Editor’s note: Readers are invited to nominate their all-time favorite Summit County athletes for Peak Performers: The Mount Rushmore of Summit County athletes. The Summit Daily News is accepting nominations through Saturday. To make a nomination, visit SummitDaily.com/peakperformers. Voting begins Feb. 23.
Nominee: Jana Hlavaty
Sport: Nordic skiing
Born and raised in Czechoslovakia, Jana Hlavaty has found a home as one of the most influential figures in the Summit County Nordic skiing community after a long career as a Nordic skier that included a spot on Team USA at the 1976 Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria.
After skiing for the Czech national team, Hlavaty relocated to the U.S., and the endurance racer competed in the 5-kilometer, 10K, 20K and relay races at the 1976 games. She did so after having her U.S. Oath of Allegiance only two days before she left for the Olympics.
As the director of programs at the Keystone Nordic Center for decades, Hlavaty has been a force in helping people of all ages learn to ski and enjoy the sport here in Summit County. Her work at the Keystone Nordic Center has included teaching classic and skate skiing via a women’s clinic called Mountain Women.