What A Journey It's Been

I am 19 years old, my name is Keith Carroll Jr. I come from a small town in Pennsylvania, only about 1300 residents. Everyday I can't believe I've gotten as far as I have.

When I was about five I skated my first speed skating practice. I was on boots that were far to big for me but I said they fit because I wanted to give it a shot. Moments later it was obvious they did not fit my feet.

Fast forward four years and I started skating for a different team. It was a change that has probably shaped me as a person. My coach gave lectures at the end of practices and I was the three foot tall, nine years old, and was still too afraid to talk to my coach. But when he lectured us he said things like, "If you give me 100% you will get faster" and "When I stop yelling that means I stopped caring" and I still remember getting the chills from the words. I was not fast, I really wanted to be though. I spent four years giving 100% for a different coach and never got that much faster. But it was the confidence in his voice, when I was just nine years old that made me believe I could get faster, and the idea of going fast, maybe winning a race someday gave me the chills.

Fast forward another two years and I was still skating. On the verge of my first national medal in a JO (Junior Olympic) relay. I said I was ready for a skate that was far to big for me, with five wheels. At this point I was at the tallest four feet tall, with a skate that would extend much higher then my knee if stood up next me. Watching video now I was not even close to being ready for that skate but we did it anyway because I begged and pleaded with my parents that I was ready.

After I won my first national medal I kept going to practice because that was all I knew. The older guys at practice use to joke with me and call me champ and national champion. I always shrugged it off i knew they were teasing me in a joking way, not being mean but not being sincere either.
Two very very short years later I was introduced to outdoor skating in a big way. I had skated outside before but I had never really raced outside. I went to Outdoor Nationals earned myself three national medals to bring my collection to six in two years and I broke my first national record. That very first year watching Junior and Senior World Class skate I said to my mom I was going to make the world team.. I was thirteen.

I would be sixteen before I finally made that first world team. And I barely made it. But that was okay to me because it made me work harder because there were a lot of people that didn't believe I deserved to be on that team. A few months later a former world team coach actually told me she didn't think I ever deserved to make the world team.

More importantly, when I was sixteen I signed my first autograph. I didn't even have a signature yet. I was still testing it out. But there were people who wanted me to sign things for them. I couldn't believe it. It was easily a milestone in my life. I was sixteen, I came from a town of just 1300 people and I could not fathom that somewhere else in the world someone wanted me to give them an autograph. I think i was more excited to sign then they were to get my signature.

Now I am 19, I sign autographs occasionally still and I still marvel at the opportunity. I've been to four different countries and all over the US. I skate everyday and I love every second of it. I want the world to realize that this sport is just as good as any other. Maybe more. I want the world to realize that we have our stud athletes and our bad ones, we have our good people and our bad people in the sport. I want them to see the passion the I put on display. I want them to notice that when we get good we look for ways to get better. I want the world to realize that a small kid, just 5'5" and not getting any bigger can be a world class athlete from a small town of just 1300 people that didn't have to move or switch schools to get where they are. How many sports is that possible in??

I want the world to realize "if you give me 100%, you will get faster."