Intent expression. Stiff ginger curls escaping from under a black woolen hat. Light blue eyes that continuously scan the surroundings. As if the starting shot can go off any moment. The 33-year old sportswoman from Milwaukee Wisconsin still looks sharp and in great shape. The atmosphere on the ice rink in Eindhoven is electrifying. The skating season has begun. For the second consecutive time Witty is featuring as coach.

In May 2007 she came to Eindhoven to live together with her partner Frouke Oonk. The Dutch sprint skater trains the A group of Isis and introduced Witty to the student club. “All of them are fit. I mainly refine their technique, so that they can make more progress”, is how the American describes her pupils.

According to Isis her presence generates extra members. For this reason the selection times have been sharpened, so as to keep the top group limited to a maximum of twenty. Witty can smile. Although she denies it initially, it still boils down to making shift as best she can. All those years she was focused only on winning, practicing ten to twelve times per week. Working herself to the bone. And now suddenly she practices three nights a week with students. Talented alright, but still. “They are not sacrificing themselves entirely, like I used to do. It took some getting used to, especially during the first season. Of course, they are students first and foremost. Study and examinations get priority. I have to accept that in a more relaxed frame of mind.”

Gold-digger
In 2002 Witty was a gold-digger at the Winter Olympics of Salt Lake City. She crushed the 1000 meter distance with a world record of 1.13.83, but the victory on her favorite distance was surpassed several days later. She came out with a sad story about her youth. For many years she had been abused by her neighbor, without her family suspecting anything. Later this led to a break-up with her parents. Meanwhile she has found closure for this trauma, as she said in earlier interviews. Now she is looking ahead.

“I see this period as a change of life. Not having to achieve every day, going about things in a nice and relaxed way. I am enjoying it. I studied business administration for three years once, but an office job would really drive me crazy. That is why I am now following a Bachelor program in sports sciences, with financial support from the US Olympic Committee. The books are flown in from the States and the rest of the study I follow via the Internet. I want to remain active within the world of sports, regardless whether it is skating, swimming or volleyball. Perhaps as a coach, perhaps as a scientist conducting physiological research. We shall see.”/.