Happy Birthday Amber!

Amber and Emily on Amber's 3rd Birthday

Happy 30^th Birthday to my older sister Amber!  Amber and I are only 13 months apart in age.  I have always felt lucky to be so close in age with my sister and to have a built in best friend.  Amber and I were constantly mistaken for twins when we were kids.  It is probably more because of the ridiculous short, permed haircut our mother gave us both then the fact we actually looked a like.   I am sure many people also thought that no parents in their right minds would have two children so close in age on purpose!  Of course like any sisters we have had our fair share of arguments and hair pulling fights, but she has always looked after me. 

I remember after my first season of bobsled I came home and had 12 cents in my bank account.  My sister knew I was struggling and would randomly, on her own, add money into my account to help me survive.  I have always been proud of my older sister and I hope that if some day I have children they will have a relationship with their siblings like I have had with mine.

Christmas 1983

1986

Flower Girls 1985

1998

Amber's wedding June 2011

2011-2012 Bobsled Season









Bree and Emily in the Susan G Komen Boobsled







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.

Elana Meyers and Emily 5th place in Germany

Whistler

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

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!

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.