How Kate Hansen, former Olympian and BYU graduate, experiences the Winter Games

The Winter Olympics happen once every four years and for the athletes that compete, it can be an exciting and an overwhelming experience.

But what about the athletes who once competed? What is their experience when the Olympics they once fought to compete in return every four years?

BYU alum Kate Hansen competed for Team USA in the luge in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. Sliding since she was 10 years old and moving out of the house at age 15 to pursue her olympic dream, Hansen was determined to make the Olympics.

Now, Hansen has flipped to the other side of the camera and has begun commentating the Olympic Games for NBC using the same determination that she used as a competitor to now tell the stories of athletes.

“This is their chance. They finally made it to the Olympics and their hometown is watching and they get essentially, in the luge, 60 seconds for their moment and you just want to make sure you do them justice,” said Hansen.

This is her second time that she has done broadcasting for NBC with her first stint being at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

In Beijing, it wasn’t always easy for her to talk about the sport that she loves.

“The first time I commentated in Beijing, it was really hard and uncomfortable and made me really emotional seeing my friends crash,” said Hansen. “It’s really hard to watch knowing how hard they’ve all worked.”

In the Beijing Olympics specifically, the track was very difficult, especially around Curve 13, and led to a few crashes for team USA.

Millions of people watch the Olympics. For example, in the United States, the 2026 Olympics reached a daily average of 22 million viewers according to NBC Universal Media.

The millions watching without professional athletic experience may have thought that the crashes were exciting or moved on with their day after turning off the TV.

For Hansen, the athletes competing in the luge were her friends. She knew the sacrifices they had made to reach their goals and dreams.

“What I want people to know is that it took them 10,000 hours to get to this moment to be on your TV screen,” said Hansen. “When people make comments or opinions just know that you have no idea the amount of bones that they had to break to get there.”

Photo by Kate Hansen via Instagram

Often, athletes are cut or injured and don’t get to see their dreams come full circle.

The hours that they put in to reach the highest level of competition are certainly paid off by even having the opportunity to say that they are Olympians.

But the reality is, the average viewer doesn’t get to see the dedication that is given in order to compete at the highest level. They only witness the minute-long race that is the encapsulation of all the hard work that they have put in.

So for Hansen, someone who has grinded away years of training to be able to participate in the Games, it was an amazing experience getting to see her friend win a medal in Cortina.

“That was just so special to witness and to see someone’s hard work culminate and it was just really inspiring,” said Hansen. “It feels so good to actually see a come full-circle moment because there are so many more stories of heartbreak than stories of success.”

The many emotions and dedication that Hansen has experienced as a professional, world-class athlete, has shaped who she is today.

Not just as a commentator, but also as a person.

“I feel like now, as I’m doing life, I have a large capacity of productivity, of pain, of kindness and generosity,” said Hansen. “I learned that the Olympics taught me how to work really, really, really hard.”

Now that Hansen has returned home, life continues for her. She uses her Olympian-level work ethic as she balances both school and work.

Hansen is pursuing her master’s degree in Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute and is an in-stadium host for the Los Angeles Dodgers.