Sunday, March 27, 2011

Red, White, Blue...... and Yellow?

Everyday I wear a friendship bracelet that my younger sister, Geneva, made for me with the colors red, white, blue and yellow.  This bracelet helps to remind me each day of why I do what I do and who supports me in my journey to be the best.  I have a great life full of freedom, travel and competition, but that does not mean everyday is easy.  Each day I am working towards making my country proud and improving my strength and speed, so that I may be the able to win medals for my country.  This is represented by the red, white and blue.  I am proud to slide for Team USA and I remind myself daily what an honor that is.  

Next, the red and yellow on the bracelet are the colors of Chico High School where I was a graduate in 2001.  I have had incredible support from people in my home town of Chico, California and it is helpful to remember that support when times are tough.  I am not only proud to represent my country, but also my hometown. 

Finally, blue and yellow symbolizes the University of California, Davis.  I spent four and a half years at UC Davis working on my degree along with being a member of the track team.  I have some amazing supporters in Davis and my time on the track team was the platform that helped propel me to bobsled.  Each day this off season I will go to the weight room or the track and give 100 percent into what I am doing.  I will do this not just for myself, but for everyone included in on the red, white, blue and yellow.   

Sunday, March 13, 2011

World Championships 2011 Konginsee, Germany



Tuesday, March 1, 2011

When in Rome...

Our season came to an end last week with a 10th place finish at World Championships in Germany. Naturally we had hoped for a better result, but I think Bree showed an incredible amount of heart and determination this season. She was racing only two weeks after surgery and continued to press on with the season refusing to have any excuses for our performance. We now have some time to regroup and refocus our training as we move towards next season, which cumulates with World Championships at our home track in Lake Placid, New York. Of course the best way to start the off season is with an Italian vacation to Venice and Rome!

I am incredibly fortunate to be doing what I am doing, which allows me to have the opportunity to travel and to do things that would not be possible without the freedom that I have. Bree and I hopped on a train after World Championships and began to eat our way through beautiful Italy. We started in Venice and then made our way to Rome. I was surprised how similar Venice looked to the Venetian streets of Disneyland! It was hard for us to grasp the fact that we were actually there and not in the Las Vegas Venetian hotel. After a few days in Venice we took a bullet train that reaches speeds of 300kmph to Rome.


In the Venice Streets

We headed straight to the Coliseum to see where the Gladiators use to fight. It was fitting to visit the Coliseum during the same week a year ago that we were doing our own type of fighting at the Olympic Games. We walked into the Coliseum and were reminded of how we felt walking into the Opening Ceremony. I am sure the Gladiators had similar emotions when they walked into the Coliseum to fight. The structure is amazing and can not even be described without being seen in person. After the Coliseum we headed to Vatican City, where we saw St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. These are two of the most unbelievable pieces of history. No matter what your beliefs are Rome is a must see that contains priceless art and history that can be appreciated by everyone.


Rome Coliseum

St. Peter's Basilica