Red, White & Trending: Dec. 29-Jan. 4

What are Team USA athletes — Olympians, Paralympians and hopefuls — up to when they're not competing? They're training. They're practicing. They're traveling to competitions and meets and games and tournaments. They're relaxing. They're getting engaged and married and having children. They're taking hard-earned vacations. Or retiring. Or coping with the raw emotions that come from losing and winning. And they're sharing. Through the reach of social media, we're able to follow along on their often extraordinary journeys. We'll catch you up each week on what's "Red, White & Trending."

Flying High Again

With all respect to the holiday season, this is a most wonderful time of the year. As we creep closer to a month inside of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, Team USA’s elite athletes are qualifying for the Games at a more rapid rate. Congratulations are in order across so many sports, as every athlete's story takes on that much more significance with South Korea on his or her horizon.

For ski jumper Sarah Hendrickson, that meant qualifying to the sounds of cowbells and cheering from the mountainside during last weekend’s U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Hendrickson had always shown great promise, but her continued success had been beset by knee injuries before and after the 2014 Sochi Games. So, there’s this, one of the best feelings in the world ...

There will, however, be very little rest for Hendrickson.

Hockey Teams, Too

To kick off the new year and on the occasion of the NHL’s always-popular Winter Classic, USA Hockey announced the names for all three of the teams that will represent the United States in PyeongChang — men, women and Paralympic. But perhaps the most compelling of all the videos shot this past week for athletes headed to the Games came out of Milwaukee. That’s where the Milwaukee Admirals shot a clip of 30-year-old Bobby Butler, who played 130 games in the NHL, telling his dad he would be going to the Olympic Games. What goes into the video is at once 32 seconds and yet a lifetime, and it’s priceless. So far, the video has earned the Admirals more than 800,000 views, and it has been picked up by countless media outlets. No doubt that when play begins, the hug heard ‘round Team USA will be seen again.

Team USA’s women will also be represented, once again, by a set of twins, and their heartfelt appreciation for each other can always be felt through their social posts.

And if you don’t yet follow Paralympic standout Josh Pauls on Twitter, now is a good time to start …

The Downside Of Olympic Dreams

For every wonderful story about qualifying, there are dozens more about Olympic hopefuls who, occasionally because of injury, won’t realize the dreams that have fueled them for so many days and weeks and years leading into the Games. Such is the case this year with Olympic alpine skier Travis Ganong, who was injured this past week during competition. His words tell the hard tale …

Look Out, 2018

New Year’s Eve is a time not only of reflection, but also for looking at the next year like it’s another 365 days of conquering everything from competition and training to injury and setbacks. As the calendar pages turned, Team USA timelines shouted out messages of optimism.

Parade, Root

Some New Year’s Days also came with a signifiant honor: roses. Lots and lots of roses. Congratulations to two-time Olympic bobsled medalist Elana Meyers Taylor.

Zoom With A View

We checked in with two-time Olympic luger Chris Mazdzer earlier in this edition for his polar plunge at Southern Germany’s Berchtesgaden National Park, and, not too far away, here’s his icy Koenigssee, Germany,f office …

Serena’s Top 10

Among Team USA’s most fun stories this year was Olympic champion Serena Williams winning a Grand Slam title while pregnant with her daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian (who, in addition to the Grand Slam also has 194,000 Instagram followers). Serena, with her own 7.2 million followers on Instagram, picked up nearly 500,000 likes with her so-sweet 10-video tribute to Alexis.

Car. Tunes.

While the U.S. Figure Skating Championships are well underway, some of this country’s very best skaters teamed up for a little fun on their Road to PyeongChang with this carpool karaoke rendition of "Let It Go" from the Frozen soundtrack, and it’s well worth the full 3:48 run time.

Feats Of Strength

We’d caution against trying this at home if we thought there were any threat of someone believing they could, as Team USA gymnast Steven Legendre does, complete a set of handstand push-ups … with pauses at the bottom, middle and top of the push-up. Crazy strength.

Wedding Bells

Congratulations are in order for the first couple of BMX racing, Australian Olympic silver medalist Sam Willoughby and Team USA’s Alise Post, who won her own silver medal at the Rio Games. Because Willoughby sustained significant spinal damage in a training injury in September 2016, some of this seemed impossible not all that long ago …

Cheryl, Cheryl …

When opposing fans thought they might get under his skin, 1996 Olympian Reggie Miller would hear chants of Cheryl! Cheryl!, in reference to his big sister and one of the most accomplished players in history, Cheryl Miller. Now 54, the 1984 Olympic gold medalist and Basketball Hall of Famer gets more than a little love from her younger brother and Pacers legend.

Gripping Cold

If you’re in the United States, there’s about a 90 percent chance you’re unseasonably — or even historically — cold right now. A few of our favorite posts/rants about the deep freeze popping up in social timelines this past week …

OK, not everyone was in the deep freeze, and they didn’t mind sharing their weather thoughts, either …

Not Your Average Trip

And if you’re looking for some decent weather, look no farther than three-time Olympic swimming medalist Conor Dwyer, who is soaking in some seriously picturesque swims …