Arlington's Mayor Margaret Larson proclaimed June 23 Olympic Day for the city, joining other cities in more than 160 countries around the world. Not only will the city commemorate the organized sport competition, but it may also be sending three future Olympians to the 2016 games, hopefully to be held in Chicago that year.

Tiffany Hardebeck, Tim Groves and Jamie Shull are three well-trained athletes who are participating in a sport that has yet to be recognized in the Olympics: inline speed skating. The roller sport, which has gained recognition throughout the country and world, is competing against the sport of karate, which is also in the running for being named an official Olympic sport.

With all of the pressure surrounding the skaters to be future Olympic candidates, the three Arlington residents admit that they just love to skate.

"I do it for the speed and my friends," said Groves, who has been skating for nine years.

Shull, a veteran skater since 1995, said, "I love going to public sessions and just skating and watching others compete." It seems that whoever joins this sport loves it for the friends they make and its fast paced competitive nature.

Debi Johnson, vice president for the Everett Express Inline Speed Skating Team, is helping the team advance from a local competitor to a well-known Olympic-recognized sports team.

"These guys train 10 to 12 months a year," said Johnson. "We have people on the team that travel to Everett from as far as Bellingham and Woodinville. Not only are these amazing athletes, but our mission is to promote the sport of speed skating, including the instruction of speed skating, racing, conditioning, care of equipment, character building and sportsmanship."

Johnson has been contacting local cities to help gain awareness of the sport and hopes that like Arlington, other cities will adopt June 23 as Olympic Day. Next week, the roller crew will attend Marysville's council meeting for a proclamation and then on to Everett the following week. Johnson believes that "By celebrating Olympic Day, we not only can improve the communities we live in today, we can inspire the champions of tomorrow."

Before the pressure and excitement sets in for the athletes to prepare and compete for the Olympics, which will be determined this October, Hardebeck and Shull must first tackle Nationals that will be held in Peoria, Illinois during the week of July 19. The two women are excited about Nationals and aim to be successful so they can advance to the Olympic trials if the roller sport is recognized. Head coach for the team, Chuck Hendricks, who helped the Everett Express Inline Speed Skating Team go from only two national qualifiers to seventeen in his first year of coaching, said, "nearly three-fourths of the USA Ice Speed Skating Team originated from inline speed skating, including Apolo Ohno and J.R. Celski." Now the athletes have the opportunity to create their own Olympic team without switching over to ice skates.

To help increase the public's interest in the roller sport, the Everett Express Inline Speed Skating Team is hosting a roller skate fundraiser, where beginner speed skaters can be trained in a free skating clinic. Join the Olympic hopefuls and others at the Everett Skate Deck on Monday, June 22. Regular skate session will be held from 6-8 p.m. with a skate demo at 8 p.m. and the clinic to follow. The price is $7 for admission and skate rentals; a helmet is required for the speed clinic. Games and raffles will also be a part of the night's skating extravaganza. The Everett Skate Deck will also be hosting a "Celebrate Olympic Day" the following day, June 23, from 3:30-4:45 p.m. with no-cost skating session. Visit the Web site for further details at www.everettskatedeck.com.