IN THE ARENA WITH EMILY

2012-02-25T05:02:00.000-08:00

It is not often that my family is able to come to a bobsled race. Some of it is the timing of the events, but mostly it is the location. It is not often that we have bobsled competitions in the states let alone close to California. This year we were fortunate enough to have a home World Championships in Lake Placid, New York. It is very different having a World Championships in the states versus Europe mostly because Americans are not well versed in Bobsled, so therefore it is difficult to draw fans. I was able to draw a few fans of my own including my parents, sister, my aunt, uncle and cousins. Regardless of the outcome of the race it was nice to look around and see people who supported me and were excited to experience my world. I rarely get a chance to see my extended family, so I really enjoyed being able to share a big part of my life with them.

Now that another season is complete I am looking forward to spending some time relaxing and getting back to my ITA work. Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout the years.

2012-02-12T19:27:00.000-08:00

Elana Meyers and Emily 5th place in Germany

Whistler

2012-01-29T23:08:00.001-08:00

Whistler, British Columbia is one of my favorite stops on the World Cup circuit. Whistler is a track that many pilots and brakemen fear because of the high speeds reached and the technical aspect of the track. I had the opportunity in 2008 to come here with driver, Shauna Rohbock to test the track right after it was built. We were the first Americans to experience the 2010 Olympic track. We heard stories of how this track was going to be faster than any track in the world. It did not disappoint and completely lived up to all the expectations. It was an amazing once in a life time experience, but I still remember how nervous everyone was those few days we had of sliding. The pilots were trying to figure out what lines would be the best to make it down the course and the brakemen were hanging on trusting their pilots every move.

The following year Whistler hosted a World cup and in 2010 the Olympic Games. Throughout those events the start house was completely silent. Everyone was 100 percent focused and clearly nervous for each and every run. It is interesting to come back here two years later and feel the shift of emotion and nerves. Yesterday, we were at the top of the track joking around and laughing. It is a completely different environment then it has been in years past. It will be exciting to see what new adventures the Sochi track will bring. I am sure we will be just as nervous our first runs down the 2014 Olympic track.

The Berg

2012-01-15T03:20:00.000-08:00

Altenberg, Germany is home of one of the most technical difficult tracks in the world and arguable one of the most dangerous. Last week, we made our first stop of the second half in Altenberg. On the last day of World Cup training we were quickly reminded that there are incredible risks to what we do. Canadian pilot Chris Spring has been enjoying a break out season and was like all of us ready to conquer ‘the berg.’ The Canadian Federation was prepared to send their athletes, including Chris, to Altenberg for some extra training this fall, but prior to departing the German Federation decided that the extra trips on this difficult track would not be possible.

Unfortunately, Team Spring crashed in corner 16 and were then shot through the wooden lip of the track. These lips are created to push the sleds down and keep them from flying out of the track. Many very experienced pilots have had the same difficulty in this corner, but the lip prevented the accident from being more severe and allowed them to all walk away. This crash was horrific mostly because the lip did not do what it is designed to causing incredible damage to the sled and athletes. Fortunately, Chris and his crew of Tim Randall, Bill Thomas, and Graham Rinholm are all in stable condition, but suffered very serious injuries from the impact and debris.

After this accident, I was shocked to hear that we were still racing the very next day. In my opinion the track should have been deemed unsafe because the wood on the lips had clearly rotted. Had someone else crashed and hit the lip in any of the corners the same result could have happened. There are many things that could have prevented this accident from being as horrific as it was and I am hoping that this crash will help to change how the European tracks run. Good luck with your recovery Team Spring and we are all looking forward to seeing you back on the ice soon.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T12:39:00.000-08:00

This year I spent my New Years Eve at the Frankfurt, Germany hotel airport trying to stay awake after a long day of flying. We occupied our sleep deprived bodies by playing mindless card games and successfully made it to midnight for the infamous New Years count down. It probably was not the most exciting New Years I have ever had, but it was fun to reflect back on all the things we overcame and experienced in 2011. The year 2011 started off with Bree being rushed to the hospital to remove her appendix and ultimately fighting through all the health issues to finish off the season. After the season I had surgery to repair the labrum in my hip and have been fortunate enough to work my way physically back. The year of 2011 has had its ups and downs and I am looking forward to what 2012 has to offer and what the rest of the season brings us.

No More Snow!

2011-12-19T15:59:00.000-08:00

The first half the World Cup season has come to an end and I am finally home after a 12 hour flight, cancelled flight and 8 hours at the San Francisco airport. I am still pretty jet lagged, but ready to recharge and spend some quality time with my family.

Our last race was in Winterberg, Germany, which can now be considered one of my least favorite stops on tour. After the weather issues we had all week and throughout the races I am sure I am not the only person that has gripes about Winterberg. Winterberg is notorious for always being rainy and this time was no different, except for the fact that mixed into the freezing rain was snow, hail, sleet and more snow. The only way to describe the day to day life in Winterberg this past week was miserable. The good news is all the women on our team are officially snow chain certified and can put chains on and take them off, which comes in handy when snow turns to rain and then back into snow and back to rain. Needless to say I am glad to be back at home in California for a few days in my warm bed, not having to worry about waking up early to defrost the truck and put the chains on. I never have had a true white Christmas and this past week has truly made me appreciate a California Christmas. Happy Holidays!

World Cup #2

2011-12-04T11:38:00.000-08:00

After a somewhat disappointing start to the world cup season in Austria we drove the nine hours to La Plagne, France for World Cup number two. La Plagne is where bobsled was during the 1992 Olympic games and has not been used for a World Cup since 2002 when our coach, Todd Hays won gold in two man. This will be the first time women’s bobsled will have ever been on this track, so it is an adventure for both veterans and rookies alike.

After arriving at the hotel I had to take in a few minutes to look around and appreciate the life that I am lucky enough to live. We are in the thick of some of the most beautiful mountain ranges and we are staying in a resort with a pool and hot tub that over looks the incredible view. So far I have not been disappointed with any of the meals we have been treated to. Last night we were served a 4 course meal, which included some local cheeses and meats. I have never thought of cheese as a delicacy, but this was like no cheese I have ever tasted before. I could go on and on about the dessert or the croissants we had this morning with our home cooked eggs and chocolate muffins, but my mouth is started to water as I write and wait for the next meal. Needless to say we had to continue to remind ourselves today that we are not here on vacation we are here to compete and win for Team USA. I am looking forward to the week to come and am confident that all three of our U.S pilots with be a threat for the podium.

Congrats Kelly!

2011-11-13T13:53:00.001-08:00

In the summer of 2010 I met a quiet, shy speedskater named Kelly while she was rehabbing from what should have been a career ending ankle injury. I did not know it at the time, but as I became to know Kelly I learned that she is one of the most resilient people I have ever met.

Kelly went through the 2010 Olympic Trials fighting to make her first Olympic team. The Olympics is something ever athlete dreams of and for Kelly it was a matter of making the sacrifice of switching from inline to ice skating to try and make her dream a reality. After a vigorous trials Kelly was set up to make the team when a teammate fell and was granted a reskate. The conditions of the reskate were optimal for the other competitor and as a result Kelly missed the 2010 Olympic Games. Obviously Kelly was devastated, but she picked herself up and showed up for practice the very next day ready to complete her season. Next, the unthinkable happened to Kelly when she fell during a race and experienced a complicated compound fracture in her ankle and was told she may not be able to skate again.

After surgery and weeks on crutches Kelly moved to the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center to attempt the long task of rehabbing back to first walking and then skating again. I remember Kelly being in sports medicine daily and often twice a day doing what she needed to do to become healthy again. Now, two years later, Kelly is not just skating again, but she is skating at the highest level having made the 2011-2012 World team last week. I am very proud of Kelly and excited for her to continue her career as we move forward towards Sochi.

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T18:27:00.000-07:00

After a tough few weeks of sliding and racing our team has been announced. I am fortunate enough to be selected for the World Cup team again this year and I will be heading to Europe at the end of the month to begin competition. In all honesty I did not know where I would physical be after having surgery to repair my hip labrum March, so I thanks for to be selected. I am also very grateful to the ‘team’ that has helped get healthy. I am above and beyond where I expected to be and I am looking forward to progress as I continue to regain my strength and speed.

It is always a stressful process when teams are selected, so I think we are all happy to have a chance to enjoy Halloween! It is not often that we are able to celebrate this time of year, but fortunately Halloween just happened to perfectly coincide with the finale of our selection races. After a long debate over what to dress up as Bree and I decided to be a doubles luge team. Last year, some of our friends on the luge team decided to dress up as the USA 1 bobsled team or as they have been deemed ‘Team Night Train,’ so we thought it only fitting to return the favor. We had a great Halloween, but now it is time to get back to work as we head into racing!

Night Train Bobsled Team

On ICE.... finally...

2011-10-16T13:49:00.001-07:00

After a brief stint in Calgary for some last minute push training I headed off to Lake Placid to begin the season. Usually when we get to Lake Placid it is turning into fall and the cold weather has already begun to move in, but not this time! When I arrived in lake placid the temperature was 80 degrees and felt like it was still summer! I love this kind of weather, but unfortunately it is not good bobsled weather. We were suppose to begin sliding on Monday, but because of the conditions it was incredible hard to keep any kind of ice on the track. The track crew worked around the clock to enable us to take our first runs of the season on Thursday. Because of the warm conditions the refrigeration on the track is increased, but this creates a frost that slows the sleds down. We literally had to hop out and push ourselves across the finish line because the ice was so slow. I was amazed the track crew was able to create enough ice with the conditions they faced to allow us to even slide. Hopefully we will get a full week of solid training this week before our first selection race that is coming up on October 21st.

Back to Business

2011-10-02T22:44:00.000-07:00

After a summer of getting physically healthy and training hard in Colorado Springs it is now time to get back to work. After packing up my summer life and moving out of my dorm at the Olympic Training Center, I traveled back home to Chico and have begun the process of packing up my winter life to go on tour.

Each year it gets a little more difficult to leave the comfort of Colorado, the kids at the Boys and Girls Club and all the friends I have made. This year at the Boys and Girls Club I was presented with a huge box of home made cards from the kids. I received many hugs and a lot of questions as of why I was leaving. I plan on keeping contact with the kids throughout the season via emails, skype and postcards. I really want them to feel like they are apart of what I am doing.

I will soon head to Calgary for some push training and then off to Lake Placid for our team selection races. I am really looking forward to the season especially because it will culminate with a home track World Championships in Lake Placid. But for now, I am going to enjoy the few days I have at home with my family and friends

Congrats!

2011-09-18T20:34:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to triathlete and In The Arena Alum, Sarah Groff on her break out season and her amazing race in London to qualify her for the 2012 Olympics. Sarah trained in Colorado Springs and was an art teacher at the Tutt Boys and Girls Club. I shared the news with many of the kids who had known Sarah when she was at the Boys and Girls Club. They are all very excited to watch Sarah as she lives her dream. Good Luck Sarah! Enjoy every minute of it.

Last Day of Summer Camp Fun!

2011-08-21T16:12:00.000-07:00

2011-08-06T14:18:00.000-07:00

On July 25, 2011 Jeret Peterson, or as everyone knew him, Speedy, decided there was nothing in his life for which to live. Not his friends and family, not the laundry list of life accomplishments including an Olympic silver medal. Speedy’s Olympic story was one of overcoming diversity and hardships in his life. He was very open about his struggles with addiction as well as depression and had admitted to thoughts of suicide in his past.

I did not know Speedy during this dark time, but had heard stories of a struggling young man searching for hope in a world that felt like it had none. It seemed like miles away from the man I remember. I remember watching him, along with all of America, during the 2010 Olympics overcome everything that had happened in his past to win an Olympic silver medal. I remember how happy he was and how excited we all were for him. He did it. He landed his infamous and incredibly difficult trick the ‘hurricane.’ But once the Olympic flame went out America moved on to the next up and coming sporting event and stories like Speedys were forgotten.

Life after the Olympics is something that is not talked about much. It is an interesting transition for athletes going from such a high at the games to feeling like you are at a low. Many athletes experience some form of a depression once the Olympics are over. For us, we have prepared for years if not our whole lives for those two weeks. Once it is over it is difficult to figure out the next direction your life will go. I have often heard people say, ‘if I make an Olympic team I will be happy,’ but the reality is the Olympics will not change who you are and will not change how you feel long term. I only hope that in the future the tragic loss of 2010 Olympic Silver Medalist Jeret Peterson will help put programs into place to help Olympians move on with life after sport.

Garden of the Gods

2011-07-23T18:28:00.000-07:00

Last week we headed to the Garden of the Gods, one of the more historic and beautiful sites here in Colorado Springs. This was one of my first field trips with the Boys and Girls Club and I loved seeing how excited the kids were to hop on the bus and go on an adventure. I was put in charge of a group of 12 kids. I had not anticipated how difficult it would be to keep my group together and behaving while we exploring the Garden of the Gods. My friend, Taylor, a highly intelligent 11 year old girl who goes hiking with her mom each weekend was in my group. Taylor was literally our tour guide and showed my group and I all around the beautiful red rocks while she eloquently explained to us where the land came from and how it came to adopt it’s name. My favorite time was when the kids found a huge rock or essential a cave hidden and they figured out they could manipulate their little bodies all the way though the rock. They would have stayed there all day going back and forth had I not made us trudge ahead. I had an amazing, exhausting time at the Garden of the Gods and hope to continue going on more field trips in the future!

Sliding for hope

2011-07-10T23:11:00.000-07:00

The USA Bobsled and Skeleton Federation recently announced a partnership with the Susan G Komen Foundation. Please check the recently launched website http://www.slidingforhope.com/ to make a donation and get a name placed on the Susan G. Komen sled (the boob-sled) for the this upcoming season. I am honored to say that my mother, Wendy, will be the first individual placed on this sled. Thank you to my federation and to the Susan G Komen foundation for allowing me to be apart of something incredibly special. Check out the below article and video for more information.

http://www.youtube.com/user/abirdbobsled#p/a/u/2/ziHPDconLwE

http://bobsled.teamusa.org/news/2011/06/13/sliding-for-hope-with-susan-g-komen-for-the-cure/42808?ngb_id=23

There's more to life than bobsled...

2011-06-26T23:22:00.000-07:00

It has been an incredibly busy past two weeks. Last weekend I went home for my Chico High School 10 year reunion. I made the mistake in high school of running for Class President and therefore was put in charge of making sure our reunion happened. It was a great success and I think every one of my classmates that attended thoroughly enjoyed themselves. I have since put in my Class President resignation and I am hopeful that someone will pick up the next ten year term.

After my reunion I headed back to Colorado Springs for our yearly National Team camp. This is a time when our entire national team gets together to ‘bond’ without the stress of competition. This year I was able to bring a few of my teammates to the Boys and Girls club. I was excited and thankful that my teammates were willing to make time in our busy camp schedule to put the kids through a mini bobsled tryout. There were four different stations for the kids to rotate through including vertical jump, broad jump, ‘shot toss’ and a bobsled push station which included scooters for the kids to push each other. I know the kids really appreciated meeting Olympic bobsledders and even seeing a gold medal!

Bobsledders in the making!

I ended up skipping out on the finale of camp because my older sister, Amber, got married Saturday. I was thrilled to be apart of the wedding as the maid of honor. It was surreal to watch my big sister walk down the isle. She looked absolutely gorgeous and I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house. I come from a family of four girls, so we are excited to welcome a new brother into our family!

It’s been a crazy, fun, exciting exhausting few weeks, so I am looking forward to getting back into my training rhythm and continue to move forward towards my next bobsled season.

A day in my life..

2011-06-12T23:04:00.001-07:00

The life of an athlete is filled with hard work, complications, joy and freedom. Our ‘work days’ are very different then typical Americans work day, but for us it is very normal. Our lives revolve around meals, workouts, massages and sports medicine. My day starts at 8:30 when I go down to the Olympic Training Center cafeteria and get my 2 egg scramble with ham, mushrooms, spinach, and pepperjack cheese made perfectly by my favorite chef, Flower. After breakfast I head down to start our first workout, which includes hill sprints and explosive starts. I then go to sports medicine and recover to prepare for our next lifting workout later in the afternoon. Our recovery includes stretching, icing, and using noramtec pants, which essential attempts to squish the lactic acid out of your legs. After sports medicine I work my way back to the cafeteria have lunch and head to my room for a quick nap before workout number two. The next workout is in the weight room and consists of anything from squats to Olympic lifts which usually take close to two hours. At the end of the day I head to the recovery center here at the Olympic Training Center and use the cold tub and hot tub to help my body recover so that I can perform for the next days workouts.

My job is unorthodox and does not have the pay that a 9-5 job has, but it allows me to spend my days working towards a huge goal and dream. I think sometimes we may take the things we are giving and allowed to do for granted. I am pretty lucky to have the opportunity to live at the Olympic Training Center where everyday I wake up and see the Olympic rings and motto all around me. It surprises me how fast I adapt to my surroundings and how eating breakfast next to Michael Phelps or training daily with a gold medalist turns normal. A day in my life is anything, but ‘normal’ and I am very lucky to support of the USOC to help me reach my goals.

Back to Colorado

2011-05-28T23:29:00.001-07:00

I have finally made my way back to the Tutt Boys and Girls club in Colorado Springs. It was a great first week filled with some familiar faces and a lot of new ones. It was very exciting to walk back into the club and a get a huge hug from one of my regular art students last year, Shyann. Shyann was a big help last year putting together assignments as well as cleaning up the art room after class was over. She was incredibly excited to see me and was already talking about all the new ideas she has come up with for this coming summer. There has been a change in leadership at the Tutt Boys and Girls Club, but it seems Miss Michelle has many fun things planned for summer camp and is very willing to listen to any ideas I may have or have seen work in the past. It should be fun filled summer and I am really looking forward to being back.

Autism Speaks

2011-05-08T21:53:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, Bree and I had the opportunity to be apart of the Autism Speaks Walk in Denver. The walk is an event that helps Autism Speaks raise money for Autism research with the hope of coming up with better treatment options and eventually a cure. Autism is a developmental brain disorder that now affects 1 in every 110 children. The USA Bobsled and Skeleton has teamed up with Autism Speaks in the hopes of raising awareness by wrapping one of our sleds in the puzzle piece logo. I can only imagine how difficult daily life can be for the families touched by autism and I was truly inspired by how loving and patient each parent was with their children. I hope our partnership with Autism Speaks will in some small way help all those affected.

Back to Work

2011-04-24T19:07:00.000-07:00

After spending the last few months rehabbing and relaxing from a long season it is time to get back to work. Tomorrow I will start the 20 hour drive from California to Colorado Springs (with a few pit stops along the way). I have enjoyed my time in California catching up on my life and spending time with my family. Since my three sisters have grown up it is often hard for us to all get together. Life gets busy for everyone, so it is a rarity to have us all under the same roof. I am thankful this Easter that we could all be together and enjoy reminiscing on our lives growing up. I know that as we continue to get older and we begin to have our own families that time similar to this will happen less and less.

Although I am sad to leave my mother’s home cooking I am excited to get back to my home away from home and begin working towards next season. I am really looking forward to getting back to the Tutt Boys and Girls Club and continue with my ITA project work. I have not been there since our season started in September so I am anxious to see the kids I worked with. I am sure they have all grown and changed in the past year. The off season is a time to get healthy and relax, but now I am ready to get back to the Boys and Girls Club and working towards my goal of becoming the best bobsledder in the world.

Kudos!

2011-04-10T19:21:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to my buddy and fellow Chico native, Nashon Garret on his win at the high school wrestling National Championship. I met Nashon, a senior at Chico High School, last year at the Chico awards banquet where we were both up for athlete of the year. He is an incredible athlete and person and well deserving of the victory. Look for a Nashon in the future as he works towards his goal of becoming and Olympian.

http://www.chicoer.com/sportsall/ci_17767344

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

2011-03-27T18:42:00.000-07:00

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.

World Championships 2011 Konginsee, Germany

2011-03-13T16:53:00.000-07:00

When in Rome...

2011-03-01T22:42:00.000-08:00

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

ITA in Germany!

2011-02-14T14:11:00.000-08:00

This morning my team and I were invited to an Elite Sports School here in Konigssee, Germany. Today was a very special day for the kids because they received shirts which symbolized being accepted into the sport school. We had the honor of presenting the children with their t-shirts. This school is incredible. We have nothing comparable to it in the states. In the Vancouver Olympics only there were 11 Olympic medalists who were alum from this school. We call this school the ‘factory’ where the Germans create their Olympic prodigy. This is why Germany is so dominate in winter sports because children start their sports at such a young age and they have a lot of time to perfect their skills. In the states many of us are far behind because we start our sports a lot later in life.

The children of the school surprised us by learning our National Anthem, which they sang with us. They will all be coming to our World Championship race this weekend to cheer us and of course the German teams on. One little girl asked very politely how she was suppose to cheer for us and what she should put on the sign she is making for us. It was nice to see that we have some German fans supporting the USA.

We're (almost) Back Baby!

2011-01-29T14:39:00.000-08:00

Okay so maybe it was not the epic come back tale we had hoped for. You know the one where we come back in full force and win the race after a two week hiatus filled with surgery and nasty Austrian roommates? I think as athletes we always shoot for a victory and are often disappointed with anything less. Bree and I always go into any race thinking we are going to win. I have learned that if you don’t have confidence in yourself and in your teammate then you have no chance of being successful. We had thought that we could just pick up where we left off over a month ago and work ourselves back up the standings. Some may say our expectations were too high and not realistic (both our mothers would agree with this statement after we freaked them out with the chaos over the last few weeks), but we are competitors and we want more than to be average. We want to win.

It didn’t really hit us until after our first run that we are extremely lucky to be sliding this race together and it is an incredible feat for Bree to be pushing a bobsled and navigating our sled 80mph plus down an icy hill just weeks after being rushed the hospital for a less than routine procedure. As she said today to the media “we are lucky to be here.” I honestly can not imagine how scary it was for her to be heading into surgery in a foreign country with no family or friends in sight. It really showed me how strong and brave Bree is. I admire that she can still maintain a positive attitude after everything she has gone through the past few weeks and is such a competitor that she couldn’t wait to get back in the sled and do what we do best; race. I am excited to see what the future has in store for us as we work our way back and prepare for World Championships in three weeks. I am sure there were plenty of people who doubted Bree and I would be back to race Worlds, but we will be there, minus one appendix proving them wrong and ready to make Team USA proud.

Life happens...

2011-01-16T13:52:00.000-08:00

I am currently in Igls, Austria one of my more favorite stops on our World Cup tour. Last year, this race was our last race before the Olympics and was the week after our 2010 Olympic Team was announced. Needless to say we had all let our guards down after an incredibly intense year fighting for an Olympic spot and we ALL got very ill. This may have been one of the worst bugs to spread throughout all the countries on the World Cup tour and sent many athletes to the hospital. It was a sickness that struck its victims late in the night, so every morning at breakfast we would look around and see who was missing. Fortunately this year, the sickness we called ‘death’ did not strike again, but we ran into yet another health problem here in Igls. Bree and I came to Europe after a relaxing Christmas break ready to maintain our third place overall World Cup rank, but unfortunately Bree’s appendix was not on the same page! Tuesday night Bree was brought to the hospital and immediately sent into emergency surgery to remove her appendix. Luckily, it was taken out before it had ruptured and caused any more damage. She spent a few interesting nights in an Austrian hospital before we could spring her loose and bring her back to the hotel for some relaxation. Of course, we could not convince our medical staff to clear her for the weekend race or the next weeks race either, but I am glad to report that Bree is continuing to improve each day.

I was still able to have an opportunity to race with one of our rookie drivers and my Olympic teammate, Bronze Medalist Elana Meyers. It was a lot of fun to get in the back of her sled and help push her in her second ever World Cup as a driver. Shauna Rohbock piloted her sled to gold for Team USA, so it was great to have our team bring home a victory. Our team is now headed to Winterberg, Germany, but Bree and I are on ‘vacation’ in Igls as she continues to recover. We will head to St. Moritz, Switzerland soon and prepare for the upcoming World Cup, but for now we will be here appreciating the things, like health, we often take for granted.

Racing For a Cure

2010-12-19T17:17:00.001-08:00

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.

2010-12-05T22:28:00.000-08:00

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

Rest is for the weak?

2010-11-21T23:18:00.000-08:00

Sometimes the greatest personality downfalls are also some of the greatest attributes. I for one am probably one of the most stubborn people that you will meet. I rarely ever admit to this fault, but I can’t seem to escape this reality. My zodiac sign is Taurus, with the symbol being bull horns. I have never been a believer in astrological signs, but I seem to fit the mold by being steadfast, determined and bull headed. I get this trait from my father, who is probably the only one capable of going head to head in a competition of stubbornness with me. My father broke his leg, falling off a ladder a few years ago, which resulted in eleven surgeries and a near amputation. One would think that after eleven surgeries he would be very careful in all aspects of life and especially climbing up and down ladders. I have learned through my father that sometimes stubbornness can verge on stupidity. I respect the fact that he is determined to do what he was able to do before his injury, but in most situations it can be more beneficially to swallow some pride and ask for help or step down when it is needed.

This is something I can say I will do, but in reality most times it does not happen. I believe that being stubborn is something that has allowed me to be successful in sports. I have been told many times that I will not be able to do the things I hope to accomplish. Instead of backing down my stubborn instincts kick into gear and I want nothing more than to prove my doubters wrong. Unfortunately, that combined with my impatient nature can lead to disaster. I have a hard time listening to my body when it is telling me that I can not do something because just like my doubters I want to prove it wrong as well. I have tried to channel my Coach D when I train or when I am injured and remember her telling me that we are not looking at the race here and now, but the one that matters at the end. I have had to attempt to be patient this week and listen to my body, instead of ‘working through the pain.’ It is very hard as an athlete to not be active or doing your sport, but my hope is that with this rest my hamstring and my body can be 100% for race day Thanksgiving Day. I know on that night I will be thankful to be racing down the Whistler track once again, remembering the amazing time I had here last February.

To The Beach!

2010-11-07T21:34:00.000-08:00

8 hours after beginning my travels this morning to Park City, Utah and I am still where I started, in the Albany airport. But there is one catch…… I am 800 dollars (well, United dollars) richer! I am not sure if the lady at the United counter has ever seen anyone as excited as I was to give up a plane seat. Not only did I give my seat up once, but also a second time! I was all but begging her to take my seat away from me and now I feel like I have won the plane voucher jackpot! I am not going to go as far as to say that I enjoy what the Albany airport has to offer; although it is very hard to pick which healthy option, McDonalds or Pizza, I will choose for lunch. I chose pizza. I do, however, appreciate sitting here and thinking of all the warms places I can fly with these vouchers. I can never understand why everyone is not as anxious as I am to exchange a plane seat and a little time for a vacation flight. As I look around I realize that it spending a couple extra hours in airport so that many of the passengers could get home to their children and families. Often I am reminded of some of the things I give up for this lifestyle, but also the freedoms that it allows me to have. I will have plenty of time for family and children, but for now I am going to sit here basking in my glory thinking of the tan I will get in the spring.

Bobsled Time!

2010-10-24T18:44:00.000-07:00

I am currently in Lake Placid, New York for the start of bobsled season. We have been here for almost two weeks, preparing for our World Cup team selection races this coming week. There are a lot of new faces in the bobsled world and also a few returning teammates. It is always fun to see the reaction of the rookies after they take their first bobsled runs. It is hard to explain what it feels like, but I can guarantee it is unlike anything you have every experienced. So far I think we have only had one person go home after experiencing the trips, so in my book that is a small victory!

On the women’s side of things we have three former push athletes trying their hand in the front of the sled and six rookie brakeman with some serious potential. It is really great for our program to have successful push athletes turn to drivers as we know they will have a great push as they progress in their driving skills. It is also good for us to have this many rookie athletes coming from successful college athletic careers having interest in our sport. I remember back four years ago when I first started sliding and I was one of two rookie brakeman, so it is great to see that interest in growing as we move toward 2014.

My very first bobsled race in 2006

2007 World Championships with Erin Pac

Moving forward

2010-10-10T23:09:00.000-07:00

The last few months at the Boys and Girls Club have been incredible, but now it is time to move forward towards my upcoming season. I really enjoy my sport and have amazing opportunities because it, but it always feel as if I am leaving. Over the past three years I have spent longest amount of time in one place in Colorado Springs, but when the 6 months come to end I am more than ready to begin sliding. I am almost not even sure if I know how to be in one place for any longer than that! I was very sad to leave the Boys and Girls club and all the friends I have made there, but I recieved a nice card and huge hug from the kids as I left. I will miss them very much, but I hope we can keep in contact throughout the upcoming months. Thank you for welcoming me into the Tutt Boys and Girls Club family!

Good bye and Good luck!

2010-09-12T14:27:00.001-07:00

Friday was a sad day at the Boys and Girls Club. It was the last day of Ms. Marie, a longtime employee of the club. I don’t know if I really realized until this day how much of an impact we can actually have on the kids. Ms. Marie is one of the most kind, nurturing, loving people I have met and truly has motivated me to form a more personal connection with the kids at the club. Many of the kids come from very difficult family lives and come to the club to get relief from these situations for a few hours. It allows them to be kids, something they may not have the ability to be at home. I have heard many of the kids talk about how they have a parent in jail or a mother who is never home because she has to always work to take care of the family. Some of these kids raise themselves and their siblings. Ms. Marie has been a stable parent figure to many of these kids and has been a kind heart to help heal some of their pain. A majority of the kids were in tears as Ms. Marie said her final good byes. I saw many boys who are taught to act tough and are constantly getting in trouble sob and talk about how Ms. Marie has encouraged and impacted them during her last four years at the club. I am constantly told by people in my community that I have inspired them by chasing my dreams, but people like Ms. Marie are the true inspirations. I can only hope that I am having half the influence Ms. Marie has made at the Boys and Girls Club. We will miss you Ms. Marie.

Feel the rhythm feel the ryhme......

2010-08-29T20:29:00.000-07:00

School has started in Colorado Springs and with that comes a new group of kids at the Boys and Girls Club. It was very difficult to say good bye to the summer campers, but I am getting to know and learning more about the new kids everyday. It was exciting to meet two new girls who almost immediately remembered meeting me at the Olympic Training Center. They recalled my sport and were very excited to share with their peers what I do. I was heartbroken to hear that many of the kids had no idea what Bobsled was and did not watch any of the winter Olympics. Of course, I asked them if they had seen the movie "Cool Runnings," which is how most people identify our sport, but none of them had. I found the movie (which took a great deal of work!) and we all watched it together. I got a chance to explain with the boys and girls what I do and answer any questions they had about my sport. It was a lot of fun to see how focused they were watching the movie and trying to figure it all out. I am glad they got to learn a little about me as I learn more about each of them.

Superman .....or Woman!

2010-08-15T21:39:00.000-07:00

The other day I was looking through a magazine and happened to stumble upon an article which highlighted a plus size model. I was completely astonished to see that this plus size model was 5’10’’ and weighed 150 pounds. If our society is claiming this size is plus size then what are we being told is ‘normal?’ Body Mass Index or BMI is a way to measure body fat based on height and weight and it assesses if individuals are at a healthy weight for their body height (obviously there are exceptions, as most athletes are considered to be out of range because of the increased muscle mass). This 5’10’’ 150 pound female has a BMI of 21.5, which is in her normal range of 18.5-24.9. It infuriated me to see a female that was within normal range, according to her BMI, be considered overweight.

I am 5’8’’ and weigh 175 pounds. I recognize that my size is not a normal size and is a bit extreme because of my sport, but I would hate for young woman or a female athlete to be looking at that same magazine and feel inadequate because they will never look ‘normal’ according to these images. In today’s society 5’10’’ and 95 pounds is considered to be a normal sized model, which is unbelievable. I have learned over the years that in order for me to be successful in my sport I have to be this size even if it is unorthodox and I hope that other females can follow suite.

This same day I went to the Boys and Girls club where the project of the day was for the kids to imagine what super power they would have if they were a super hero and to draw themselves as the super hero. Ironically, one of the girls, Niya, created herself as ‘Flex Girl,’ who helps people out of trouble by flexing her strong muscles. I asked Niya where she got the idea for her superpower and she told me that she saw my muscles and thought it would be cool to be strong like me! It was incredibly refreshing to hear her say this especially on a day where I was shown our society creates negative body images for young woman. Niya helped teach me that I can make a difference with how young girls view themselves even if other avenues don’t help to promote a healthy body image.

STRIKE!

2010-08-01T21:51:00.000-07:00

The past three years I have been very fortunate to have two time Olympian and 2010 Gold Medalist, Curt Tomasevicz, as my training partner. He is one of the hardest workers I know and has not only pushed me in the weight room and the track, but he has taught me valuable lessons about our sport. His advice helped prepare me mentally for the ups and downs of the Olympic season. As long as I have known Curt, he has talked of his love for two things: the Chicago Cubs and the band Pearl Jam. I really had no clue about either of these two things and have gradually over the years learned to appreciate and understand his infatuation. A couple years ago, Curt shared with me three dreams he wanted to fulfill in his lifetime. 1. Win an Olympic Gold Medal 2. Throw out the first pitch at Wrigley Field 3. Play his bass guitar with Pearl Jam (which was completed this summer with the help of a family friend).

After last season when he and his team, ‘The Night Train,’ won Gold at the 2009 World Championships, I determined that Curt had the accompliments for me to help make his second dream happen and the talent to make his first happen. I was on a mission. I was somehow going to make his first pitch at Wrigley Field happen. After many discouraging emails and phone calls I recruited the help of my teammate and Chicago native, 2010 Olympian, Jamie Moriarty. I asked Jamie if he had any ideas of how I could make this happen and coincidentally he was trained by a coach that had connections with many of the Cubs players and even the owner! Jamie and I sat down and composed an email to Todd Ricketts, the owner of the Cubs, expressing why we thought Curt, a long time Cubs fan, would be a perfect candidate for throwing out the first pitch at one of the games. A few days after the Opening Ceremony Jamie got an email back from Todd confirming that Curt was going to have the opportunity to throw out a first pitch. We were ecstatic and felt like little kids waiting for Christmas as we held in our secret and waited until after the final Bobsled runs to tell our teammate what his future held.

Jamie, Curt and I on Wrigley Field

Last week Curt and I (and about 60 of Curt’s family and friends) traveled to Jamie’s hometown, Chicago, for the much anticipated first pitch. It was amazing to watch a grown man, on the pitchers mound, in front of thousands of fans, realize a childhood dream. It is easy as athletes to forget that we get the opportunity to do incredible things daily. Every one of us may not have the opportunity to complete all the things we want to do in our life before the age of 30, like Curt has done, but we have accomplished more than many have dreamed of doing. After seeing Curt accomplish his three dreams I have realized that really anything is possible. Anything. Whether it is throwing out a first pitch, playing with your favorite band, or even winning an Olympic Gold Medal. These dreams are all attainable, it is just up to us to find a way to make them happen.

2010-07-16T15:41:00.000-07:00

This week at the Boys and Girls Club, the girls and I talked about goals. I was able to share with them my goals and how I came about fulfilling them. Each girl was to create a project about their goals and what they wanted to be when they grow up. My favorite drawing was a little girl who wants to be a ‘polsewoman’ (policewoman) when she grows up. This really touched my heart because someday when I ‘grow up’ this may be an avenue that I want to pursue. Her drawing was incredible and I really wish I would have had my camera that day, so I could share it will all of you. My hope is that each one of the girls will post their projects on their walls to remind themselves daily of the direction they want their lives to go.

Stars, stripes... and Fashion Shows?

2010-07-03T13:56:00.000-07:00

I have worked at the Boys and Girls Club over a handful of times and have easily falling into Sarah’s old role as art teacher. It is really exciting to go the club each day and have my group of girls who know when I arrive it is art time. Last week our project was to make masks out of paper plates. After we finished our masks the girls were so creative they used fabric in the art room to make matching outfits. We proceeded to have the very first Boys and Girls fashion show. It was a lot of fun to see how excited the girls were to show off what they created to the rest of the club.

Friday, we learned about the Fourth of July and made wind socks for the girls to hang outside on the fourth of July. I enjoyed watching them create their projects and I limited to only using the colors red, white and blue. I tried to express how much pride come with these colors and was able to share part of my experience at the Olympics with them. Many of them were so excited that they included the Olympic rings on their projects.

As far as training goes, I am happy to report that I did not lose much strength by ‘living the dream’ the last few months and I am working towards getting my conditioning back. I am in my fourth week of training and happy that the first month is behind me. I can now focus on making gains rather than trying to limit my soreness so that I can function. It is still hard to stay motivated as it feels like big goals are so far away, but I lucky to have an amazing strength coach and teammates to push me through each day.

ITA Summer Project

2010-06-20T21:02:00.000-07:00

I am excited to finally start my summer project in Colorado Springs working with the Boys and Girls Club. Former ITA athlete, Sarah Groff, worked at this same location, so I know I have very big shoes to fill. I am looking forward it. Not only am I going to be working at the Boys and Girls club, but a friend and Women’s Wrestling World Team Member will be working with me. When I told her about my project she immediately jumped on board and wanted to do all she could to help out the youth in the Colorado Springs community as well. It was really amazing to me that just by talking about ITA and my project, I inspired someone else to volunteer. It will be fun to not only be working with the kids at the Boys and Girls Club, but also sharing the experience with a fellow athlete and friend.

Back To The Office...

2010-06-06T22:45:00.000-07:00

After 3 months of being back home in Chico relaxing and sharing my Olympic story with local schools it is time to get down to business. I am now at my second home in Colorado Springs to begin training for the upcoming season. I have had a lot of fun the last few months allowing myself ‘rock star’ status. My definition of rock star status may be different than others, but to me it meant I was able to do the things I have not being able to in the past few years. This consisted of consuming whatever calories I wanted and eating as many burritos and cheese sticks as I could stand. I stayed up late, watched all my favorite T.V. shows and slept in as late as I wanted.

I have spent the last years so focused on one goal that I have not allowed myself to stray from my regimented plan. I have missed many events because the travel would affect my training. I have been sure to get as much rest as I could so my body could perform at the highest level possible. I ate foods that I enjoyed, but mostly used it as fuel. My days have been completely consumed by when I am going to train, what I am going to eat and how I am going to recover. I have done all of this because I love it and the chance to compete for Team USA is amazing, but there are times the sacrifice can be difficult. That is why I have been playing ‘catch up’ the last few months, but I am now finally ready to get back to work. I anticipate having a hard time walking after training in the next few days and weeks, but I sure enjoyed having no limitations the last few months.

2010 Olympics!

2010-05-23T22:31:00.000-07:00

This week Durham Intermediate School and Golden Hills School both had a school wide Olympics and I was invited to both of their Opening Ceremonies. I even received the same honor the great Wayne Gretzky received at the Opening Ceremony in Vancouver. I lit the Golden Hills Olympic torch! I felt like a little kid and kept thinking about the many times I have watched the Olympics on television and have seen the legendary Olympic torch light up. Thank you to both schools for allowing me to be apart of your Olympic experience.

The White House

2010-05-09T22:20:00.000-07:00

I don’t care who you are or what you believe in, anytime there is an invitation to go to our nations Capital and meet our President it is a huge honor. Team USA 2010 received this honor a few weeks ago when we were given the opportunity to shake the hand of the man leading our country. My teammates and I felt like rock stars as we were bused onto The White House grounds with ease. We were able to wander freely around a portion of The White House and we were treated to homemade cookies and refreshments (I like to think the First Lady made these cookies for us earlier that morning). Because of the rain we were unable to assemble in the courtyard and listen to a speech President Obama had prepared for us, but each team was able to shake hands with the President, hug the First Lady and get our pictures taken. It was another amazing experience that I will be adding into my memory bank.

2010 Olympic Bobsled and Skeleton Team with the Obamas

After our visit we were carted off to the Supreme Court where we were all treated to dinner, drinks and a short presentation honoring all the Olympic and Paralympic athletes. At the reception we met the Congressman of Nebraska, Adrian Smith who graciously volunteered to give a few of us a private tour of the US Capitol Building. I have been to the Capitol Building before, but it was very special to have our own after hour tour. The whole day was a lot of fun and huge honor. It was a great way to celebrate all of the hard work and dedication it took for each and every one of us to be in Vancouver.

SPORTS DAY!

2010-04-24T23:48:00.000-07:00

On April 9th I was invited to Durham Elementary to help celebrate their ‘Sports Day.’ I spoke to over 450 students and shared what I have learned throughout my Olympic journey. I also encouraged the students to create goals and be proactive in finding the avenues to pursue them. I have visited many Northern California schools while I have been in my hometown of Chico, but this was my very first assembly for the entire student body. I was a bit nervous, but was pleasantly greeted with signs and decorations, which helped to calm my nerves.

I really enjoy talking to these students, but sometimes I wonder if they are getting my message or if they are just anxiously waiting for me to sign an arm or a shirt or a shoe! A lot of the students had many interesting goals and things they want to be when they grow up including a bobsledder! I can only hope that they continue to fight for their dreams and understand anything is possible. After the assembly was complete I had a HUGE line of kids anxiously waiting for an autograph. I had one kid proudly tell me he waited in line for 45 minutes to get my autograph. I had another tell me that he was going to sell my autograph on ebay. I don’t think these kids realize that my signature is not worth anything, but it makes me feel special to know that my community backs me up and is excited about what I am doing.

Treasuring Letters Made With Love

2010-04-24T23:13:00.000-07:00

I was finally able to visit Mrs. Forrester’s 2nd grade class at Mill Street School in Orland. I brought with me the incredible book her students made me compiled of complex questions and handmade drawings. I spoke with the students about the Olympics and was able to answer a question from each student from the letters they made me. It was a lot of fun for me to visit Mrs. Forrester’s class and see her in her element as I personally know her and her family. I competed many years of gymnastics with her daughter and have been supported by her family ever since. I can tell she is an amazing teacher and is very respected by the children in her class. It was great to see how Mrs. Forrester integrated my time at the Olympics with the 2nd grade curriculum. Thank you to Mill Street School and Mrs. Forrester for sharing your students with me.

2010-04-24T22:50:00.000-07:00

Mission Specialist Clayton Anderson showing his Nebraska pride in orbit with my teammate, Curt's gold medal winning gloves, Larry the Cable Guy's t-shirt and a ball from the NCAA World Series in Omaha, Ne.

3-2-1..... BLAST OFF

2010-04-11T23:08:00.000-07:00

Throughout the past few weeks I have been presented with some amazing opportunities. One of which allowed me to travel to Florida to watch the space shuttle Discovery launch into space. Mission STS-131 launched from the Kennedy Space Center at 6:21a.m. on April 5, 2010 and I was 3 miles away (as close as you can be) to see and hear the incredible BOOM.

Shuttle Discovery in the Sky

My teammate, Curt, who was on the Gold Medal winning four man team, was asked by his fellow Nebraskan, Mission Specialist Clayton Anderson, to bring a piece of his victory into space. Curt gave Clayton the push gloves he was wearing on his Gold Medal run. His gloves are now orbiting in space approximately 17,000 mph, which makes our Olympic Bobsled speeds of 90-95mph look pathetic.

As I watched the Astronauts board the shuttle I thought about my teammates and I as we were preparing for the Olympics and boarding the plane to Vancouver. I am not saying our accomplishments are in the same realm as these incredible people risking their lives to help educate mankind, but there are some parallels. We have spent our lives preparing for minutes every four years, just as these astronauts have spent their lives working towards this launch. For these men and women this is a dream come true and that is something I can definitely relate to. And so, for two weeks, until Discovery lands safely back on the earth, Astronauts of Mission STS-131 will be experiencing their Olympics. Good Luck and come home safe!

Mother Russia & The Room 8 Bears!

2010-03-28T13:14:00.000-07:00

After coming home from the Olympics Bree and I received a call asking us to travel to Russia to help homologate, which means test the safety and structure of a new track near Moscow. How could we say no to a fully funded ‘Bobsled vacation?!’ We traveled to Russia with Annie O’Shea and Matt Antoine some of our skeleton teammates where we were treated to some Russian hospitality. Each day we went to the track, took two runs, gave the FIBT feedback on the track and then went on a new tour around Russia. We were fortunate enough to see some amazing churches, The Red Square, many historic museums, and other very interesting parts of Russia. The Russian Bobsled Federation was very excited to have us and other nations involved in the successful homologation of the track.
The start of the Bob track in Russia

After traveling almost 20 hours back to California I was able to stop by Miss Pavlos class at Baker Elementary in San Jose. I was inspired to visit her class after receiving an amazing letter from one of her students, Athena, while I was at the Olympics. Athena obviously spend many hours on the letter and picture that she sent to me, which included a Room 8 Bear penny for me to rub for good luck. Her letter was one of my favorites and was posted by my bed throughout the Olympics. I rubbed the penny she gave me for good luck each day before I went to the track. I was excited to finally meet her and tell her how much her thoughtful note meant to me. I shared my Olympic experience with her and her classmates and was surprised by her with flowers and a gold medal that she made for me. The students were very excited to meet me, but I do not think they fully realized how gratifying and exciting it is for me to be able to share knowledge I have learned throughout my life. I also met a student of Miss Pavlos, Erika, who enjoys dirt biking, so I was able to give her fellow ITA athlete Lea’s information on the Little Bellas group and the camp that is coming to Monterey. Thank you to Miss Pavlos and Athena! I had a great time meeting with your class and I hope to come back really soon.

Miss Pavlos Class: The Room 8 Bears!

Calling all Bobsled Fans!

2010-03-14T16:10:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to announce that I have received the go ahead to extend my ITA project to Chico and Northern California. My project for the next few months will consist of visiting local schools and after school venues. I will be sharing my Olympic experiences and life lessons I have learned throughout my journey. It has been overwhelming the number of local students and teachers who have supported me through the Olympics and I am hoping to show my appreciation by giving back to them. When I came home I was surprised by an incredible book filled with letters and drawings from Mrs. Forrester's Mill Street School class in Orland. I am really looking forward to visiting these students and answering all of their questions like if Bree and I are 'bestests friends'.

I have already gone to few schools and visited my old gym, Athlete Horizons, where I shared many stories with the young gymnasts. It was a lot of fun to talk to these girls, as I can tell how much they look up to me because I was once in their shoes. They were very interested in how I thought gymnastics has helped me as an athlete (after competing competitively until the age of 16) and of course wanted to know if I got scared bobsledding and how I overcame it. If my story was able to only resonate with one girl, I believe my visit was a success. I have received many requests, but if you want me to come your classroom or group please contact me at emily@in-the-arena.org and I will do my best to make it happen. Thank you.

Students in Mrs. Weaver's Little Chico Creek class cheering me on in Whistler

The Aftermath

2010-03-07T17:43:00.000-08:00

To say the least, life has been crazy since the end of our race on February 24th. Bree and I had an incredible run and finished 5th in the world. I think we are both pretty satisfied with our result considering how difficult it was for our USA 3 sled to qualify for the Olympic games. Of course, a medal would have completely fulfilled the dream and getting so close only makes me hungry for more. Our teammates Elana and Erin won the bronze (congrats girls!) and our American team had three sleds in the top six, which is great for our program.

After the completion of our races Bree and I decided we were going to do everything possible to get the FULL Olympic experience. We attended the women’s gold medal hockey game, women’s figure skating, men’s hockey gold medal game and of course we watched Team Holcomb, our fourman bobsled team win gold! With all the Olympic festivities I was barely able to see my family and missed out on meeting Amory (ITA founder) and her family, which I can hopefully do sometime soon.

After the Closing Ceremony I flew home to Chico where I was greeted after a night of no sleep by fifty plus ‘fans’ and supporters from Chico and the Northstate. I was amazed how many people were there that I had never met, but who felt like they knew me by following my journey and living my dreams with me. I honestly did not realize the kind of affect I had over the people in my community. I thought I would come home and go on with life like it was before the Olympics, but my life is forever changed. I went to the post office the following day and Chicoans were coming up to me bursting with pride, shaking my hand and telling me thank you. I never would have thought that I would be getting thanked for following my goals and pursuing my dreams. It is ironic to me because I feel like I should be the one thanking each individual within our community that has helped me reach my goal.

My greeting at the airport (photo from The Chico ER)

Game Time!!

2010-02-23T00:26:00.000-08:00

After a few exciting days of training we are ready to go. The sled is washed and waxed, the runners are polished and it is game time! I am as calm as one can be preparing for an Olympic event. A lot of reporters and friends have asked me if I am nervous and the honest answer is yes, but not anymore nervous than I have been for every race leading up to this point. The hard part is done. As Coach D (my college track coach) would say ‘the money is in the bank.’ I have put in the work. I have made the team and now it is our turn to cash in and do what we do best.. GO FAST! I will be representing all of the northstate and my country proudly tomorrow.

Thank you to everyone from my hometown of Chico, California and college UCDavis for all of your amazing support throughout my Olympic journey. I have received an overwhelming amount of encouragement from emails, phone calls and of course all the comments left by the 1,000 plus people who have joined a facebook group created in support of me! Lastly, thank you to my family for the love and support they have given me. I can honestly say without them I would not have been inspired to go for my goals and believe in my dreams. They are my biggest fans. I can not even anticipate the emotions I will feel seeing them here at the Olympic games waving our flag proudly in support of me.

Put me in Coach!

2010-02-18T23:39:00.000-08:00

Waiting, watching…. waiting, celebrating…. waiting, feeling defeat…. waiting…

We start training in two days and it can not come fast enough for us. We have watched our fellow sliders, luge, go through a very difficult race having the starting position moved down after the tragic accident by Georgian luger. We have watched Shaun White put on an amazing gold medal performance in the half pipe and Lindsay Vonn winning gold in downhill and being disappointed with her finish in super combined. We have watched it all and we will continue to watch until the 20th when we finally start our first day of training. I can not wait to get back on the ice and especially this track. This track is the fastest in the world and one of the most fun (when done right). It is funny we are counting down the days until we get on the ice, but I am sure once it finally gets here time will fly by. Until then…. Good Luck to the skeleton sliders tonight and men’s bobsled on Saturday and Sunday. We will continue to watch and cheer on our teammates anxiously waiting for our turn to show the world what we can do.

Olympic Pin Craze

2010-02-15T23:58:00.000-08:00

I decided since I am a rookie Olympian it is best for me to soak up the experience because who knows if I will ever get this once in a lifetime chance again. So, I am doing everything I can from pin collecting to playing Dance Dance Revolution with athletes from different countries. Pins are the currency here in the athlete village and around. The volunteers and spectators want all the best pins from all the different countries, but the athletes really have the advantage of getting these collectable pins. If you have an awesome pin people will do close to anything to get it. Who would have thought I would have gotten into pin trading and collecting? I think Grandma Betty would be proud and would probably tell me that someday these will go for a ton. I think she may have been wrong thinking that with the Cabbage Patch Dolls, but with these rare Olympic pins she might be right. I have traded countless pins with many countries and I am having a small competition with some of my teammates for who can get the best pins. The pins that are the most sought after are the pins from the smaller nations as they only have a limited number to give away. So far I have gotten of 30 pins from different nations including the ones I really wanted, Spain and Portugal. I was even lucky enough to get an exclusive ITA athlete Torin Koos pin! Ghana and Jamaica are next on the list of pins to get, so tomorrow I am going to search for some new friends (and pins).

Just another day at the office...

2010-02-14T21:07:00.000-08:00

Wow! The last few days have been exhausting, but some of the best of my life. After landing in Vancouver with my team we were scooped up and have gone non stop ever since. I have been given three bags of Ralph Lauren and Nike Team USA gear. I have signed countless autographs. I had my first ever press conference. I have met Sandra Oh (from Greys Anatomy), Bonnie Blair, Picabo Street, Vice President Biden, Queen Latifah (who thinks I look like her girl Alicia…Keys that is) and the governator Arnold Schwarznegger. This is, of course, is not including the countless amazing athletes I have met and that I was honored to walk side by side in the Opening Ceremony.

Rocking the new gear

I wish I could explain to every one of you what it is like to follow our flag into a stadium filled with over 60,000 people, but there are no words to describe the pride and honor I felt. I now know why many athletes have a hard time retiring and why we put in countless number of hours training and go through every up and down we do. That was all worth it. I would do everything again to be able to experience that minute over and over.

Vancouver Bound 2/10/2010

2010-02-14T12:09:00.000-08:00

Bree and I woke up this morning like giddy little girls on Christmas day. We left from Park City, Utah at 4:30a.m. and started our trek to Vancouver. We did not even care about our lack of sleep or having to have a 3 hour lay over or even wearing our huge oversized Under Armour ‘Capitan American’ jackets. All that went through our minds was that we were on our way to realizing and living our dream. It was incredible. Everywhere we went in the airport people were asking our sport and wishing us luck and telling us thank you and how proud they were of us. I have never seen so many people bursting with pride and excitement. It really hit Bree and I when we boarded our second flight from San Francisco to Vancouver and the flight attendants announced us saying this is ‘our team.’ I think this is when I realized that we are not just here for ourselves we are here for our nation. We are now America’s team.

The Team getting off the plane in Vancouver!

Home Sweet Home

2010-01-31T17:34:00.000-08:00

I am finally back ‘home’ or at least back in the states after two long grueling months in Europe racing and competing. I am so happy to be in sunny Chula Vista, California where I have been able to meet up with fellow ITA athlete Mike Hazle and get some recovery and training before heading out to Vancouver. I am incredibly content training in t-shirts and soaking up the sun after a long cold winter. It feels great to be back in the states and have a little down time before all the excitement that will be happening in the next few weeks. Being in Europe really makes me appreciate a lot of things we are fortunate enough to have in the states. I appreciate not having to drive a manual car everywhere and being able to eat the things I love. I hopped off the plane and the first place I went was to get a burrito, next was to get a Starbucks coffee and then some good ole California sushi. To say the least I stuffed my face as soon as I got back! I love the fact I can turn on the television and understand everything, I can pay for things with familiar money and turn on the radio and find music that I know. It is good to be back. God Bless America

Mike Hazle and I at the Chula Vista Olympic Training Center

GOING TO THE SHOW!!

2010-01-20T04:46:00.001-08:00

The moment my dreams were realized was probably one of the most incredible moments in my life. I was not positive things would go my way this year and I knew if I were to make the 2010 Olympic Team I would have to do so fighting my way on it. I can not explain the overwhelming feeling of relief when my name was announced on the roster. My coach thought that I didn’t hear things correctly because I was so quick to leave the meeting to call my family, who has been amazing this year dealing and feeling every emotion along with me. The number of people it took for me to get to where I am today is too many to count. My mom said it best when she said ‘Emily you have been training for this your whole life.’ I never thought of it this way, but she is right. From gymnastics to college track, all my coaches have taught life lessons that have prepared me to take on the challenge of working toward such a huge goal.

I was sitting at breakfast with a few of my teammates this morning and we were talking about how many people we thought it took for a person to go from an elite athlete to an Olympian. There are people in my daily life, coaches, sports medicine, my friends and teammates that have helped me. Then there are the many many supporters in my home town, Chico, as well as my college, UCDavis, the staff at the Training Centers and this is not even including the many people that don’t directly know me who have been sending me prayers and thoughts. My older sister informed me the other day that the entire town of Pleasanton, California, where she is a teacher, is behind me. This journey is not something that I have done on my own and I would never be where I am without the constant support and enthusiasm from people all over the nation. Thank you to everyone who has been on the journey with me and to everyone who has touched my life. You are the reason I get the opportunity to wear our flag proudly.

Olympic Spirit

2010-01-17T00:18:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share a touching story with all of you of someone who truly embraces the Olympic Spirit.

We have reached a point in our Bobsled world where every single person on our team is thinking about one person... themselves. Everyone is focused on how they will make the team and is busy calculating the next move. There is one exception on our team. One of my teammates worked just as hard as I did in the off season and had just as much hope of going to Vancouver as myself, but she ran into some unfortunate luck with race offs and subsequently has been placed on the bottom of the totem pole. I am well aware of how hard it is to be in the position every week watching other teammates be successful and not getting any appreciation for your contributions to the team. She could have easily been frustrated and angry with the spot she is stuck in, but instead has volunteered every week to slide the first runs on new tracks with Bree (being crashed 3 times this year) and has done everything she can to help our team out (she even learned how to drive a stick so she could help drive our sled trucks all over Europe). She has done everything she can to help Team USA be better this year.

We are each allowed to send a page to the Olympic selection committee of why we should be the one to be selected for the team. It is a way for us each to get a chance to speak our peace and explain our side. I was discussing my page with this teammate of mine when she informed me that I was going to have one up on everyone. I was going to have two pages written for me. She then proceeded to tell me that she was going to write her page for me. She felt I earned the spot this year and that I deserved it and she was going to write her page on my behalf. I have never been so touched in my life. In a sport I have never felt appreciated, I just received the greatest honor; respect. She could have easily wrote this for herself and told everyone about how she got screwed or what she did to earn it, but instead she selflessly wrote her nominee for me.

In a time where I have felt like our sport lacks integrity, I am shown what it truly means to have the Olympic spirit by a simple selfless gesture.

Blogging for Dummies

2010-01-02T12:33:00.000-08:00

When I heard I would be writing a blog upon my acceptance into In the Arena I found it a bit humorous. I am, to say the least, not the most technically savvy person, so the thought of something like a blog is pretty intimidating. To be honest, I only found out what a blog was just recently. I am the girl that can barely figure out how to use her berry-less cell phone and gets made fun of by teammates for not knowing what Twitter is and how Facebook works. I am pretty confident my 80-year old grandma has more technical knowledge then I do. I am proud to say I at least finally figured out how to work almost all the functions of my iPod and that was mostly thanks to my younger sister and "iPods for Dummies." So, I guess it is time to get up with the times and figure out how to make this blog happen.

Before we get started on our internet relationship, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Emily Azevedo and I am currently a brakeman or I guess technically a brakewoman on the U.S National Bobsled team. Now, I realize as soon as you read the word bobsled a million questions come to mind, so allow me to answer them so we can move forward with our cyber-connection. Yes, bobsled is in fact the sport in which you see the Jamaicans competing in the Disney movie "Cool Runnings." And yes, in fact, I have seen the movie and also own it, but sadly to say I am not Jamaican.

I became involved in the sport in 2006 after watching the Olympic Games with my college roommates at the University of California, Davis. I had just graduated from college and was not sure of my next step in life. I was done with my collegiate track career and long story short thought that bobsled would be a great way to put off the real world while getting a chance to compete for Team USA. Of course I told my parents I thought it would help me make some connections for jobs, and that I just wanted to try it out. I was sure there would be a way to utilize my Exercise Biology degree bobsledding, right? It took my mom a few years to stop leaving newspaper clippings of potential jobs on my desk, but I think she has finally come to terms with the ‘career’ I have chosen (of course career is used VERY loosely as most people with careers get paychecks). I have crashed. In fact I have crashed many times and some by my own doing attempting to drive. The fastest track in the world is currently the new Olympic track in Whistler, where four-man sleds were clocked at 95mph.

So, now that we have gotten to know each other a little better and you have been given the crash (not a word we like to use much in the bobsled) course on my sport I am confident we will be able to move forward as I begin to learn the ins and outs of the internet blogging world. Maybe I will go find "Blogging for Dummies" for the next time.