Steve Solochek Memorial Lecture
Go beyond the podium with medal-winning Olympic speed skater Emery Lehman as he shares the story behind the speed.
In this personal program, Lehman reflects on the dedication and resilience required to compete at the highest level, while navigating the many layers of his Jewish identity. Through moments of triumph, challenge, and self-discovery, he explores how heritage, athletics, and personal values shape who we are.
Connected to the themes of 48 Jews: Layers of Identity, this talk invites us to consider how identity is expressed, perceived, and carried—on the ice and in everyday life.
Stay for a Q&A with Emery Lehman and continue the conversation.
Event Information
DATE: Sunday, June 7, 2026
TIME: 6:00 – 7:15 p.m.
LOCATION: TBD
COST: $15 for members and students with a valid ID | $25 non-members
About the Presenters
Emery Lehman grew up in a suburb outside Chicago and began speed skating at nine years old as a way to become a better skater for hockey. Lehman stayed active in many sports throughout high school, including being a standout in both lacrosse and hockey while excelling in speedskating as a junior world champion in the 5,000m.
At age 17, Lehman competed in his first Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014. Lehman became the youngest male U.S. speedskater to make his Olympic debut in history, besting a record previously set by American speedskating legend Eric Heiden at the Olympic Winter Games Innsbruck 1976 by two days.
Lehman would make the U.S. speedskating team for the next two Winter Olympics, winning bronze in team pursuit at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.
He won his first world title in team pursuit at the 2025 ISU World Speedskating Championships, and Lehman and his teammates would set the world record later that year in that event at an ISU World Cup stop in Salt Lake City.
Off the ice, Lehman graduated from Marquette University with a degree in civil engineering and received his master’s degree in structural engineering from Johns Hopkins University.