Olympian Spotlight on Michelle Roark

Olympic athlete Michelle Roark

Name: Michelle Roark

Competition: Freestyle Skiing
Age: 35
Hometown: Denver, CO
School/University: Colorado School of Mines
Major: Chemical Engineering, Petroleum Refining, and Environmental Science
How she trains: Skiing was always a family pastime, so Michelle spent many hours on the slopes near her hometown in Denver, CO when she was growing up. Michelle now owns a home in Denver and spends many days on the slopes in Denver and in Winter Park, CO. When she isn’t perfecting her perfumes for her new business, you will find Michelle on the slopes, practicing.
How she manages it all: Michelle has always been very dedicated to her sport and her education. Michelle earned her degree in chemical engineering while continuing to ski full-time. At one point, she was in such a dire financial state that she lived out of a tent, worked three different jobs, and asked for pasta as a birthday present.
Now, Michelle is better off, thanks to her degree. Using her education in chemical engineering, Michelle created her own perfume line and opened her own boutique, both called “Phi-nomenal.” It takes a lot of dedication and love for her sport and career, but Michelle is talented enough to excel in both.
Fun Fact: Michelle wanted to be a figure skater when she was younger, however, financial limitations caused her to change her specialization to skiing, a family pastime. She learned to ski using hand-me-down equipment from her older brother. Michelle has always been small: She is currently 5’0” and 105 pounds, so her father “put a rolled-up sock in her brother’s boots so they fit.”
Via TradingCharts.com, Phinomenal.com, and USSkiTeam.com
Read more Olympic athlete spotlights:
Katie Uhlaender
Graham Watanabe