By Paula Skaggs For most athletes at the Winter Olympics, the road to Beijing began from the moment they could walk, with decades of intense training, endless workout regimes, and gross vanilla-flavored protein shakes. But there’s always a chance — a small one, but also one that expands considerably if you enjoy curling — that your road to the Olympics could begin right here in the Chicagoland area. (And at the very least, our wealth of winter sports facilities sort of makes up for our infamously miserable winters.) So whether you think you’re destined for gold medal glory or just want to try …