world.”

Olympic Career

“It was just so overwhelming to think, ‘Okay, the whole world is watching this’.”

Blair competed in her first Olympic games at the age of 19. The young skater competed in the 500 meter race in the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics, and remembers hoping to finish close to the top ten, “ … if you would have seen me cross the finish line, you probably would have thought I won because I was so excited with the result that I had [and] that it was way above my expectations.”

Bonnie Blair wins her first Olympic Gold Medal (National Speedskating Museum)

Blair used her first games to experience the excitement of the Olympics and all that comes with it. In 1988, she again competed in the 500 meters race, and added the 1,000 meter race as well. She arrived to the Calgary games as a medal contender, with a goal of taking at least two medals home. However, she would have to face off against Christa Rothenburger, a skater she was all too familiar with. Just two months before the Olympic games, Rothenburger reclaimed the World Record in the 500 meters, beating Blair. Blair recalls having to shift from being in awe of Rothenburger, to focusing on how to be better than her. “Usually Christa beats me in the opening 100, so I thought, ‘as long as my race goes as close to perfect as possible from here’, I knew I was gonna beat her.” That is what Blair did to claim her first gold medal and a World Record. Blair would also win bronze in the 1,000 meter races of the Calgary games.

In 1992, again Blair looked to elevate her game. By this Olympics, she was seen as a favorite to win gold in the Albertville. She won gold in the 500 meters and 1,000 meters, totaling 3 career Olympic gold medals, with a total margin of victory of twenty-two hundredths of a second.

In 1994, Bonnie competed in her final Winter Olympics. Heading into the Lillehammer games, Bonnie had already amassed eight World Championship medals; two golds, four silvers and two bronze. She would again improve her performance, this time winning gold in the 500 and 1,000 meter races. With her 500 meter victory, Blair became the first Olympic speed skater in history to win Olympic gold in three consecutive games.

Her 1,000 meter margin of victory was 1.38 seconds, the largest in the event's’ history. Blair again made history, becoming the only American to win six total Olympic career medals in the Olympic games. Her record would stand until fellow speed skater Apolo Ohno beat Blair’s record in the 2010 games, bringing his total to eight career medals.

Sports Ambassador

In 1994, Blair was named Sports Illustrated Sportswoman of the Year, Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year and Glamour Magazine’s Woman of the Year. In 2002, she carried the Olympic torch in Wisconsin en route to the Salt Lake City games. In 2004, she was inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame. Bonnie retired from the sport in 1995, but remained active in the sport. She and her husband, former speed skater Dave Cruikshank, moved to Wisconsin so Blair could coach the U.S Women’s Team.

Today, Blair serve as a Right to Play Athlete Ambassador. Right to Play is a global organization that uses the transformative power of play to educate and empower children facing adversity. Through playing sports and games, Right To Play (RTP) helps children in more than 20 countries to build essential life skills and better futures, while driving lasting social change. active participants in their communities.

Bonnie Blair got involved through her friendship with RTP founder, and fellow speed skater, Johann Olav Koss, “Knowing Johann, knowing the type of person he is, I knew if he was going on this ride, I wanted to go with him … it’s a great charity that really touches so many people’s lives, and especially those who are not nearly as fortunate as we are.”

Bonnie is the mother of two, Grant and Blair. Bonnie Blair Cruickshank will celebrate her 52nd birthday on Friday, March 18th.

Follow Erica Ayala on Twitter @elindsay08