It’s been fours years since former Twins outfielder Ted Uhlaender passed away, and the path his daughter, Katie Uhlaender, has taken since has been filled with ups and downs.
Katie is a world class skeleton racer. She was at the top of her game until her father passed away in 2009.
“He made me feel like a warrior with a purpose,” she said at summit for the 2014 Olympic games, according to the Los Angeles Times. “And when he passed away, I didn’t have a purpose.”
Uhlaender’s parenting philosophy didn’t involve letting his little girl win at anything. If Katie wanted to win, she had to earn it.
“He didn’t hand you anything. He wanted you to earn it,” she said. “That’s what my father was about.”
Katie is now back at the top of her game and looking forward to competing in the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
“I can’t guarantee I’m going to win,” she said. “But I can guarantee I’m gonna make it real hard to lose.”
Uhlaender the baseball player was a throwback style outfielder for the Twins. He played in Minnesota from 1965-1969. He was traded to the Cleveland Indians before the start of the 1970 season. He wound up managing the Indians later on in his career.
He was a career .263 hitter with 36 home runs and 285 RBI.
