If there was ever an Olympic Games meant for field hockey goalkeeper Kelsey Bing, it is the Paris 2024 Olympics. Just take the gold-plated croissant charm that hangs from her neck as a sign of fate.
A Love for Croissants and Olympic Dreams
“I am a huge fan of croissants. It’s my favorite thing ever,” shared Bing, a member of the U.S. national team. The necklace she wears, a tribute to her love for the flaky French pastry, accompanied her through the recent Olympic qualifiers as she hoped to manifest a victory.
The qualifiers took place in India, where the U.S. team had suffered a devastating defeat four years prior, missing their chance to compete in the Tokyo Olympics. When Bing learned they would return, she asked her teammate, “What’s the worst that could happen?”
Turning Adversity into Opportunity
Reflecting on their previous experience, she remarked, “We’ve already been blown out by India in India. It can’t get worse than that.” This time, however, Team USA triumphed, finishing second to Germany and earning their spot in Paris. Bing was recognized as both Goalkeeper of the Tournament and Goalkeeper of the Match against India.
“Knowing that we could leverage a poor experience to propel us into a phenomenal one was just so special,” Bing noted at the recent Team USA Media Summit in New York. She expressed gratitude for the missed qualification experience, stating, “I think it made this one feel even more worthwhile.”
A Journey with Purpose
In June, the team will announce the players going to Paris. “I’m a very process-oriented person, so I am just focusing on one step at a time,” Bing stated. “The first step for Paris is I need to get on the roster. I’m still an Olympic hopeful.”
The Olympics have been a long-held dream for Bing. In her junior year of high school, she was named to the junior national team and played for the U.S. at an under-18 Olympic qualifier for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, where they missed qualifying by finishing third.
“When I think about Paris, it gives me chills because it feels so close,” she shared about the impending announcement. “It’s similar to sports where there’s only so much you can control.”
From Soccer to Field Hockey
Growing up, Bing played soccer, idolizing members of the U.S. women’s national team. However, when field hockey wasn’t an option at her school in the seventh grade, she chose it, encouraged by her mother’s reassurance that it was similar to soccer.
Her younger sister, Lindsay, recalls Kelsey’s competitive spirit: “She was the most competitive kid, always trying to win everything. It’s been so fun to watch.” Lindsay plans to watch from the sidelines in Paris and has already requested time off from her bank job in New York City, anticipating her sister’s inclusion in the team.
Support from Family and Friends
Many friends and family members plan to be in Paris to support Bing. “It warms my heart because, honestly, it takes a village. This is not something I did by myself. I had so much support,” said the 26-year-old. “I’m happy to have them there because they’re part of the process and should be celebrated.”
While she looks forward to their presence, she jokes about her father’s embarrassing antics during her youth: “I don’t know how he could embarrass me any further.”
Balancing Sports and Career
After graduating high school as a two-time state champion in field hockey, Bing went on to play at Stanford University. “What’s so great about Stanford is the excellence in sports and the excellence in the classroom that it puts out. For me, both are incredibly important,” she said.
Today, Bing balances her professional sports career with a full-time job as a software engineer in Charlotte, NC, working 30 hours a week. “I feel so fortunate that I have a company that’s willing to support me on my Olympic journey because not every company is like that,” she revealed about Xwing, an autonomous technology startup.
Her goal in her job is to “develop my mind and improve myself as a human being” because, as she puts it, “As much as I’d love to be a professional athlete my whole life, I don’t think my body agrees with that.”
A Bright Future Ahead
Kelsey Bing’s journey to the Paris Olympics is filled with determination, resilience, and support from those around her. With her talent and mindset, she is poised to make a significant impact in the world of field hockey and potentially achieve her Olympic dream in 2024.
