Introducing Speedskater & INGDA Student Quinn

If you’ve ever wondered how school-aged elite athletes have time for all the demands of the sport alongside their academics, it all comes down to one word: flexibility.

Quinn and his family know this well. A junior at Indiana Digital Gateway Academy (INGDA), he is pursuing his dream of becoming a championship speedskater. Quinn has already competed in the Junior World Cup and other international competitions, and in November, he is competing in the Canadian Invitational in Montreal.

“When a kid has a dream, it’s important to chase it,” said Quinn’s dad, Jon. “Raising someone who wants to be at the top of their game as an athlete is a family to-do.”

The family lives in Greenwood, Indiana, but there aren’t many speedskating teams nearby where young hopefuls can train at the necessary level. In fact, the closest team facility to Indiana is the Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Online school became a necessity for Quinn’s twice-a-day, five-days-a-week schedule. Every Monday, Jon, Quinn, and his siblings hop in the car and drive the four-plus hours to Milwaukee. Leveraging the versatility of the Flex program, Quinn is able to set his own structure and schedule for learning.

“Once I got into INGDA’s Flex program, it loosened everything up with travel and training,” Quinn shared. “I can do schoolwork anywhere—the airport or planes when I travel to Utah three times per year, the car ride to Wisconsin, and anywhere else.”

The freedom to complete classwork virtually on his own time allows Quinn to prioritize academics within his daily schedule:

• Wake up at 5 a.m. and practice for two hours.
• Get home, eat breakfast, and start school.
• Take a break and shower.
• Do schoolwork until around 2–3 p.m.
• Practice from 4-7 p.m.

The family heads back to Greenwood every Saturday, where their mom stays throughout the week to run a daycare center.

The travel and competitions are hard on the family sometimes, but incredibly rewarding, too. As Jon shared: “It takes a village. That includes education. That’s what INGDA is there for.”

Aside from the flexibility, INGDA has helped Quinn practice better study habits that are more conducive to how his brain works with ADHD.

“At home, I can be alone and take in all the information I’ve been given,” he said. “I have the ability to take breaks, exercise for a minute, or get up and walk around without being disruptive to the class.”

“The quality of education is great,” Jon said. “Quinn has his IEPs, and they work through them. Everything he’s ever needed for his education is available. What’s more, we can tell the teachers and staff at INGDA care about our kids and want them to succeed. Quinn’s school counselor even follows his speedskating competitions.”

After college, Quinn wants to be an entrepreneur. Right now, though, his two priorities are skating and school. At INGDA, we’ll cheer him on in both and keep our eyes out for where this sport takes him.

To learn more about our flexible and personalized learning environment for your student, visit our How It Works page.