“Am I going to be good enough? Can I beat the South Koreans? Her job is to prepare them mentally. And she is so full stories all the time…she’s so excited, and she said she just can’t believe that she’s so blessed to be able to do this,” said Bonnie Detling.

Whether it’s getting Katherine Ruetter psyched right before a competition or helping a disqualified J.R. Celski to get his head back in the game, Detling Miller calls herself a “mental coach.”

“She stretches their mind — getting them to go further than they think their limits are…and know that they can do this, to give them the self-confidence to be able to compete and win medals,” said Bonnie Detling.

But going for the gold was the least on many athletes’ minds after a fellow Olympian died during training, just hours before the opening ceremonies.

“But it really did a number on the village. They were very upset and humbled, realizing how important all of this is, and all the danger and risks in it…she needed to work with them mentally — to get them over that,” said Bonnie Detling.

Nicole Detling Miller, born and raised right here in the Valley, has been training Olympians since 1998 — working with aerialist and ski teams, to now speed skaters. One of the athletes who she coaches right now is none other than — most decorated speed skater in the Winter Olympics, Apolo Ohno.