Summer Britcher, a luge veteran from Pennsylvania, will once again represent Team USA on the world stage. The 31-year-old made her Olympic debut in 2014. The Milan Cortina Games will be her fourth Olympics. Britcher said she is honored to be competing for USA Luge. “When you are a li ttle kid and you are thinking about sports, that is the big dream to represent your country,” said Britcher. Britcher, who grew up in Glen Rock, Pa., said she found the sport “sort of by accident” when she was just 11 years old. She was skiing with her family and happened upon a promotional luge event. Competitive and determined, Britcher said she went up and down the hill repeatedly trying to beat her brothers for the best time. Gordy Sheer, a 1998 Silver Medalist and current director of marketing for USA Luge, remembers meeting Summer at that event. “Summer is extremely hard working, she is dedicated, she is strong,” said Sheer. “She is pretty much everything you want to see in a luge athlete, and I could even see the beginnings of that on day one.” Britcher competed in the 2022 Beijing Games with a broken finger, after breaking it just three weeks before the Olympics. Heading into the 2026 Milan Cortina Games with medal aspirations, Britcher said she is focused on the process and doing everything in her power to set herself up for success. She said she is hoping to walk away from the Games in a joyful moment, proud of what she has accomplished. Britcher describes luge as “very extreme sledding” on banked ice turns instead of snow. She has reached speeds up to 85 mph. The sport is timed to the thousandth of a second. With an enduring love for competing, Britcher said the sport makes her happy. She shared this advice for any young athletes: “Stay in sport because you love it. It should be fun. So if you are not having fun, change something or focus on that because that is kind of the whole point.” Want to watch Britcher perform at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics? Her first event will be held on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026 at 11 a.m. Click here for a look at her full schedule. ...read more read less