I am a firm believer that a natural athlete can excel in any sport they try. However, I don't know too many natural athletes, except for one of my friends and old teammates, Netanya Mintz. Mintz, 24, is a long track speed skater and one of about 25 women who compete on the national level for the United States. This small sport only has two facilities in the United States. One is in Milwaukee, Wis. where Mintz trained through college and one in Salt Lake City Utah where she is training now.

Unlike most nationally ranked speed skaters Mintz started when she was 17. Most if not all the other skaters started when they were very young. In February of 2002, when Mintz was a senior in college, she attended the Utah Games and was inspired by the speed skaters. When she came back home to Skokie, Ill. She decided to join the Evanston speed skating club where they have a short track. By April, Mintz changed her original college plans and started training on a long track in Milwaukee with world class speed skater. She quickly became ninth in the country two years in a row.

When I asked Mintz how she went from never speed skating to ninth in the nation she said she had the attitude, "I want to do it, so I am going to do it and I did it."

Mintz went into early retirement after the death of her beloved grandfather. She took 18 months off and worked. Around springtime when she found out about the Nike+ Human Race she started training in order to complete the 10k. She loved the training so much she decided she needed to get back into speed skating.

Mintz trains by running, biking, lifting weights, doing different jumping exercises and obviously skating. Currently she is trying to get back into the national competition circuit.

If there is one thing I remember about growing up with Mintz is that she is one of the most driven and competitive girls I know, thankfully I was always on her team.

-Dana Fne