Sled Preparation: Day 1

The life of a United States bobsledder isn't all glamourous, despite what some of our friends think. Every year, just before the season starts, we have to spend a few days going over the sled to get it ready for use. While definitely not as exciting as hurling yourself down an icy mountainside at 80 MPH, this pre-season preparation is incredibly important. Just as any professional auto racing team does, we meticulously go over every inch of the sled, checking for cracks in the frame, damaged sections of the body, and any imperfections in the runners. We tighten every nut, re-grease every moving connection, and check the steering system for alignment.

As the saying goes, its a dirty job but someone has to do it!

This year Don, our newest teammate, and I spent most of the day today going over the sled and performing the first half of our maintainence routine. We definitely got our hands dirty re-greasing the runner shoes and cleaning them out. We went over the body surface and checked the fluidity of the suspension. Now all that remains is to set the alignment and clean out the inside of the body. So we are looking forward to another Saturday of work before the season begins. We anticipate our first day of slidding to be somewhere around mid-November or so. We'll definitely keep updates on our blog so you can see how we are doing and when we are racing. Also, be sure to check our main website, http://www.teamholmbobsled.com/, for results and bios on our team athletes, etc. We'd also love to hear from you and can be reached at teamholmracing@hotmail.com.

And don't worry, we'll be sure to add more pictures of Sled Preparation Round 2 coming up in a week or so!

Utah Down Syndrome Foundation Charity Event

Team Holm Racing recently had the opportunity to participate in a charity event that was set up to raise money for the Utah Down Syndrome Foundation. We've done fundraisers for cancer research and for specific medial patients, but the Saturday we spent with these special kids and their families was an experience never to be forgotten. Their bright faces, their love for life, and their enthusiastic and engaging personalities definitely left an impression on us. We just hope that we were able to help them enjoy a day at the park.

The volunteers who organized the event did an incredible job, despite a bit of nasty weather that rolled in at the end of the afternoon. There were games and activities for all who came, and plenty of smiles all around. We put the sled right in the middle of all the festivities and set the table up with our gear and medals for the visitors to look at. We had a steady stream of the down syndrome foundation kids and their families coming by all afternoon. Guests guests were invited to sit in the driver or brakeman's seat and get their pictures taken. We had a great time answering their questions and signing autographs and even helping to make cotton candy.

We just wanted to thank all the volunteers who put the event together and congratulate them for doing such an incredible job! We'd also like to thank the down syndrome kids and their families for helping us have such a wonderful experience!

We are definitely looking forward to next year's event!