On a rare day off from training, 19-year-old speedskater Alex Ianculescu said she didn’t know what to do since she wasn’t hitting the ice.

Since the age of 10 Ianculescu has been training for her ultimate goal – the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

“It’s a huge goal but I will do it, because I know what I can do and I know what I’m capable of doing,” said Ianculescu, who recently returned from the Junior World Cup in Milwaukee with two silver medals. “I want three Olympics in my career, period.”

With her parents both living in Ontario and raising her younger sister, Ianculescu said contributions from Calgarians have helped her to pay her Olympic Oval training fees.

“It’s important to have that help because it lets me have that piece of mind, so when I show up at the oval I can do my thing and not worry about, ‘OK, I’m $600 short.’”

Ianculescu is now trying to find the funds to start school in the fall at the University of Calgary.

She said no matter the amount of work ahead, she knows she’ll reach the Olympics.

“It’s really weird in a good way because I wake up every morning and … I still look forward to it every single morning.”