19 Days

In 2006, skier Robel Teklemariam became the first athlete to represent Ethiopia in any event at the Winter Olympics. Robel was born in Ethiopia and moved to New York City when he was 9. He was never happy in the big city, so his mother sent him to a boarding school in Lake Placid, NY (home of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Games) where he learned to ski. At the age of 12, Robel began dreaming of competing at the Olympics when a spectator jokingly told him he could represent Ethiopia. 19 years later, that dream became a reality, as he competed in Turino and finished in 108th place. He also established and heads the first Ethiopian National Skiing Federation and is trying to raise awareness of winter sports in his home country. Robel plans to compete at the Vancouver Olympics as well. Good luck!

At the first modern Olympic Winter Games in 1896, the founder, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, was opposed to including female athletes, thus none competed. However, only four years later, nineteen women competed at the 1900 Olympic Games.