About 15 years ago, Melvindale native Jessica Smith was a teen who hoped one day to represent the United States when in-line speed skating became an Olympic sport.

The years passed, but Smith never got the chance. The International Olympic Committee never added the sport — one in which Smith could claim to be the best in the world — to the summer games.

Today, Smith is 30 and a powerful example of the perseverance of the American spirit.

When she became convinced in-line speed skating never would get her to the Olympics, she switched to an ice surface. She made the 2010 U.S. Olympic team as an alternate, but today she’s in Sochi, Russia, preparing for her moment on the sport’s largest stage.

On Wednesday, Smith will skate in preliminary heats of the 500-meter race. She enters the game after winning three titles — the 500, 1,000 and 1,500 — at the U.S. Olympic trials. She’s got a great chance to win a medal.

The Cabrini High School graduate also stood by a coach who was mired in allegations of mental abuse that never were proved. She hired him as her own coach and continued to train as the U.S. team remained divided over the charges.

All that hard work and dedication earned her three shots at Olympic gold.

From President Obama’s State of the Union address to myriad op-ed pieces to conversations at corner bars, we’re heard a lot recently about whether the American Dream still is within reach of ordinary folks. Sports, however, still serves as a reminder it is.

Jessica Smith, a fearless, hard-working kid from Downriver, saw one dream die but took up another and worked as hard as she could to attain it.

She’s almost there, and we’ll proudly be rooting for a woman who exemplifies all the best things about this region we love so much.

Good luck, Jessica!