In 1996, Derek Parra joined several other inline skaters by making the switch from rollerblades to ice skates and has become a world-class speed skater winning a gold and silver Olympic medal and setting a world record.

Considered one of the most accomplished athletes in the short history of inline skating, Parra did not adjust to ice right away as a long track speed skater.

"Roller skating and ice skating may look the same, but they're completely different, let me tell you," Parra said. "It was a hard road to make the transition. I had a good feel for the ice but I definitely had to really forget everything I'd learned roller skating and relearn everything."

Long track speed skating was included in the first winter Olympic Games in 1924, because it was a favorite winter pastime in many northern European countries. Short track speed skating was added to Olympic competition in 1992 with the difference being in the size of the oval track.

On the long track, skaters race compete against the clock on a 400-meter oval course while the short track skaters race against each other on a much shorter, narrow oval. Using klap skates, which have a front hinge allowing skaters to lift their heel for more power, being able to reach speeds up to 40 miles per hour.

After his first season of competition in 1997, he was won a fourth overall ranking at the U.S. Allrounds and 7th in the 5,000m at the World Cup. The next year, he made the U.S. Olympic team for the 1998 Nagano Olympics, and by the year 2000, Parra became the U.S. Allround Champion, setting a new American record in the 1,500m.

In 2001, he won a silver medal in the 1500m at the 2001 World Single Distance Championships and finished fifth in the 1500m on the 2000-2001 World Cup circuit.

Parra has been under chiropractic care for about 12 years, when he first started his competitive career in inline skating.