Merry Christmas!

Co-ed bobsled

The first thing that comes to mind when I think about last night is how cold it was! Cold enough that your skin stuck to metal. Cold enough that your lungs would feel the chill when you took a deep breath. And cold enough that the crack in my windshield worried me when I turned on the defrost. Oh sure, it wasn't Calgary or Placid bad, but it was still chilly for us considering we've been sliding in some rather warm weather.

We took some four-man trips down the track last night, the first of which was rather interesting. You see, trying to get four athletes up to train can be a challenge sometimes when everyone is A. working, B. dating someone/married, C. out of town, or D. all the above. So last night, a friend of ours (you rock Abby) who happens to be a skeleton athlete was kind enough to volunteer to go down with us so we could at least get some trips down the mountain. All of my spares and back up athletes were busy or out of town, so we were grateful.

After scratching our first run down the track (meaning we skipped it) we practiced loading into the sled while it was sitting still so Abby could get used to loading in. Our coach just raised his eyebrow as he watched and said, "This I gotta see."

Well, we put the sled up on the line and once the green light turned on and the buzzer went off, we were "Back set, set, set, front set, ready!" and off we went! Now, mind you, we weren't completely cruel, we mentally told ourselves that we were taking it easy for Abby's sake. I even loaded in prematurely so Abby could hop right on. The next thing I knew there was commotion behind me, someone yelled at someone else, I felt a hard hit on the back of my helmet, and all this by the time we reached the first turn.

Now I had no idea what was going on, so I put it out of my mind and drove down the track like nothing was wrong. But once we crossed the finish line and I got out of the sled, I started counting athletes at the bottom. I may not be the smartest guy out there, but I knew that 1+2 did not =4. Don and Brad both looked at my face, read the confusion, and explained that Abby did not end up joining us on the trip. She had taken one step towards loading into the sled, decided she couldn't do it, and simply let go of the sled and we kept going without her. Our coach later told me that he thought I had a killer run down the track, but he was also a bit distracted as he tried to count helmets as we roared past him.

To her credit, Abby got back out there and took another run with us and she loaded in beautifully. She had a huge smile on her face at the bottom as it was her first time down the track in a bobsled. But I guess if Don got the nickname "Blackout" for going unconscious on the way down the track, should we start calling Abby "Fallout"? Hmmm...

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

Well, let it not be said that winter is still months away. While we have been completely spoiled here in Utah with extremely mild weather (read: eternal Fall), last night in Park City we had a bit of a break from our snow-drought. It wasn't terrible, mind you, but it sure made the drive up to the track interesting and the rides down the mountain a little slower, even in a 800+ pound steel and fiberglass missile.

Even so, we managed to have some fun last night, despite the dreary conditions. After a 20-minute search for a four-man bobsled (which we found out today ended up being hidden in a bin at the finish area), we instead pulled out the two-man and rushed to the start area to put on the runners (sled's blades) and get ready. With three minutes or so to spare, we tightened the last bolt and threw on our bobspikes (special bobsled shoes).

Since I had three brakemen last night I took five runs, and cancelled a sixth due to the deteriorating conditions. When we dropped about 1.5 seconds between our first and last run of the day, I knew that the sixth would be a waste of time and energy. We would have done nothing more but plow the track! But considering most of the other athletes were getting 55-58-second runs, our downtime of 53.92 and 53.52 weren't so bad (although far slower than our normal times). But the snow just kept piling up more and more. On our last run we just plowed the braking stretch and as I got out of the sled and looked back down the run towards the finish line, I could clearly see where our sled had blown through drifts of snow in the uncovered finish area. Ya, it was time to just pack it in at that point.

But it was a fun night after all. Last night was Brad's (brakeman/pusher) birthday so we pitched in and got him a card and a gift card. We also had our good friend Nicole Anderson come up to do some filming of our starts (since her camera couldn't get wet she had to hide under the start area's awning). We also had one of Brad's buddies, Brandon, come up with us and get his first taste of the world of bobsled. Although we only took a few steps and loaded in, Brandon had a blast as we flew (or is it plowed?) down the track. Well, minus the fact that he was sitting on the brake handles thereby putting some bruises on his backside.

And here you all thought our sport was just fun and games. At least we got to wear layers last night and not just spandex. Those poor skeleton athletes...

Next up: four-man bobsled on Friday night with one of our new athletes, Dan. Wish the guy who sits in front of him luck (since Dan will have 600-steel spikes on the bottom of his feet when he jumps in)!

Ciao!

'Tis the season...

Ok, I admit it. I've been terrible at updating the blog the past few weeks! The worst part is that we've been training on the ice for three weeks now, and here I've left you poor readers without any news, info, jokes, stories, pictures, or gut-bursting commentary.

My deepest apologies!

So, here we are, December 1st, 2008. Apparently the US has been in a recession since December of 2007. I guess we needed a year to figure that out. But personally, I just checked out my bank account and I've known I've been in a recession the whole time!

Back to bobsledding, though.

We've had a couple of days of two-man training now, and we're hoping to start four-man this week. The great thing about this season is that there is an abundance of sleds to use! So just for kicks and giggles we might borrow some other two-man sleds and try them out. After some full inspections, of course.

But our times have been steadily improving compared to last year. Though not World Cup times, improvement is improvement upon improvement. So we're happy with that! We're also excited to have some new guys joining us out there on the ice as well, so stay tuned for that! We will be posting some video and some new photos from training the other night, so check back later this week!

Happy belated Thanksgiving everyone and Happy Holidays! Keep your eye out for the Team Holm Bobsled Christmas card as well!

Motivational Videos and Speeches

As I'm sitting here in my office looking through the window at the mid-grade blizzard outside, I decided that on mornings like these we could all use a nice pick-me-up. If you want to read even deeper into that statement, I think some of the things we crave most during the difficult "blizzards" of life are encouragement, love, and support.

If you were to sit down and think back to any rough patches that life may have led you through, what did it mean to have someone, anyone, be there for you? Someone who believed in you, whether a friend, a spouse, a sibling, a coach, a coworker, a religious leader, etc. I bet I'm safe in saying that their support made a huge difference that gave you strength, comfort, encouragement, motivation, and hope.

So on this cold, blustery day I thought I'd let Team Holm Racing be a source of potential encouragement, motivation, and maybe some laughs. I've listed three videos below that I found completely incredible. The truth of the matter is that perhaps you're not really struggling with anything, but maybe these videos can help give you that extra boost today at work or around the house or before your visit to the gym. If you need a pick-me-up today, for whatever reason, I hope these videos provide the butt-kick you need!

Jeremy Holm
Team Captain


My wish is that we can all find a mentor like this one...


I hope we can all find a "teammate," a good friend to run with us in life...


If you really listen to what Rocky says here...


We all have demons from our past that haunt us, but....

The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation

Ok, we confess, it has been awhile since we've updated the blog! But you have to understand, it has been a busy time for all of us! With a cruise to Mexico for some, classes and midterms for others, a wedding for one, and the good old requirements of full-time jobs for all, Team Holm Bobsled has been busy!

But don't worry, the season is starting soon so we'll have plenty to talk about (and you'll have plenty to read about)!

One thing we did want to let everyone know about is our recent affiliation with the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.

Our team captain, Jeremy Holm, is a self-proclaimed Superman fan who says he recently finished Christopher Reeve's autobiography, "Still Me." One thing he said he learned was that while Christopher Reeve was a giant of a man, physically speaking, he was truly a giant of a man when it came to the courage and determination it took to persevere and look to overcome a paralyzing accident. And his wife Dana was his "superwoman" who was there with him every step of the way until his death. Her battle with cancer has inspired thousands around the world and their legacy is still burning brightly despite their passings.

The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research, and improving the quality of life for people living with paralysis through grants, information and advocacy and Team Holm Bobsled is proud to be a part of Team Reeve, a division of the foundation that is dedicated to people who "run a race, bike a trail, swim the tides ... turn (their) passion for sports into a mission to help others."

Please visit the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation website to learn more about ways that you can help those battling spinal cord injuries or diseases.

Also, check out this video below, it is incredible when you think about what it represents and the power we have as human beings to overcome the "impossible."

A Day at the Push Track

A lot of people ask what we do during the summer to train as bobsledders. Apart from the required video game playing (it's for hand-eye coordination...cough cough) and the standard trips to high school tracks for sprints and drills, plus the gym for weight training, we also have a push-track set up in Park City. The push track is basically a bobsled on wheels that runs down a small hill on rails.

Here's an example of us doing some push training from last week. It was a warm-up run so it wasn't our full-speed, but it does give you an idea of what we do.

That's me up front on the left, Brad right behind me, Don on the right, and Lane on the brakes.

Enjoy!

9/11: Let us remember today and never forget tomorrow

Seven years ago today I was sitting on a tropical island off of the coast of Belize called Ambergris Caye. It is a beautiful place full of crystal clear water, white sandy beaches, palm trees, resorts, restaurants, gift shops, dirt streets, and bakeries that left your mouth watering whenever you walked past them.

I was finishing up the last year of my two-year commitment as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, an experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life. But of all the experiences I had during those two years, this is one that is burned with unbelievable clarity into my mind.

The missionary I was serving with at the time pounded on the door to the bathroom and shouted that someone has just bombed the Statue of Liberty! The thought took a moment to register and I quickly got out of the shower, dressed, and we rushed to a friend's house who we knew had a TV.

We got there just in time to see video of a plane crashing into some building which I later learned was one of the Twin Towers. My first thought was, "Wow, that looks like an interesting new movie! Great special effects!" But as I sat there waiting to learn the movie's title and the TV kept showing more and more images of the towers on fire, of firefighters all over "Ground Zero" and of citizens running through the streets, it finally hit me...it wasn't a movie.

It was a nightmare.

My missionary companion and I both collapsed onto the couch and just stared. No one said anything for quite some time. We just watched in horror as the buildings burned and chaos ensued in front of the cameras. Stunned commentators did their best to voice-over the video feeds, but the hesitancy and fear in their voice was obvious to all. We felt it too.

Since I was in Central America our feed was coming through Mexico which means that a lot of what was edited out here in the United States was left on TV for us. We almost cheered when hundreds of people were seen exiting the burning towers. And then we watched with gut-wrenching horror as some poor souls, seeing no other option for escape, leaped from the burning buildings, hundreds of feet above the cameras.

The first and then the second tower collapsed, sending millions of tons of debris crashing down onto the street below. Camera crews raced for their lives away from the debris field, sending shaky images of dust covered survivors to our screen as they too ran as fast as they could.

Over the next few days we would learn that it was a deliberate attack by evil men. I say evil because it would take either a lack of sanity, a lack of humanity, or a lack of goodness to do something so awful, so terrible, so unbelievably dark. I call them evil, but I also call them cowards. It is easy to do something like that when you know you'll be dead and won't have to face the consequences.

But we also saw unforgettable acts of humanity and compassion and courage. We witnessed firefighters who rushed into a burning building, not knowing if they would return, all out of courageous desire to find survivors, get them out of the building, administer medical attention, and let the scared know that "every thing is going to be alright."

We saw medical crews and police officers who ran BACK towards the downed buildings to begin searching immediately for survivors. We witnessed churches around the country fill up with people and prayers. We saw organizations and groups from around the world assemble to raise money and supplies for the survivors, their families, and to support the rescue effort that went on and on while the world held its breath in hopeful anticipation that somewhere, somehow, someone would have survived the buildings' fall.

But most of all, we saw the world come together. We saw old, and new, allies rush to support and aid the wounded United States. We saw emails, websites, TV reports, news articles, blogs, etc all denouncing the evil acts that had been committed. Out of the terrible destruction of that day, arose some of humanity's finest hours.

It is my hope that as we move on, some still healing, some still searching, but all of us unable to forget, that we will build on the steps forged through the hardships and pain of those dark days. 9/11 may be seven years in the past, but the lessons we learned from those days should forever be in the present.

God bless America.

Sport Photography Photo Shoot

Recently our team captain, Jeremy Holm, was involved in a photo shoot with the talented Utah-based photographer Stephanie Hutto. Hutto is a renowned photographer who specializes in wedding, portrait, fashion, architecture, commercial, event, and landscape photography.

The shoot occurred around some beautiful office buildings located near the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Under Stephanie's careful eye, Jeremy let out his inner-Zoolander and the shots turned out pretty darn cool. But as Jeremy says, "It was all in the camera and the skill of Stephanie."

Hope you enjoy the photos!

Team Captain in Deseret News Vancouver 2010 article

Recently Team Holm Racing's team captain and driver, Jeremy Holm, was interviewed by journalist Dennis Romboy for Utah's Deseret News newspaper regarding travel expectations for the upcoming Vancouver, B.C. 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Here is a copy of the article originally published August 25, 2008. To read the original please click here.

Now that Beijing has bid the world zai jien, it's aboot time to brush up on your Canadian, eh?

The Olympics return to North America in 2010, specifically to Vancouver, British Columbia, a city only one time zone and 975 miles from 2002 Winter Games host Salt Lake City.

The countdown to Vancouver began as the Bird's Nest exploded in fireworks Sunday, closing the umbrella on the 2008 Summer Games. No more swimming, running and gymnastics. The Winter Games — think skating, skiing and sliding — are less than 18 months away.

"It will be here before we know it," said Salt Lake attorney Randy Dryer, a former Salt Lake Organizing Committee member.

Utahns have long since recovered from their Olympic hangover. But their proximity to Vancouver might give them cause to take off and party anew in the land of Mounties, maple leafs and Barenaked Ladies.

"I think the Olympic fever still exists, especially here in Utah," said Jeremy Holm, an American bobsledder and Morris Murdock Travel media relations manager.

"It's amazing to see how many people are watching the Beijing Olympics," he said. "I think it's going to be the same thing when Vancouver comes."

The Winter Games have a built-in fan base in Utah made up of thousands of 2002 volunteers and officials many of whom still don their Olympic jackets when the weather turns cold. Utahns also are big on winter sports as participants and spectators.

Murray resident Susan Kempff, who worked as a volunteer and luge official in 2002, already has Vancouver on her mind.

"I'm really excited about it. I'm really looking forward and hoping to go," she said, adding she'd like to be there as an official but maybe more as a spectator this time.

Having seen winter sports up close, she finds the Winter Olympics more appealing than the Summer. "Seeing it live is so much better than seeing it on TV," said Kempff, also an avid pin trader.

Statements like that bode well for local travel agencies. Salt Lake is "definitely going to have travel potential," Holm said.

Tourism British Columbia sees it that way, too. It's marketing campaign aimed at the West will hit TV and the Internet next spring. "That whole area is incredibly important to us," said Janice Greenwood-Fraser, travel-media specialist.

Besides being close to Vancouver, travelers won't face a language barrier or roundabout flights to the Great White North. All they'll need are tickets, which go on sale in October, and a tuque.

Morris Murdock intends to offer travel packages during the games as well as guided tours before and after, Holm said.

Utah not only will supply tourists to Vancouver but will be a competitor pipeline as well.

With its Olympic venues in Park City and Kearns, the state will play a key role for national and international athletes gearing up for gold-medal runs in 2010. Of the 200 U.S. athletes who competed in the 2006 Torino Games, 66 trained in the Beehive State.

"The interesting dynamic is us being, if you will, a stopping point on the way to Vancouver," said Colin Hilton, president of the Utah Athletic Foundation, which manages the state's Olympic facilities.

World Cup events in long- and short-track speedskating, freestyle skiing and bobsled and skeleton are planned for both 2008 and 2009.

Also, teams from around the world will create home bases in Utah in early 2010 to practice and make final preparations for the games, Hilton said.

Utah also has other connections to Vancouver.

Hilton estimates at least two dozen people who helped stage the Salt Lake Olympics work as consultants for the Vancouver Organizing Committee.

Fraser Bullock, former SLOC chief operating officer, serves on the International Olympic Committee's coordination commission, which keeps tabs on venue preparations. Also, former SLOC director of sport Cathy Priestner Allinger works as an executive vice president for VANOC.

The Darfur Crisis: Making a Difference

For the past few days I have found myself reading "Not On Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond" a book by actor Don Cheadle and activist John Prendergast. I've had the book now for a few months thanks to my joining Team Darfur, and although I wanted to continue to take an active part in all that Team Darfur and the Save Darfur group are doing to bring an end to the conflict, the book just sat on my shelf. I wear my Team Darfur wristband everyday, especially during training or when I'm at any event as an athlete. But still, the book sat on the shelf. But there was something about the haunting look in the little child's eyes on the cover of the book and I knew that I needed to sit down and read.

And I couldn't stop.


Since joining Team Darfur, I've had access to some incredibly eye-opening (and heartbreaking) photos, videos, statistics, articles, and reports about the tragedies occurring daily in the Sudan. I cannot imagine the horrors and fears that these people have to face everyday. Children who have to walk hundreds of miles carrying their baby brother because their parents were killed before their eyes. Mothers who must choose to let their families starve....or walk miles into the desert for firewood where they might be found by roving militias and murdered or raped. Just imagine, while we sit comfortably at our desks, imagine for a moment living in daily fear of having your village burned, the women raped and then enslaved, and the men and livestock killed and left to rot in the sun. If you're a parent, imagine having to watch your children shot, enslaved, or sometimes thrown into raging fires to burn alive.

It isn't a very pretty picture is it? The worst part about it is that it happens every day in Darfur.

I think that is why I couldn't stop reading "Not On Our Watch." It made me uncomfortable (there were plenty of times that I wanted to close the book) and I knew that the discomfort was my conscience calling for action. It is so simple for us to say, "Oh, I give money to the Red Cross" or "Darfur is so far away, what does it have to do with me?" or one of a million other conscience-soothing excuses we give to lull ourselves into a sort of mental security about our inaction.

Here are a couple of quotes to think about:

"Conviction is worthless unless it is converted into conduct." -- Thomas Carlyle

"You may think your actions are meaningless and that they won't help, but that is no excuse, you must still act." -- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

"All that is essential for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." -- Edmund Burke

So, what can we do about it? Team Darfur has compiled a wonderful list of actions that can be taken to help bring about an end to this conflict that has already destroyed hundreds of thousands of lives.

Although we get readers from all over the world, I'm betting most will recognize these words:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness..," one of the most famous phrases in the United States Declaration of Independence.

I think about the stories that I've read about the Darfur victims, about the families who are living in plastic boxes with tin roofs in the middle of the desert. I think about the children who kick rocks around the refugee camps because they have no other earthly possessions. I think of eight year old girls who become the mother for her three younger siblings because there is no one left in their family. I think of the humanitarian aid being blocked and/or stolen by corrupt government officials and the raiding parties.

I never thought I'd find myself as an activist. I'm not sure that is even the right phrase anyway. To me, while growing up an activist was a "tree-hugger" or slightly crazy hippie. They lived off of granola and ranted and raved about this that or the other.

But after reading all that I have about Darfur, I find myself asking: how can I not do something? Even if it isn't much, I have to do something. We all do. If not us, who? If not now, when? So I'm asking you, not as an athlete but as a fellow human being, let's do what we can. Again, Team Darfur has a great list of suggested actions to take.

Here is a list by country of what you can do.

To order a copy of "Not On Our Watch" click here.

If you're not sure what is occurring in Darfur at this time, please click here.

Again, you might not be able to change the world. But if every step you take, every act you make rescues just one life...didn't you just save their world?

The New Blog Layout

So, sure, it's summer and sometimes we struggle for stuff to write about on the blog! But this is something pretty big!

Ok, maybe not THAT big, but we decided that after a year and 60 posts, it was time to change the look of our team blog. Let's be honest, sometimes you just need change and with all the time I've had being bedridden and injured, I've had plenty of time to do it!

So we went for a cleaner and more simple look. White and blues for the snow and ice, of course with a sweet header thrown in for looks. We're still working on updating our links to other blogs (we lost them all when we updated) so if you have a blog that you'd like us to list, please email us and include a link to your blog.

Also, we'd love to hear your feedback about the blog's new look. We have a pretty simple poll running on the top right of the blog, but we'd love any additional thoughts you might have or suggestions. Just shoot us an email!

Thanks everyone!

What does it mean to be an Olympian

It doesn't take much for someone to change their opinion of you. One second you can just be another average person on the street, but the moment you tell them that you are involved in an Olympic sport, whether summer or winter, something changes in their eyes. They view you in a different light. Some immediately wonder if you are rich, others want an autograph, and still others want to know what you do for training or even if you allow yourself to eat ice cream.

It took me awhile to get used to this sort of attention, the way you could stop conversation in a room with a simple utterance of what sport you participate in. I was the shy kid in Junior High School, a bit more of a "nerd." Certainly not someone that you would imagine would participate in the winter sport of bobsledding, hurling himself down icy tracks at 80 MPH in a 1,400-pound fiberglass and steel missle. So participating in televised races, fundraisers with huge crowds, and speaking engagements for large groups all placed me in positions where I'd often be the center of attention.

All because I had an Olympic dream.

I spent a lot of time wondering what the big deal was. I confess, I never really watched the Olympics growing up. To me they were just another sporting event that, much like the Super Bowl, I couldn't understand why everyone got so excited about it.

But as the years went by I think I got, at least in part, what "the big deal" was.

When you grow up surrounded by world class athletes, you come to see that they are a very different type of people. They eat, sleep, and live their dreams. They sacrifice and pay the price with their blood, sweat, toil, and tears. Through hours and hours of monotonous training, despite injuries and setbacks, they push on towards the achievement of their goals. Common men and women who CHOOSE to become uncommon, all because they are willing to place it all on the line for the sake of even once chance, just one chance, to stand before the world, represent their country, and place their dreams on the line. All to see if maybe, just maybe, they can prove they are the best in the world.

What does it mean to be an Olympian, or Olympic hopeful, then?

Perhaps Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States said it best:

Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure...than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.

Why do people around the globe love the Olympics so much? Why are Olympians (past, present, and future) held in such high esteem?

Hope. I think it all boils down to hope.

Olympians (again, meaning past, present, and future ones) are full of hope. Hence the reason they are so often sought after as motivational speakers! But that optimism, that light, that unquenchable fire to dream rubs off onto the rest of the world and kindles, or in some cases rekindles, fires in the spirits of those who watch, meet, or read about these athletes and their triumphs.

As we feel their inner fires warm our own hearts, we begin to believe in our own hopes and dreams. We watch the Olympics and remember that the world really can live in peace, that men and women from different nations can come together on the field of sport, shake hands, and compete against each other without hate. We watch, and in their dreams we find the strength to pursue our own dreams. Their hope gives us hope and in the end, we believe.

Olympians, like the Olympic torch itself, light the way for individuals everywhere to find their own way in a world that sometimes seems dark through war, famine, and disaster. Their examples, their courage, and their dedication all point as evidence toward the simple fact that as human beings, when we choose to, we can rise above the mundane and truly achieve anything we put our minds to.

I think that is why I am so proud to be a member of Team Darfur, an international coalition of athletes committed to raising awareness about and bringing an end to the crisis in Darfur, Sudan. When I look at what the incredible Team Darfur athletes are doing around the world to end this conflict that affects a people that most of us have not and will never meet, I can't help but stand a bit taller to know that I am a part of it. It is something we have put our minds to with a hope that we can help end the suffering of our fellow man, raise him up with the hand of friendship, and stand shoulder to shoulder with him as he pursues his own life's goals.

As athletes, 130 of us signed a formal letter that was sent to the government of China asking for an Olympic Truce to be implemented during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. An Olympic Truce calls for the cessation of hostilities for a period before, during, and after the Olympic Games. Our Olympic Truce calls for China to intercede in the genocide occurring in Darfur that daily affects thousands of people in horrible ways that most of us can hardly fathom. While leaders from around the globe sat back behind the comforts of speeches, Team Darfur stepped forward to request China take responsibility in this matter.

This was an incredible risk to Team Darfur athletes, 70 of whom are now preparing to compete for their countries in the Games. While perhaps not in direct response to the letter, our co-founder Joey Cheek's visa to attend the Games was revoked without explanation. Now, knowing that, place yourself in the shoes of those 70 athletes who believe in Team Darfur enough to be willing to place their Olympic chances on the line.

Maybe, in the end, that is what Olympians really are. They're reminders that we all have a responsibility to live up to the potential within us. That we can't always sit back in our comfort zones, content with living our own lives. That sometimes we have to stand for something. That if we want to be great we have to do what needs to be done, not just what we want to do. We have to take risks. We must reach out beyond our limits, step into the darkness, and find the light we never knew we had and then share that light with others.

Perhaps that is why the world loves Olympians so much.

They are willing to share their light with the entire world and they brighten our lives because of it.

Healing, Hospitals, and Helpful Friends

Ok, ok, let me set the record straight. I'm not dead yet, I don't plan on passing on anytime soon, and yes, I still plan on bobsledding this upcoming season!

Although, I will say this: sometimes bad luck really DOES come in threes!

First it was my hamstring. That happened about two and a half weeks ago. Sure, it was something to worry about and physical. What athlete wouldn't be concerned when as you are sprinting you feel a wet "pop" in your thigh mid-way through your stride? Well, I made a semi-graceful collapse (only a few spots of road-rash) and after a few painful days of limping around, I was back on my feet and off to physical therapy. And I thought I was making progress there, as frustratingly slow as it was.

And then came bad luck number two: food poisoning.

Oh man, I may not have been dying (doctor's may disagree) but I sure had moments where I wanted to! Throw in your worse case of the flu with a fever from hell! For about four days I couldn't get any food or drink into my stomach and whatever I did get in ended up coming right back out. It got so bad that I ended up with a nice trip to the hospital for some fluids via IV (and a moron nurse who couldn't get the IV in right! Thanks for ruining BOTH arms lol).

So, bad enough right? I mean, now we're going on two weeks of no leg workouts due to the hamstring and then over half a week of no food and plenty of fever and throwing up. As an athlete, I was getting pretty worried at this point. Heck, I have trouble putting weight on as it is with my metabolism (remember, I'm in a weight-driven sport), and I can just feel my body melting away!

To add insult to injury, after my trip to the hospital I started feeling much better as far as the food poisoning was concerned. But then I started to develop a pain in my chest right about where the sternum ends. I could tell it was right about at the entrance to my stomach, and it got worse and worse. The only thing I can think to describe it as is like heart-burn from hell. It was usually ok until I ate or drank something and the food hit that painful point and BAM, I was on the floor.

After two days of this (because I was stupid to wait two days) I found myself on a late-night ride to a hospital up near Afton, Wyoming where my family's cabin is. This was last Saturday night. I kept wondering if it was going to be one of those small town hospitals where the doctor goes from working on a sick horse to working on you next. Thankfully it wasn't that bad, but he did come to the conclusion that I had torn a part of my stomach due to all the throwing up I had been doing.

So here I find myself, like ten pounds lighter, with a sore stomach and hungry as all get out. Thankfully the medication is helping and each day I'm able to eat a bit more and more. I can't say that I haven't gotten discouraged or frustrated and thrown my hands in the air and shouted...well, I probably can't write some of the things I've shouted. But I'm on the mend and am trying to put together a good fitness plan to get my body back on track as soon as possible. That's the goal.

So thank you everyone who has been praying for me or who drove me to the hospital (Elissa and Don) or expressed their concern and best wishes over the past week and a half.

Don't worry. I'll be behind the steering ropes one way or another. I may not be able to run as fast or as far at first, but I'll be there.

Bobsled Workout iTunes Playlist 2

So, a little while ago we put together a playlist of some of our favorite workout songs. Well, we had a lot of feedback about how great it was, but since you couldn't really hear the songs it was only "nice" and not "awesome!"

In answer to your requests, here it is, a Bobsled workout playlist that you can actually listen to! Enjoy!

The Sports Injury List

So after 8 years in the sport, I find myself with my first really dumb injury. I wish I could say I had a cool story behind it, but no, just a stupid training incident that has left me with a Grade 2 strained/pulled hamstring.

Yesterday Don, one of our team pushers/brakeman, and I were practicing some squats, power cleans, front squats, and such in order to better prepare ourselves for a fitness test that is being administered at the Utah Olympic Oval on Saturday morning by our regional development coach. So, after going through the squats we wanted to go practice some sprints at the Cottonwood High School track nearby. No big deal, right? We arrived, set up the cones, and ran through a few sprints with no problems.

And then it happened.

Its my own fault really. I should have stretched out even more and then been more careful when sprinting, but my mind wasn't totally focused so my form was off a bit. As I began to lengthen my strides out a bit, I stepped down on my heel instead of the ball of my foot. This put immediate back pressure on my muscles and then as I tried to pull my body over that planted foot in the natural sprinting motion, POP, out goes my hamstring.

And when I say pop, I mean POP. I felt something pop in my leg, I took one more step, and collapsed....rather ungracefully I might ad. But hey, at least I only ended up with a few road-rash marks!

All I can say is that the pain was pretty intense. Well, at least it was when I tried to stretch out my leg. As long as I remained in the "I'm helpless" fetal position with my leg bent and my arms wrapped around it, I was fine. When Don tried to help me back to car, I almost collapsed a couple of times. And then driving home was definitely a chore since I couldn't straighten my leg, I had to move my car seat way up close to the pedals.

A lot of things go through your mind when you're laying there on the ground with an injury like that. Am I going to need surgery? How bad is it? How long will I bet out? How long until I can get back to my sport? Do I need medical assistance? etc etc. It all flashes through your mind in an instant.

I guess, as that all went through my mind, I felt a measure of peace from knowing that I've had a great career, I've got a great team to support, and I'm still young enough to recover and not have permanent damage.

So, with all that in mind, I'm just asking a favor of all those who believe in it to pray for a full and speedy recover so that I can get back out there with my friends and teammates. And thank you to all of you who have been so supportive in the short few hours since the injury occurred.

All I can say is this: stupid hamstring injuries!

Best wishes all!

Why I'm Proud to be an American

I know it may seem a bit ritualistic or sappy, but I don't care. In preparation for this 4th of July holiday weekend, I've been thinking a lot lately about why I'm proud, indeed grateful even, to be an American.

I know there are plenty of people in the world who hate us because we are "arrogant, ignorant Americans." I've faced that particular attitude a few times while traveling around the world.

But I wish those people could see what our country really is about.

Ever since I was a little kid, running around playing G.I.Joe, I learned about the history of the United States. I mean, when you stop and think about the events that brought about the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Revolutionary War, it is pretty incredible. It saddens me that there aren't that many public Pledges of Allegiance to the Flag anymore. In some ways, society has almost made it seem "kooky" or "silly" to be a Patriot.

I remember that as a Boy Scout (yes, I got my Eagle Scout award finally) we were taught to honor and respect the Stars and Stripes. We carefully folded it when needed or carried it with solemnity whenever we had a "flag ceremony" and "posted the colors." It always made me think of all the soldiers like my grandfather and my father who put their lives on the line in order to defend the very freedoms that Old Glory represents. I don't think I'll ever forget my trips to The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington National Cemetary, Gettysburg, the Vietnam Memorial, or even to an old World War II bomber plane crash here in Utah that we would visit annually where five airmen died during a routine flight.

But it isn't just the bravery and might of our military. No, although much of the world sees us a bullying warmongers, I wish they could look deeper at the people of this nation. I wish they could see the group of teenagers who volunteer at the local childrens' hospital each month or the dentist who flies himself to Honduras to perform free dental work for the poor. I wish they could see the farmer who helps his neighbor finishing plowing the field because it is getting late in the season or the two little kids on the street corner selling badly mixed lemonade because they want to make their own money to buy a toy at the store. I wish our critics could see all the churches full on Sunday or the family bbqs on Saturday. I wish they could see the volunteers who package food for shipments to those left homeless in China by the earthquakes or the teacher who stays after school to help a struggling student. The list just goes on and on. To all those who preach their "hate the Great Satan, the United States" speeches, I say very clearly to you: You don't know us at all.

The greatest part about all those things I just mentioned is that we as Americans are free to choose to do them. No one forces us. We have no king to worship or emperor to obey to the death. We are truly free to become as great and as giving and as memorable as we want our lives to be. Heck, because of that freedom 130 of us athletes signed a petition to the Chinese government asking for an Olympic truce this year!

I love this country. Sure, we've got issues. We've got things we can improve. There's plenty of crime, dishonesty, greed, immorality, and enough frivilous lawsuits to last a lifetime, but there is still so much GOOD. I've been so lucky to meet so many wonderful Americans during my life, whether is was through school, work, church service, social scenes, or athletic pursuits. People who are so caring, so hard working, so compassionate, so friendly, and so genuinely great.

All these things, and more, make me proud to be an American. So, why did I bring all this up on our bobsled team's blog? Because it is for all these reasons that I am proud to be an American athlete.

I'll never forget the first time I stood atop a medal's podium while the National Anthem of the United States was played. It was a cold night in Lake Placid, New York. I admit it, yes, I teared up a bit as the medal was placed around our neck, and then my teammate and I got to place our hands over our hearts as that great song blasted over the loudspeakers. Nothing beats wearing a United States of America uniform. Nothing beats representing this country in one of the greatest sports in the world. But every time I put on something that says "USA" I try to remember what the US Hockey Team coach Herb Brooks once said: "The name on the front is a hell of a lot more important than the name on the back."

God bless America. Have a great 4th of July everyone!

Macintosh and Pixar Steve Jobs Speech

Its not very often that we hear great speeches anymore. Throughout my life, in sport and outside it, I have greatly enjoyed reading the stirring words of some of history's greatest men: Churchill, Reagan, Roosevelt, King, Benson, Mandela, Wayne, and so forth. Whether or not you agree with what they said, the courage it took to voice their opinions, even when it was unpopular to do so, leaves each of us with a very important responsibility: do likewise.

Before training sessions or races, whenever possible, I try to follow the habit of watching a personally motivating movie or video that helps get my mind focused and my "heart" fired up for the ice. One of my favorite's is "The Legend of Bagger Vance" with Will Smith and Matt Damon. In the film, Smith's character, Bagger, says something that has stuck with me ever since I first heard it. He says:

"Yep... Inside each and every one of us is one true authentic swing... Somethin' we was born with... Somethin' that's ours and ours alone... Somethin' that can't be taught to ya or learned... Somethin' that got to be remembered... Over time the world can, rob us of that swing... It get buried inside us under all our wouldas and couldas and shouldas... Some folk even forget what their swing was like..."

I've been bobsledding since 1997 and I've seen quite possibly over a hundred athletes come and go from the sport. They come for fame, for glory, for money, for popularity, for thrills, over for any of a dozen other reasons. But the ones who stay do so because they truly love the sport just for the sake of the sport. It isn't about money or seeing their name in print or even so much for the sake of a gold medal. True bobsledders, I've found, have a couple things in common, and this quote and Mr. Jobs' speech pretty much lay it out.

But it goes beyond sport. In fact, I think it rolls over into every aspect of our lives. If you're willing to still dream, no matter how old you are, and then if you're willing to work for it and not let society or the expectations of others get in the way, and just be yourself, then you really can be anything you want.

From what I've seen, I think that is what really inspires people about the Olympics. For those two weeks, every two years the world watches their athletes and believes. They start to believe in their own dreams, the ones they started to forget when "the real world" stepped in. You know, the goals that they started to let slip away when the bills started to come in or the injuries happened or the first few times they "failed." But during the Olympics, that spark reappears, that "What if?" mentality.

I hope that as you watch this speech you'll take a moment to think about your own "What if's?" and then act on them.

As Walt Disney once said:

"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths"

My friends, don't let the hard knocks of life keep you from moving forward.

"Mexican Bobsled"

Not that this is any of us or any of our US athletes, it is still good for a laugh! Do not try this at home is all we can say!

What NOT To Do in Turn 6

As we have been working on redesigning our team website lately, I found myself digging through all the bobsled photos the other day and came across this image from a couple years ago.

Shot by an old photographer friend Rachel Wickern-Henderson, this image was a once-in-a-lifetime capture. She came up with us one night during a training session and while sitting down in Turn 6 on the Park City track she was able to take this eye-stopping photograph. Afterwards when we were going through the images she had taken, everyone who saw this one usually gave a "whoa" or "geeze."

While it is generally better to be higher in the turns of a bobsled track, this was a tad bit too high. You can be sure that Winston and his brakeman had to do some serious sanding after this one. But it sure made for a great shot! Please enjoy and if you want to see more of Rachel's incredible photography, just click on her name above.

Bobsled Workout iTunes Music

Well, the sun is finally out on a consistent basis here in Salt Lake City, Utah, so that means that its time for everyone to head outside for jogging, walking, biking, hiking, roller-blading, or whatever your exercise activity of choice may be. We're obviously big proponents of staying in shape, so of course we're going to invite you to exercise regularly. Yes, you heard us right, get up from the computer and throw on some tennis shoes and enjoy the fresh air...after you finish reading this post, that is.

To help you get the blood pumping, we thought we'd put together a list of music that we've titled Team Holm Bobsled's iTunes Workout Mix. And to make it easy for you, we've even linked them directly to iTunes so all you have to do is click on them, listen and see if you like them too, and then just load them onto your iPod.

Gosh, aren't we just so helpful? Now you don't have any excuses to not go running now, right?

1. "Eye of the Tiger" by (come on, its required on ANY workout list)
2. "Gifts and Curses" by Yellowcard
3. "Pump It" by the Black Eyed Peas
4. "Lose Yourself" by Eminem
5. "Fighting" by Yellowcard
6. "Boom" by P.O.D.
7. "Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence
8. "First Date" by Blink 182
9. "Ojos Asi" by Shakira
10. "Stand" by Rascal Flatts
11. "Action" by Cashis Clay
12. "War/Fanfare" from Rocky IV soundtrack
13. "Nod Ya Head" by Will Smith
14. "What I've Done" by Linkin Park
15. "Kryptonite" by 3 Doors Down

PS- If you'd like a copy of our "iSlide" image, just email us.

Fire and Ice: Orem, UT Firefighter 5k Fundraiser

So this past weekend Team Holm Racing had the opportunity to help out our local fire department raise some funds for the Timpanogos Regional Hospital.

Not only did we participate in the morning's 5k race (our fearless team captain/driver Jeremy Holm pulled off about a 24 minute run) but pusher/future team driver Brad Welch and Jeremy entertained race participants and supporters by demonstrating the ins and outs of bobsled. The team brought the flame-job painted (appropriate for the day!) two-man sled as well as a table full of bobsled equipment: helmet, shoes, uniforms, bobsled runners, medals, and gloves. They also passed out autographs, pictures, posters, business cards, and postcards.

"We had a blast," Jeremy said. "It was great to run the race with that many people, even though I'm only used to running 50-meters on ice and jumping in the sled! But to take part in such a great cause is always a good way to start the day. Plus, it is always fun to be out there sharing our sport with the general population. So hopefully we were able to ad a certain level of entertainment and excitement to the fundraiser and help the fire department and the hospital have a successful event."

If you have a fundraiser, church function, social gathering, or business event that you would like Team Holm Racing to attend, please contact us.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words (or dollars)

As many of you know, Team Holm Bobsled had a very memorable Easter Sunday this year.

You can click here to read the full story, but the short and sweet of it is that we had the incredible opportunity of participating in a special photo shoot at the Park City bobsled track with Getty Images under the talented direction of Stephen Schauer.

And now, after waiting patiently (and some days not so patiently, we're like kids waiting for Christmas), the results are in. And to be honest, they are simply breathtaking.

After nearly eight years in the sport, to see yourself and your teammates captured in images like these, well...it is a feeling that's hard to describe. I guess you could say that it is one of those achievements that make all the sacrifices, all the hard work, all the discouragements, and all the cold nights spent on the ice worth it.

Enjoy the photos posted below and be sure to leave us some comments on what you think! And be sure to check back in a couple of days when we post some more images! We just ask that out of respect for Getty Images that you do not download these images in any form.

Most Embarrassing Moments #2

This post is a reprint of an earlier entry (originally posted 12/21/07), but I think it is totally appropriate considering we're on our "Most Embarrassing Moments" kick right now! So, courtesy of our team member Don Osmond, please enjoy!



"As Jeremy mentioned, I had my first experience bobsledding this week – what a rush! At it all began on the drive up to the Olympic Park…

I met up with Jeremy at his office in SLC with a massive grin, impossible to hide. We jumped in his truck, bobsled in back, and made our way to Park City. The ride up, I kept asking questions and Jeremy provided the advice. The night was a little cold, but I was just excited to be on my way.

After getting changed into something a little less wind resistant – spandex – it was time to get ready for the ride of my life. (I'll be honest, spandex is a little uncomfortable to be wearing in public. Good thing everyone else at the track was wearing something similar. "When in Rome…")

After getting some quick last minute pointers and watching some of the "skely's" (skeleton riders) race down the track, it was my turn. The adrenalin was already kicking in, and I was having a difficult time maintaining composure – totally excited.

I started the count off… "Back set!"

"Front set!" Jeremy responded in cadence. "Ready, GO!!!"

I began pushing that sled as hard as I could, and just started running. About five seconds down the track, I jumped in, ducked under and held on… for what was going to be an unforgettable, yet unrememberable, ride of my life.

As the bobsled started to gain speed, I could feel my body being pushed into the back of my seat. With every turn, the pressure seemed to increase. The intensity of the speed and the sharpness of each turn jarred me back and forth in the sled. Two thirds of the way down there is a minor drop in the track that causes momentary weightlessness.

Then, black out.

The next thing I remembered, Jeremy was frantically hitting me to wake me up. I had to pull the brakes. Coming to, I was disoriented and had no idea what was going on. We had passed the point where I'm supposed to brake, and we were quickly nearing the end of the track where a snow bank awaited to stop runaway sleds.

Subconsciously, I grabbed the brakes and pulled as hard as I could. At the same time, Jeremy steered the sled into the wall so as to help slow us down. We stopped just as we entered the snow bank.

Within seconds, Jeremy jumped out of the bobsled and began asking me questions and telling me to get out. I don't recall much, because I was still trying to acclimatize myself to my surroundings. (You can ask Jeremy more about the specifics, because I know I was not being very responsive.)

From there, we got the sled out of the track and I finally regained my composure.

In short, aside from having an absurd rush of adrenalin, pulling a couple G's, blacking out and nearly wrecking Jeremy's bobsled; I had a blast!!

I just hope Jeremy will trust me again sometime to do it again!"

Most Embarrassing Moments #1

Ok, we got some good feedback from our "Crazy Bobsledding Exercises" post so we decided to move forward with Team Holm Bobsled's most embarrassing moments stories. And since it was my idea, I guess I'll go first! Me and my big mouth....

So, this happened back in the 1997-1998 season (before we looked as good as we do now). Back then, the Park City track did their passenger ride program with regular four-man bobsleds, not the modified ones that they are using now. These sleds needed a driver and a brakeman, which was part of my job description. I should mention that I was working for the USBSF (our national governing body) at the time and they ran the passenger program so I divided my time between playing brakeman for the sleds and helping passengers load into the sleds and prepare to go.

Well one night I was just assigned the task of helping customers get the right sized helmets and then load into the sled properly. The great part about this is that I got to socialize with the clients and help get them excited for the ride. And then, once they were properly loaded into the sled, we would pull out the pushbars and give them a full push down the start ramp.

There's only one, minor catch to this whole situation: stopping. No, not the sled. I mean us, the pushers!

Have you ever tried to stop on ice while sprinting down a 50-meter ramp at full speed? And at the time I didn't even have my fancy bobsledding shoes with their 300+ spikes on each foot. No, back then all I had were my trusty (yet almost useless) sprinter track spikes with 8 spikes on each foot. Man, when you let go of that sled, you were doing everything you could to just stay on the spikes and not your heel, because once those spikes left the ice, you would would go down hard! Some of the pushers actually got to the point to where they would just fall down on purpose and slide to a stop down in Turn 1.

But not me, and definitely not this night that I'm talking about. There was a rather large group of passengers gathered at the top of the track and they were cheering us on, telling us to push faster and faster! Being ever-so-willing to oblige, we started pushing full-speed (which as you can imagine only made stopping that much more difficult).

And to make matters worse, there were a couple of cute girls in the crowd, so being teenage guys, we decided we'd try to show off. Ah, it just reminds me of that saying, "Pride cometh before the fall."

So on one of the pushes, we really ran it deep. I'm talking way past the point that I would have jumped into the sled as a driver. We just dug deep and then gave it one last shove before letting it go. We could even hear the crowd cheering us from the start area, congratulating us for our efforts.

Well, the euphoric feeling lasted about two steps. On the third one, my spikes slipped on the ice and my heel came down (remember, no spikes there) and the next thing I knew, my feet went up into the air almost higher than my head and my arms went out to my sides in an effort to catch myself. But alas, it was no good.

I came crashing down on my back so hard it knocked the breath out of me! My arms came crashing down onto the ice and I hit my watch so hard that it broke! In that wonderful spread-eagle position I continued my downward motion and slide down into the middle of Turn 1.

With a groan, I pulled myself to my feet, gathered up the pieces of my watch, and began the "Walk of Shame" back up to the start area amidst the applause of my coworkers and the crowd. I don't think I looked up once during that whole walk back up the start ramp. When I got there, my coach just smiled, slapped me on the back, and told me "I think you actually bounced on that one."

Ah, memories.... Thank goodness YouTube didn't exist back then!

Stay tuned for more postings about our most embarrassing bobsled moments where we'll further embarrass ourselves for your reading pleasure!

Obscure Exercises

So after 8 years in the sport and having worked with numerous trainers (a.k.a. Drill Sergeants in disguise), I thought it would be a bit entertaining to list some of the more....creative exercises that some of my trainers, coaches, and fellow athletes have made me do.

1. Run up the K-120 Nordic Jumping Hill - Yes, you're vision is quite blurry once you reach the top!



2. Push a car across the parking lot - Hey, with gas prices the way they are nowadays, maybe it isn't such a bad idea?



3. Football Fumble - Basically the trainer drops the football, you let it bounce once, and then chase after it. Perfect for entertaining everyone else but the victim.



4. Tennis Court Net Jump - Gives us some fresh air (and we get to watch the girls playing tennis).



5. Reverse Hamstring Curls - I don't even know how to explain this one! I'll try to get a picture of it up here soon. But basically you take the calve-raise machine and load it up with weight. Then you get in front of the machine and hook your feet into the cushions and lean forward until your legs give out. Your partner pushes you back up and you start again. Hurts? Oh ya. Effective? Incredibly.

6. Running Down the Bobsled Track - I think it was meant to be some sort of twisted speed drill (and knee killer). That's 8/10ths of a mile while dropping 400 feet!



7. Stair Jumping (with 45-pound weights) - Oh, it is easy. Just hold a 45-pound weight straight-armed in front of you, then frog jump up six flights of stairs without letting the weight drop. Three times.



Don't worry, we'll keep adding some more crazy exercises throughout the summer! And some better pics! But stay tuned because next time we'll be adding some of our most embarrassing bobsled moments!

Team Holm Heads to BYU

Just a quick announcement for all you Utah-Valley dwellers:

Team Holm Racing will be on the BYU campus Saturday May 17th, 2008 from 7am until, well...we're not sure WHAT time we'll be done on Saturday! But we'll be out there at the UHSAA US Bank State Track Championships 2008 with two bobsleds and a few skeleton athletes doing some athlete recruiting for next season's developmental programs!

So if you're in the area, come stop by and say hi! Just come look for us outside the track and field complex on the north-west corner of the BYU campus!

See you there!

Race for the Cure

Last Saturday (May 10th) I had the incredible opportunity to participate in the Susan G. Komen "Race for the Cure" held in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. Oh sure, it was only a 5k (3.1 miles) race, but the whole experience was unforgettable.

After staying up until about midnight Friday night to load some new tunes onto my iPod, I got up at 6am to get ready and get downtown to the Gateway Mall and find parking. Turned out to be easier than I thought, so I just sat in my car for about 40 minutes until it was time to meet my coworkers in Gateway itself. After waiting for the last stragglers to arrive, we headed towards the starting line to join the masses.

The crowd was huge! An estimated 17,000 survivors and supporters took part in the morning run. As I stepped up towards the huge balloon arch that represented the starting line, I couldn't help but look around at all the enthusiastic faces. Though some looked more somber than others, usually the ones with a "I'm racing in memory of..." tag on their back, the general feeling of the crowd was one of support, encouragement, and purpose.

During the race itself, it was both thrilling, and heart-wrenching, to glance at the tag's fastened to the back of the runner's ahead of me. I quickly noticed that there were two versions: one that was "in memory of" and the other said "racing in celebration of." Perhaps the most exciting part of it all was to see how many pink-shirted survivors there were mixed in with the crowd. Although I found myself focusing on the music from my iPod and trying hard not to crash into someone for the first mile until the crowd began to thin out, I also couldn't help but let my eyes wander from tag to tag. You almost wanted to reach out to each person and say "I'm sorry for your loss" or "Tell your aunt that I wish her the best with her treatments."

I've watched my little sister, Linnea, race in several marathons and I can know better understand why she loves it so much! Not that I think I'll ever be crazy enough to run 26.2 miles (hey, remember in bobsledding we only have to run 50-meters and then jump in the sled!), but I am looking towards doing some more 5ks over the summer.

Overall, the experience was amazing and I am so glad that I took part. And I guess, when it really comes down to it, that is what makes life so incredible, that we all have the power to do something with our lives, to take part in great causes, big or small. So now that you've read my post about Saturday's race, here's my question for you: what are you going to do today to make a difference in the life (or lives) of someone else?

Team Darfur Needs Your Help

Photo by:Lauren Bush, Team Darfur



As many of you know, a few weeks ago I was asked to join Team Darfur, an international coalition of athletes who have bonded together to do whatever is in our power to end the suffering that exists in the Sudan.

Now, the children of Darfur need our help. On Monday, Sudanese government bombers killed seven children in their school, and six other innocent people who were shopping at the local market. The school was sponsored by Team Darfur's partner organization, Darfur Peace and Development, and we have featured children just like those killed in our Children's Stories Project.

The surviving children need protection from the bombings. I'm hoping you'll join with me in helping to spread the word that for the next week 100% of online donations to Team Darfur will go directly to Darfur Peace and Development's Darfur Schools Project. This money will help rebuild the bombed school and will enable other innocent Darfuri children get an education despite the terrible violence. Please encourage your family, friends, and coworkers to visit www.TeamDarfur.org/donate.

Thank you for helping us, your world athletes, take a stand to end the suffering and violence and bring peace to the children of the Sudan.