HEBER — The first time Jeremy Teela dreamed of the Olympics, he envisioned himself swimming for the gold.
After years of hard work and sacrifice, his desire to represent the United States in the Olympics became a reality not once, but twice.
Only, instead of the humidity of the pool, he lived out his childhood fantasies skiing and shooting in the frigid temperatures that accompany the biathlon event. Teela moved to Heber City a few years ago in hopes of making the U.S. Olympic team one more time — and this time earn a medal. The 2010 team looks very capable of being the first to win the country's first medal in the biathlon.
"That is our hope," said U.S. biathlon coach Per Nilsson. "They are in a good place. They have the potential, and they showed that last year (in the pre-Olympic World Cup)."
Nilsson said while Teela is at his best when it matters most, Tim Burke is "more like a machine. He always has a high capacity to perform. And Jeremy, you can count on him when it's the toughest conditions."
Teela won America's first Biathlon World Cup medal since 1992 in March. He won that medal on the Olympic course. In addition to Teela, the team boasts several men who could contend for a medal, including New York's Burke, who grew up in the shadow of Lake Placid.
"As a kid, I got to try a lot of Olympic sports," Burke said. "Everywhere you go, you see the Olympic rings and hear people talking about how special they are."
Teela grew up far from any Olympic venue, but one of the benefits of living in Anchorage, Alaska, is that winter sports are extremely popular.
"We had ski trails right behind the high school, and a lot of people did it," said Teela of his time at Service High School. "Cross country was as big as wrestling is here in Heber."
Teela ended up racing at Junior Nationals his senior year and winning. The U.S. biathlon coach at the time suggested he give the sport a try.
As Teela had grown up around guns, combining the two sports wasn't a ridiculous suggestion.
"He said he recruited the fastest skiers and taught them how to shoot," Teela said.
After high school, Teela had decisions to make. Head to college and try to keep skiing, try to make the U.S. cross-country ski team or join the U.S. biathlon team's development program.
"I really had a drive to make the Olympic team," Teela said of 1996. "The road the U.S. biathlon team had laid out was very well-planned and clear. You could see how you could get from where I was to there. Cross-country skiing didn't have anything like it at the time."
Burke grew up in a family of skiers, so choosing cross country was logical.
"My family is my strongest support," he said. "They've never questioned my ability to get there."
He made the 2006 team, but like Teela, he's looking to do more than participate this time.
"It was an amazing experience," he said. "It's a lifetime's worth of work. To achieve that goal is amazing. Now, I'd like to be the first American to win a medal."
Teela said his Olympic experience in 2002 was everything he'd dreamed it would be.
"It's everything coming to fruition," he said. "It was probably more special because it was in the U.S."
His family was able to attend the Salt Lake Games, but they didn't see him compete in Italy. His extended family lives in Washington state, just hours from the Olympic venues.
"I have two jackets, and now I want the hardware," Teela said with a smile. "One of the first areas I skied was Whistler. My family is psyched, because they'll all be there."
Both men say they've made sacrifices but have relished the opportunities that came with international competition. Teela said he got married in 2002 but divorced last year.
"Relationships are tough to nurture when you travel this much," he said. "But aside from going to (college), it's the only big sacrifice."
For Burke, giving up the college experience was a significant sacrifice.
"That was big for me," he said. "I have taken some online classes, but it's definitely a much slower pace."
The physical toll, the emotional sacrifices, the hours of training will all be worth it if the U.S. can finally earn its first medal in the sport this winter.
"The Olympics is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life," said Burke. "It's a very unique event. You might only have a few chances in your life to be involved in something where the whole world is coming together."
JEREMY TEELA
Birthdate: Nov. 28, 1976
Hometown: Anchorage, Alaska
Current residence: Heber City
Height: 5 feet 11 inches
Weight: 180 pounds
Hobbies: Golf, motorcycle riding, anything electronic
Uniform sponsor: Adidas
Skis and boots: Madshus skis and Alpina boots
Family: Youngest of three boys; single
Web site: www.jeremyteela.com
TIM BURKE
Birthdate: Feb. 3, 1982
Hometown: Paul Smiths, N.Y.
Current Residence: Lake Placid, N.Y.
Height: 5 feet 11 inches
Weight: 160 pounds
Hobbies: Fly fishing, biking, hunting, hiking
Uniform: Adidas
Skis and boots: Rossignol
Poles: Exel
Web site: www.timburke.us
WHAT IS BIATHLON?
Winter biathlon combines rifle marksmanship and cross-country skiing with the pressure of a timed event. Skiers make their way around a cross-country course and then stop to shoot. They are penalized for each missed shot, and they must shoot standing and lying on the ground. There are individual events, as well as relay races in the Olympics.
e-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com