Sunday, December 19, 2010

Racing For a Cure

Last year each person on our team was asked if we had cause or charity that was special to us. I immediately responded and expressed that breast cancer awareness and fighting for a cure for breast cancer is something close to my heart. My mother is a 25 year breast cancer survivor and was given a 50-50 chance to survive another 5 years after her diagnosis. Luckily, thanks to surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments she has not had a reoccurrence and has been an amazing mother to my three sisters and I. After expressing my mothers involvement with breast cancer awareness in our community the Bobsled and Skeleton Federation connected with the Susan G. Komen Foundation and we had the honor of racing the entire season with their logo on our sled.


Now we take it up a notch. This week our sled was wrapped to be the “Susan G. Komen” bobsled, or as we like to call it- our ‘boobsled.’ Sporting the bright pink ribbon on it’s sides, and shadows or ribbons throughout, the last two world cup races before Christmas took on a greater purpose. Olympic sports are prized throughout the world for athlete’s endless dedication to their dreams. But that’s just one individual’s dream. We are admired for our tenacity, but the reality is Olympic athletes have made it to that level by being experts at catering to their own needs. This week was a different story however, as I had the opportunity to not only represent my country on a world platform, but also bring attention to a cause that is greater than me, greater than bobsled, and so close to my heart.

Though the usual race nerves were there, there was also a certain amount of comfort as I warmed up for these races knowing that I was in a sense, “racing for the cure.” My mother came out on the positive side of her 50-50 chances, and this was a celebration of her determination that she passed down to me. Our hope is throughout the season we can raise awareness for breast cancer research and support the Susan G Komen foundation in their quest to find a cure.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

I have been all over the world, but nothing can ever compare to being home for Thanksgiving with my family. Each year I have a hard time being away during the Thanksgiving holiday and I never really knew why. I shared how difficult Thanksgiving can be for me with Bree and she helped me realize that I miss it so much because I have many fond childhood memories connected to the holiday. I remember waking up every Thanksgiving being so excited and proud to help my fathers ‘surgical nurse’ and help him stuff and stitch up the turkey just like he does daily as a surgeon. After turkey surgery was done we would watch the Macys day parade and lounge most the day until it was time to bake our usual meal including, whipped potatoes, green bean casserole, and sweet potatoes.  I love food and nothing compares to my mom's home cooked meals, especially on Thanksgiving.  This year I was not sure if I would get a meal that was at all similar to a typical Thanksgiving dinner, but last minute we were able to whip together a meal as close to Thanksgiving as we could in less than an hour. It was nice to be with my bobsled family and be thankful of what each of us has been able to accomplish in the last year.


Thanksgiving has come and gone and so have the first two World Cups, where Bree and I finished 6th. I am happy with our results and of course that I am healthy enough to race, but as every athlete knows it is hard to be satisfied with anything but being the best. Seeing all the women on the podium in front of us only pushes us more and more each week to get our first top three results. We are now in Park City, Utah gearing up for our third World Cup race. I love racing in Park City and I can not wait to see what we can do this upcoming week.

Check out http://bobsled.teamusa.org/ for upcoming results