Beth Heiden
An American athlete who carved her own path to Olympic bronze in speed skating, then dominated world championships on wheels and skis.
Born 1959 (age 67)·American sportswoman·Birthday: September 27·Baby Boomers
Biography
Growing up in Madison, Wisconsin, Beth Heiden learned to skate on frozen ponds, sharing a backyard rink with her brother Eric. While he would achieve Olympic immortality, Beth forged a spectacularly versatile career of her own. At the 1980 Lake Placid Games, she battled through injury to claim a bronze medal in the 3000m speed skating event. Unwilling to be defined by a single sport, she then shifted gears with stunning success. She became a world champion in road cycling and a national champion in cross-country skiing, a rare triple-sport threat. Heiden's quiet determination and broad athletic genius demonstrated that excellence could take many forms, making her a pioneer for multi-sport athletes long before the term became common.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Beth was born in 1959, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Beth Was Born
The biggest hits of 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Beth's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1959Born
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1964Started school
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1972Became a teenager
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Could drive
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1977Could vote
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Turned 21
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1989Turned 30
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 40
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 50
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 60
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 67 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the bronze medal in the 3000m speed skating event at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid.
- Became the World Road Race Champion in cycling in 1980, the same year as her Olympic medal.
- Won the U.S. National Cross-Country Skiing championship in 1983.
- Was the U.S. all-around speed skating champion in 1979.
Did You Know?
She and her brother Eric are the only sibling pair to have both won individual medals at the same Winter Olympics.
She studied engineering at the University of Vermont.
After retiring from competition, she became a skilled silversmith and jewelry maker.
“I just wanted to see how fast I could go, on ice and on the road.”
