SPORTS DAY!

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

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.

                                    

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

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!

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!

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

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)