Haiti always held a special place in Stacey Blitsch s heart. Blitsch grew up in Oelwein and her family always talked highly about the country located on an island in the Caribbean Sea. After her aunt spent some time there, the family loved everything to do with Haiti, including the people, the culture, and the land.
Oelwein native Stacey Blitsch (seen in the red mask on the right) enters with Team Haiti during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium in Toyko, Japan on July 23, 2021. - (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
After graduating from Oelwein High School, Blitsch studied Fitness/Recreation & Athletic Training at Upper Iowa University in Fayette and was a Personal Trainer & Sports Coach. Now she is the swimming coach for the Team Haiti Swimming at the Olympic games in Japan. As she mentions on her Facebook page, she s honored and proud to be representing Haiti at the one-year delayed event.