Born in the Ghanaian capital of Accra, Maame Biney moved to the United States when she was five years old and was zipping around on skates within a year. Now 21, Biney has Olympic experience under her belt – she reached the quarterfinals of the 500m event in PyeongChang as an 18-year-old – and has emerged as the face of American short track. It just so happens that that face features one of the best smiles around… until race day, when Biney channels her steely alter-ego, Anna Digger.
As part of our preparation for the 2022 Winter Games, NBC Olympics sent questionnaires to multiple athletes to learn more about their lives both inside and outside of sports. Here’s what we found out about Biney:
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What does a typical training day look like?
7:10 a.m. – Wake up
8 a.m. – Get to rink
9-11 a.m. – On-ice training
11-1 p.m. – Some sort of lifting/dryland training
3-6 p.m. – Ice/dryland/weights
What’s a surprising part of your training routine?
Using the sauna for post recovery.
What do you love most about your sport?
Wanted to travel the world and experience different cultures was one of the main reasons why I wanted to keep skating.
Who is your Olympic role model?
Serena Williams and Simone Biles
What Summer Olympic events would you like to try?
Gymnastics, track, rock climbing
What would you be if you weren’t an athlete?
Probably a regular college student trying to figure out life.
Do you have any pet peeves?
When people drive under the speed limit or if they’re in the fast lane driving slow!
What’s on your bucket list?
Skydiving and learning how to swim.
What is your personal motto?
Be good to your future self!