Local Heroes: St. Viator High School Celebrates Gurnee’s Own Danny O’Shea & Ellie Kam, Team USA’s 2026 Figure Skating Champions

Danny O’Shea’s journey to the pinnacle of his sport culminated in an Olympic gold medal, a dream come true for the talented athlete from Gurnee, Illinois.

The accomplished pairs skater claimed victory in the figure skating team event, making his hometown and Saint Viator High School proud. Students and faculty from his alma mater celebrated his remarkable performance.

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O’Shea, alongside his skating partner Ellie Kam, delivered a stunning routine that secured the gold medal for Team USA in the team figure skating event.

Reflecting on the achievement, O’Shea expressed the thrill of hearing the national anthem play in an Olympic setting, describing it as an unforgettable experience.

O’Shea’s path to Olympic glory began at St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights, where he first honed his skills as a dedicated figure skater.

Father John Eustice remembers when O’Shea transferred there his junior year.

“He was very determined, very genuine and one of the kindest people you ever would have met,” Eustice said.

Elyse Bartnicki agrees. She was a classmate of O’Shea’s and is now a Spanish teacher at St. Viator.

Bartnicki says they lost touch after graduating in 2009, but she has kept up with O’Shea’s skating career, including how he came close to the Olympics in previous years and finally, at the age of 34, how he is competing this year for the first time.

“That smile that he has on television is the exact same smile he had when he was in school,” Bartnicki said.

O’Shea and Kam are hoping to add to their medal haul in this weekend’s Pairs competition.

O’Shea is already inspiring the next generation of skaters, like Evan Neuhaus, a junior at St. Viator who hopes to make it to the Olympics in 2030.

“It was just so inspiring to see that someone went to my school, St. Viator, went to the Olympics and won gold is just, I want to do that someday as well,” Neuhaus said.

Soon, O’Shea’s name will join the list of other esteemed alumni in the Saint Viator Hall of Fame.