Nearly 3,000  athletes from across the globe are gathering in South Korea for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

From curling to ski jumping to bob sledding, to snowboarding, a diverse range of sports will allow athletes to compete for honor, glory, and gold.

There are 11 athletes across six disciplines are all competing under the USA flag. However, that isn’t the only thing they have in common!

Becca Hamilton, Matt Hamilton, Nina Roth, John Schuster, Matt Antoine, Nita Englund, Alex Rigsby, Amanda Kessel, Brianna Decker, Mitch Whitmore, and Ben Loomis all have ties to the state we call home.

We can’t wait to cheer them and the rest of the athletes on starting this Friday, February 9th. You can catch the Olympic Opening Ceremony on NBC at 5:00am CST.

In the meantime, here are some fun facts about the athletes from Wisconsin.

Becca Hamilton – Curling

Age: 22

Hometown: McFarland

Fun Fact: Works at DIck’s Sporting Goods (part of Team USA Olympic Contenders Program)

Nina Roth – Curling

Age: 29

Hometown: McFarland

Fun Fact: Nina is a nurse in Madison.

Matt Hamilton – Curling

Age: 28

Hometown: McFarland

Fun Fact: Is a technician for Spectrum Brands

John Schuster – Curling

Age: 36

Hometown: Superior

Fun Fact: Studied Marketing at University of Minnesota – Duluth

Matt Antoine – Skeleton

Age: 32

Hometown: Prairie du Chien

Fun Fact: Loves home renovation and would like to own his own renovation business.

Nita Englund – Ski Jumping

Age: 25

Hometown: Florence

Fun Fact: Interested in art, reading, slacklining, and cooking

Alex Rigsby – Ice Hockey

Age: 26

Hometown: Delafield

Fun Fact: Had major hip surgery that forced her to have to re-learn how to walk

Amanda Kessel – Ice Hockey

Age: 26

Hometown: Madison

Fun Fact: in 2014, Kessel suffered a concussion that left her couch-ridden for almost two years.

Brianna Decker – Ice Hockey

Age: 26

Hometown: Dousman

Fun Fact: Enjoys movies and golf, and finds cleaning therapeutic

Mitch Whitmore – Long Track Speedskating

Age: 28

Hometown: Waukesha

Fun Fact: Favorite bands are Linkin Park, Backstreet Boys, and N’SYNC

Ben Loomis – Nordic Combined

Age: 19

Hometown: Eau Claire

Fun Fact: Named 20166 Nordic Combined Athlete of the Year

For more information on TEAM USA and the 2018 WINTER OLYMPICS, visit: https://www.teamusa.org/pyeongchang-2018-olympic-winter-games