Curling Skip Kenna Ponzio Is Taking It All In At The Youth Olympics

Kenna Ponzio knew this was coming since last September, and even with all the advance notice, being at the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, South Korea, seemed like a dream.

Ponzio, the 16-year-old Team USA mixed team curling skip, took part in Friday’s Opening Ceremony at the indoor speedskating area. Marching in with Team USA, wearing the special gear and waving to her family in the stands was a spine-tingling experience.

Now sitting on her lower bunk bed in the athletes’ village and discussing the experience with a reporter calling from the other side of the world, a permanent smile spread across her face.

“It hit me a little bit like wow, I am actually in the Olympics,” Ponzio, a native of Savage, Minnesota, told TeamUSA.com. “Everybody was cheering for us, and we were waving back to them. Everybody looked so happy. We walked by with all the other athletes and their flags, and it was so cool to see everybody from other countries.”

The quadrennial Winter Youth Olympic Games, for athletes ages 15 to 18, continues through Feb. 1, with an expected 1,900 athletes from more than 80 nations taking part. Ponzio’s team, made up of cousin Teagan Thurston, plus Zach Brendan and Owen Nelson, went 7-1 in September’s Youth Olympic Trials at the Denver Curling Club.

The teen curlers — who also hail from Wisconsin (Thurston) and North Dakota (Brendan and Nelson) — have been in training for this big competition since then, doing a variety of work to mentally and physically prepare. They’ve been working on every aspect, from strategy to ice management to conditioning, hoping to be best prepared for a competition of this level.

Stepping up to curl against the best in the world, the team tries to maintain the vibe of this being another day at the rink … except it is clearly not.

The first thing Ponzio noticed when seeing the curling facility in South Korea was the words “2018 PyeongChang Olympics,” letting her know this was the exact place Team Shuster won gold six years ago and changed U.S. curling history.

“I kind of freaked out seeing that, because that happened here, and now we are here too? To compete in the Olympics?” Ponzio, a high school sophomore, said. “That let me know this is a big deal. I knew it already, but now I saw that too.”

The chemistry of Team Ponzio runs deep. They are tight-knit and have known each other for years. Ponzio assesses her teammates as a good blend of seriousness (Thurston), humor (Nelson) and balance (Brendan).

“I think what sets us apart is our communication and dynamics,” she said. “We know how to lift each other up in a game. It just kind of works very well. We have a great mix with the girls and the guys. We are a well-rounded team.”

Ponzio throws third, because she doesn’t like the pressure of being last. Brendan throws the last stone because he can handle it. Thurston and Nelson lead things off. They’ve worked through different iterations, landing on this one as the most effective.

Ponzio, the youngest of the quartet at 16 — the rest are a year older — enjoys being the skip.

She thinks of the strategy and thrives on the competition.

“I think it’s really fun to come up with what we are going to do,” she said. “You always have to keep thinking about things, and make sure you are figuring everything out. Some people don’t want that pressure. I am fine with it.”

The Youth Olympic Games experience is something Ponzio wants to savor. She came prepared, with custom-done red, white and blue nails, complete with accents of stars and the mascot Moongcho. She’s also picked up a stuffed animal version of Moongcho (think of a cross between a snowman and a bunny), and has him clipped to her water bottle for good vibes.

She wants to meet as many athletes from other countries as possible, trade pins and jerseys, make new friends, and see bobsled and skeleton events. All of Team Ponzio have their parents, and even some grandparents, along for the adventure in South Korea. The Team Ponzio crew packed cowbells, planning to make their cheering known during competition.

In the end, she wants to remember this as a special chance to compete in curling.

“I just love being on the ice. If we play well and have fun, and I see my family cheering for us, then this will be a good memory for me,” she said. “That would make me feel accomplished.”