ScuttleBu(r)t …

This year’s Winter Olympics will have six individuals with family ties to our area.

Brooke Granquist of Powers was hoping to be the seventh when she began training in skeleton, the sport where a person rides a small sled down a frozen track while lying face down.

Unfortunately, a bad accident last year in training halted that Olympic bid. Two days before nationals in Lake Placid, she crashed with the sled on top of her.

“One of the runners lacerated my leg and I was unconscious for a bit,” Granquist said. ” The concussion side effects lasted for about a month, but I am still experiencing nerve damage pain in my leg from my knee-down.

“For that reason, I cannot sprint or lift right now without being in a lot of pain and, therefore, cannot train.”

The former North Central High School and Northern Michigan University athlete says “it has been a long, interesting year.”

“I may be able to get to go back, but I’m just waiting to see how long this nerve damage will take to either heal or have the pain subside by any means,” Granquist said.

This publication featured her invitation to the USA Skeleton developmental team in 2015. Here’s hoping Brooke recovers and challenges for the 2022 Winter Games in China.

Those other Olympians with ties to the area:

— Nick Baumgartner, snowboard cross, third time to the Winter Games for the Iron River native. His medal competition will be televised at 11 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 14, on NBC.

— Nita Englund, women’s ski jumping, Florence High School grad is making her Olympic debut

— Maddie Bowman, women’s superpipe freestyle skiing, two-time Olympic gold medalist is the daughter of Kingsford grad Bill Bowman and granddaughter of Robert Bowman of Spread Eagle

— Aileen Geving, women’s team curling, niece of Iron River’s Frank Jirik

— Nick Laurila, video coordinator for women’s hockey, his “proud” grandparents are Phyllis and Chuck Laurila of Iron Mountain

— Ted Ligety, men’s alpine skiing, “Mr. GS” and two-time Olympic champion was coached as a youngster by Iron Mountain grad Duane (Dar) Hendrickson …