5 questions with Dan Jansen

Dan Jansen is best known for winning a gold medal and setting a world record in the 1,000 meters, his final Olympic speedskating race. That moment during the 1994 Games in Norway came after years of heartbreak on the oval and at home; his sister, Jane, died of leukemia during the 1988 Winter Games. On Nov. 1, he will run in the New York City Marathon in support of the ING Run for Something Better program to fight childhood obesity. Donations to sponsor Jansen in the race can be made at orangelaces.com

Question: Have you ever run a marathon?

Answer: Yes — this will be my third marathon. I ran in New York in 1996 and in Washington in 2007. I finished right around 3 hours and 20 minutes in each race. But this isn't about me, it's about the kids and physical fitness. Nowadays, some kids are home sitting at their computers all day, from the time they get up until the time they go to bed, and that's not very healthy.

Question: You have two teenage daughters. Are they interested in speedskating?

Answer: No, they are involved in cheerleading, basketball and softball. We live in Charlotte, N.C., and there are no 400-meter ovals there. In fact, there are only five of them in the whole country.

Question: From 2005 to 2007, you served as the skating coach for the Chicago Blackhawks. With all due respect, what could you teach players who have been skating since they were 3 and 4 years old?

Answer: They may have been playing hockey from a young age, but they just absorbed the fundamentals of the game and went out and played. They were quick and fast but not very efficient. I was able to help them gain a step or two by using less energy and less effort.

Question: Your sister, Jane, who died of leukemia during the 1988 Winter Games, was a source of inspiration during your skating career. When you're running a marathon or doing anything else on a competitive level, does she still inspire?

Answer: Time goes by, but her memory is always with me, she still adds to my competitive fire. When I hit the wall during my last marathon, I started thinking about her and what she went through for a year before she passed away, and then I say to myself, "No problem, I can do another six miles."

Question: Tell us something that no one knows about you.

Answer: I like that old country music: Merle Haggard, Tom T. Hall, that group. I keep that kind of low.