From lime green rollerblades to Team USA: Colorado teen training for World Championships

Four years ago, Colorado teen Zykyrah "Ky" Bess-Reed was just getting started on wheels. Now, at 14, she's a member of Team USA and training for the world stage.

"I started out on some lime green rollerblades," Ky recalled.

Now, she's heading to the Speed Skating World Championships: "We are about to go to Paraguay here soon, so I am training for that."

Speed skating may look simple from the outside, but Ky says she quickly learned just how much work goes into the sport.

"What shocked me was how much work you got to put in," she said.

Her coach, Kelly Springer, described it simply: "We put wheels on our feet and we go as fast as we can." But she added that speed skating requires much more than speed.

"It's a very demanding sport. A lot of technique involved," Springer said.

Right now, Ky is in the peak phase of her training, practicing every day, sometimes twice a day.

"It's definitely hard. My coach is whipping my butt right now, but that's a good thing," Ky said.

And while making Team USA at such a young age is an accomplishment, getting to the starting line at the World Championships comes with a significant cost. Between skates, wheels and bearings, along with travel expenses like flights and lodging, fundraising is a major part of the sport.

For Ky's family, the trip to Worlds in Paraguay is expected to cost roughly $10,000.

And as Ky knows, simply showing up to a race isn't enough.

"You can't just show up to a race and race it and expect to win a trophy," she said.

Now, she's hoping the community will help her take the next step all the way to the world stage.

To support Ky's journey to Worlds and follow her story, visit sendkytoworlds.com.