Eighty-three-year-old Leona Ziminski has waited her grandson's entire life for this week.

When Grandma Leona babysat little Robert Esche as a toddler in the Utica suburb of Whitesboro, N.Y., she would sit him on her lap and tell him he would be a U.S. Olympian one day.

"All his life he was a good kid," said Leona, a second-generation immigrant from Poland. "He loved his sports and no matter what he did, he always wanted to be No. 1. I said to him, "Someday, you're going to be one of those American boys in those Olympics.' "

So, when little Robert Esche, now 28, learned last month that he would wear the Stars and Stripes in the Torino Olympics, Grandma Leona was the first person he called.

"He brought tears to my eyes," Leona said. "I couldn't believe he made my dream possible.

"God granted that wish for him and for me. Robert has brought so much happiness into my life. I am so proud of him."

Leona, who is from Rome, N.Y., is watching the Olympics from her daughter's home in West Palm Beach, Fla.

"It's my first vacation in five years," she says. "I needed to get away from the snow. I told Robert, "Enjoy yourself. I will pray for you.' "

On Wednesday, Leona sat in her daughter's living room and watched Team USA come back to tie Latvia in the opening game of the men's hockey tournament. On Thursday, she watched the Americans beat Kazakhstan 4-1.

But she never saw her grandson play in goal.

All Esche did on Thursday, in perhaps his only Olympic appearance, was open the door to the bench for his teammates as the backup goalie.

Esche didn't have the heart to tell his grandmother he wouldn't be playing in these Olympics because he didn't want to break hers.

Last week, during his comeback from a groin injury with the Flyers, Esche learned he would be slotted as Team USA's third goalie, behind John Grahame of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Rick DiPietro of the New York Islanders.

Team USA coach Peter Laviolette coached Grahame in the minors and DiPietro in New York, and didn't know a whole lot about Esche. The news upset Esche so much he considered bailing out of the Olympics and not even going to Torino.

But airline tickets and hotel reservations already had been made. Esche's mother, Beverly Sue, and his father, Robin, had waited months to see their son wear his Olympic hockey sweater.

His brothers, Danny and Henry, blocked out their calendars to see their brother represent his country.

So after talking with Flyers assistant general manager Paul Holmgren, who is also the assistant general manager for Team USA, Esche decided he owed it to his teammates, to his family and to his country to go.

Even if it meant spending the entire tournament in street clothes.

"I didn't know he wouldn't be playing," Grandma Leona said, the disappointment heavy in her voice. "It's sad to see some of the boys neglected for other players."

Sad for Esche, sad for his parents and sad for his brothers. But not sad enough to bring down Grandma Leona, who has seen her family overcome far greater obstacles.

Ten years ago, Eliot Esche, Robert's older brother, took his own life after being treated for clinical depression.

"It was very sad," Leona said, "but we made a bond after that. It brought us all closer together."

Three years ago, Marine Sgt. Henry Esche, Robert's younger brother, spent weeks waiting to be deployed in Iraq, but never received the call.

"It was frightening," Leona said. "We all prayed for him and he came home safe."

Two years ago, Robert Esche had to rebuild his new 3,800-square foot, four-bedroom house in Westmoreland, N.Y., after it burned to the ground.

Obstacles, every one of them. And each time Leona said the Esches had the strength to carry on. Leona said the foundation of that strength was built in the Esche's kitchen.

"Whenever I went to Beverly's home to visit, you could feel the love and the attention," Grandma Leona said. "Beverly would be cooking soup, and when we sat down for meals everyone was laughing and having a good time."

The Esches find themselves together again, separated by an ocean but connected by Robert's quest for an Olympic gold medal. Ironically, the only way Esche will have a say in that quest is if Grahame and DiPietro play so poorly Laviolette has no other choice than to turn to him.

"Maybe," Esche said, "(Grandma Leona) has some magic up her sleeve."

Reach Chuck Gormley at cgormley@courierpostonline.com