The Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved a proclamation declaring May 9, 2026, as “Mia Manganello Day” in honor of the Crestview-raised Olympic speed skater.
- Commissioner Carolyn Ketchel read the proclamation during the May 5 meeting, recognizing Manganello as an Okaloosa County native whose parents, Karen and Dominic Manganello, owned and operated a local restaurant named in her honor.
According to the proclamation, Manganello developed an early love for inline skating and speed skating, competing at the local and national levels. From 2003 to 2010, she was a three-time junior national champion and won multiple Senior World Cup awards. In 2017, she matched a world-record time of 4:01, tying the mark set by Catherine Raney Norman on Dec. 27, 2005.
Manganello qualified for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, where she joined teammates Heather Bergsma and Brittany Bowe to win the bronze medal in the women’s team pursuit. Team USA edged out Team Canada with a time of 2:59.27 on Feb. 21, 2018, earning the first U.S. Olympic medal in long-track speed skating since 2010.
She closed the 2025-2026 season with three World Cup mass start medals and her first individual World Cup title, results that pre-qualified her for the 2026 U.S. Olympic Team. She also captured a bronze medal in the women’s 16-lap mass start event, finishing 0.30 seconds behind the gold medalist.
Crestview Mayor JB Whitten accepted the proclamation on Manganello’s behalf and said she will serve as a grand marshal in the May 9 America 250 Grand Parade in downtown Crestview.
- “Mia is going to be the grand marshal in our parade on Saturday the 9th,” Whitten said. “We’re bringing her in, and before the ceremony, we will have a private ceremony where Commissioner Ketchel and I will present the proclamation to her.”
The May 9 event will begin with a morning ceremony on the courthouse steps recognizing Manganello. The pre-parade celebration starts at 1 p.m., with the Grand Parade stepping off at 4 p.m. on Main Street.
The proclamation recognizes Manganello for her skill, stamina, endurance and courage, and for serving as a role model and goodwill ambassador for Okaloosa County and the city of Crestview.
