Kellie Delka, Puerto Rico’s only Winter Olympian, took an unusual route to the games

Puerto Rico has one athlete at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

And Kellie Delka came prepared for the moment.

Delka is making her second appearance in the Winter Olympics, having represented Puerto Rico during the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing. She is a skeleton slider who finished 24th at the 2022 games, and finished 24th at the 2025 World Championships in Lake Placid.

She showcased her custom suit, paying tribute to Puerto Rico, during training runs ahead of the skeleton competition in Milano Cortina:

Delka’s path to the Winter Olympics — and Puerto Rico — is an unconventional one. She was born in Texas, and attended North Texas where she ran track and was a cheerleader. But after her college days were over, she moved to Puerto Rico, with an eye on winter sports.

“My journey to becoming an Olympian wasn’t the most traditional one. Growing up, I was a track athlete and cheerleader at the University of North Texas, and while I thrived in those sports, I always craved something more intense, something that pushed me to my absolute limits,” says Delka on her official website. “Skeleton became that ‘something.’ It’s not just a sport—it’s my passion, my purpose, and my way of showing what’s possible when you go all in on a dream.

“Representing Puerto Rico on the world stage fills me with so much pride. I live here, train here, and carry the vibrant spirit of the island with me every time I step onto the track. Competing in the Olympics was a dream come true, and now, I’m chasing an even bigger one: qualifying for my second Olympics and bringing home the first medal for Puerto Rico from the Winter Games. It’s a journey filled with challenges, sacrifices, and triumphs, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Delka’s decision to compete for Puerto Rico, and not the United States, has come with some criticism. She explained her decision to compete for Puerto Rico on social media ahead of the 2026 Winter Games:

“I do live in Puerto Rico,” she says. “I train in Puerto Rico full-time… It (might be) confusing that I’m here. It saddens me to see people not accepting of me representing, because I feel I’m doing it in the most authentic way.”

The next step on that journey comes with the official skeleton competition later this week.