Chicago Skating Couple Battled Medical Problems Before 2018 Olympics

Alexa and Chris Knierim are skating in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games and they've overcome many medical hardships to get there. The day set for their wedding in 2016, Alexa Scimeca, an Addison native, spent the night vomiting due to a rare gastrointestinal illness. Doctors told her it could be fatal, and she had abdominal surgery. That wasn't the only hindrance she and her now-husband faced. They earned a silver medal in their first competition as a pair, the 2013 U.S. championships, but Chris' broken leg prevented them from competing in the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Then, just when they qualified for the 2015 Grand Prix Final, Alexa's stomach issues began. Now the couple is off to a good start in Pyeongchang with a stellar performance Thursday; their next event is Saturday (Chicago Tribune).