How suburban skaters recaptured glory to compete for a world championship

How suburban skaters are in line to compete for world championship

In Crystal Lake, a fun hobby has become a way to make an impact on a world stage. Here's how The Extreme Racing Speed Team can compete for a world championship.

Hitting top speeds as high as 40 miles per hour, the Xtreme Racing Speed team has some of the fastest inline speed skaters in the country.

"It's just a thrill to go fast," Two-time Team USA speed skater Eleri Scott said. "I don’t know how to explain it, but it's like you're in another world 

"It's thrilling. It's almost like being on a rollercoaster."

"It's a really good time going fast, flying around corners," Elijah Byham said.

The backstory:

What started as a fun activity for most skaters has turned into a competitive passion, with skaters working their way to the world stage.

"(There's) a lot of things you can't do when you want to be really good at a sport," Two-time Team USA skater Trevor Kreplin said. "You sacrifice going out with friends. it's a sacrifice worth sacrificing for."

"(I've) gone and skated in Germany, Italy, Portugal," Junior Team USA speed skater Kaleb Adams said. "Very beautiful places. Never thought I'd get to the point where I would travel like that. It's a really amazing feeling."

Five speed skaters from Xtreme Racing qualified for Team USA. The most from any team in the country. 

Head coach and owner of Xtreme Racing, Dean Hohl is a former three-time national champion himself.  Now, he's pouring into the next generation.

"It's amazing. Absolutely amazing," Hohl said. "The U.S. – up to 15 years ago – we were the dominant country in inline speed skating. We'd routinely go to world championships and take most of the medals. 

"Then we, as sports coaches, forgot how to train our athletes at the high level. In the last three years now we have a group of us training at a high level."

"It's something different, not like other sports where you're stuck to a team or have to do well to help other people," Kreplin said. "It's all yourself. Go out there for yourself, as good as you're going to do."

What's next:

With training in hand, Team USA will send five speed skaters to China for the inline speed skating championships on September 13th.

"I've met and gotten along with so many new people I would never have met coming into this sport," Adams said. "It's almost more of a second lifestyle. It changes your lifestyle around. Physically in tune. Athletically training."

"I just loving skating," Adams said."I love competing and stuff. Really fun to race against all those people and make friends with everyone."