Eric biography beth heidenheim

American speed skater. Name variations: Beth Heiden Reid. Born in 1959 in West Allis, Wisconsin; sister of Olympic speed skater Eric Heiden; attended University of Vermont, early 1980s; married.

Set the national record in the mile for high school girls (1975); won the World championship in speed skating in Den Haag, Netherlands (1979); won the World championship in bicycling in Sallanches,

France (1980); won the bronze medal in 3,000-meter speed skating at the Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York (1980); won the NCAA Cross Country Ski championship in Bozeman, Montana (1983).

Beth Heiden was born in West Allis, Wisconsin, in 1959 and grew up experiencing the harsh Wisconsin winters that are so ideal for skaters.

The petite Beth originally pursued figure skating, but was soon attracted to her brother Eric Heiden's sport of choice: speed skating. What she lacked in size Beth made up for in grit, overcoming her physical limitations with concentration,