Smile for the Camera #2!

Ok everyone! Here are a few more photos from our Getty Images photo shoot! Again, these pics are courtesy of Amy Uratsu, so thank you Amy!

Smile for the Camera!

Dear all,

Here are some of the candid shots taken during Easter-Sunday's photo shoot with Getty Images. These images are courtesy of Getty's lovely Amy Uratsu. Thank you, Amy! We will also have some up on our team's homepage after the weekend, www.TeamHolmBobsled.com.

We will post some more pictures tomorrow once we get them edited down to size, so be sure to check back! Also, Amy was kind enough to provide us with some KILLER video as well. We're going to shrink the file sizes down a little bit and then get them posted. They are awesome, so we will let you all know when we get them ready.

Enjoy!

One of The Best Days Ever

On occasion there comes into our lives a day that is so touching and so powerful that we can never forget it.

Easter Sunday of 2008 was a day just like that for our team.

As we have mentioned in previous postings, our team was selected to participate in a special photo shoot at the Utah Olympic Park that was organized by world-renowned Getty Images (www.gettyimages.com). As athletes it was the greatest of honors to be selected to represent our sport for this project. For weeks leading up to the "Big Day" we were like kids waiting for Christmas to come.

And we were not disappointed when the day finally arrived.

Our day began early as we had to be up at the track at 8am for casting calls. While Don, Matt, and Brad worked to get the sleds up to the top, I put my special ice walking covers on and started hiking. I began at the finish line and walked up the 8/10ths of a mile-long Park City track, climbing 400 vertical feet in the process. Since I had heard the ice conditions had deteriorated considerably during our time off, I wanted to do what we call a track-walk so I could inspect it first hand. By doing this I could remember where the rough spots were and where the dangerous sections were so that when I drove our sled down the track I could avoid them.

Well, I got to the top and found Matt Griff and Tracey Anderson, our two skeleton athletes, were getting their equipment ready. Also, my friends Joe Sisson and Nick Vieneau, who would be our two-man team for the shoot, were there as well. We all sat around the start house eating a wonderful breakfast provided by Getty and signed the required paperwork for the shoot.

I need to pause a moment and say that from the moment we first met them, the entire crew from Getty Images was truly a pleasure to work with. They were all incredibly nice and so easy to work with. You could tell that they were very, very good at what they did as photographers and producers and assistants, etc. But to the last team member, they were so professional and courteous to each and every one of us. By the end of the day we were no longer athletes and photography crew.

We were friends.

Well, after breakfast we began our first runs down the track. Getty set up their equipment in Turn 14 and so Matt went first, then Tracey, then Joe and Nick, then our four-man team. We did this in order for three runs down the track and then they asked our team to go down a fourth time. It was incredible to drive down the track with all the shades that normally cover the turns were open. The sun was brilliant yesterday and as we roared through Turn 14 I could see all the photographers sitting there clicking away. After this fourth run we all took a break for a tasty catered lunch at the starthouse. During lunch we took time to get to know the Getty crew a bit more and they showed us some of the pictures they had taken from Turn 14. To the last athlete, we just stood there in awe at the incredible images that they had taken of us going down the track. In a way, I think it made all of us stand back and remember just how cool our sports really are. We kind of take them for granted since they are just common-place to us. But to see ourselves coming down the track and digitally captured by these artists definitely struck home.

After lunch we did some still shots on the start ramp. It was pretty cool, the Getty crew set up a black backdrop and we pulled the sled in front of it. In a way, this was one of the hardest parts of the day as we were in the shade with a breeze blowing so we were pretty cold the whole time.

But we all did this. We posed next to our sleds like we were pushing down the ramp, varying our positions slightly here and there. Then we pretended that we were loading into the sled, and then finally we all sat inside the sled and pretended we were going down the track. Muscles ached and burned from having to hold the same position for so long, but I can't express how excited we are to see the final shots! Again, the Getty crew were great to work with during this whole portion of the day, very patient with us.

After us came the skeleton athletes and then the two-man crew and then the Getty crew had to pack up and rush down to Turn 11 so we could get our final moving shots before the end of the day. By this time the sun was beating mercilessly down on the ice in some of the open turns and I could feel it as we went down our final two times for the season. Especially in our second to last run when the exit of 14 had become slush and actually pulled our sled's nose up instead of letting us come out smooth, so we had a bit of a flop out of there. But other than that, the runs were really good and our final push was a 5.68! Not too bad! And all but our first run were in the mid to low 51 second range! If we had run on better ice and had better runners, we would have been in the 50's every time! Still though, we were all so excited about what we accomplished that day.

After our final runs we went back up to the top for some heartfelt goodbyes and some fun pictures with all the crew and all the athletes. Afterwards we all packed up our gear, bid the track a fond farewell until next season, and headed our separate ways.

Despite all the setbacks we encountered this past season, despite the personal concerns we all had about our abilities and our futures in the sport (natural for any athlete, right?), and despite any obstacles others placed in our paths to try and keep us from succeeding, this photo shoot was the ultimate consumation of our hopes and dreams this season. Just when we were ready to give up and call the season over, the shoot fell into our laps and it was truly one of the greatest experiences I personally have ever had in my 8 years in the sport.

It reminds me of a Latin saying that I recently ran across that has helped me whenever something seems to stand in the way of my goals:

Aut viam inveniam aut faciam

It means "I'll either find a way or make one."

Sometimes it isn't about how many medals you've won or how many sponsors you have. Yesterday was a day where we got to spend it with our friends doing what we love, surrounded by individuals with incredible talent and personalities.

Thank you to all the athletes, track crew for all their hard work and a huge thank you to the Getty Images crew for allowing us to take part in this incredible experience.

I couldn't think of a better way to spend Easter or to end the season.

Classroom Visit: A Little Child Shall Lead Them

I have a new respect for teachers.



Yesterday I had the opportunity to be a guest speaker at a junior high school located in the Murray area and I have to say, I had a blast. However, I definitely gained a greater understanding for what teachers have to go through everyday.

While the kids were a blast to be with, I learned that their attention span is about 7 minutes long. Anything you say after that just floats into the air as "blah, blah, blah."

Now that isn't to say that I didn't try. I mixed in a good amount of bobsled videos, props (i.e. my training gear and medals), and some online stuff from our team website, www.teamholmbobsled.com. And I think it worked, until I started to talk about the importance of college and deciding what they wanted to do in life. At that point I lost about half of them. But what was really interesting to me was the fact that the other half really perked up at that point. It was this half who knew what they wanted to do and were eager to talk about it. Doctors, dentists, police officers, authors, rockstars, soldiers, etc. You could see the passion in their eyes and how firmly believed that they would become what they wanted to be. And to me, that made the whole experience worth it.

We talked about what they wanted to become and then set out some goals on how they would go about becoming a doctor or a dentist or how they were going to fulfill a lifelong dream of driving a tank (pretty original, you have to admit). It was very refreshing to see their hope and enthusiasm for their dreams that we worked to turn into solid goals. It is my hope that they take that enthusiasm and apply it toward their goals in a constructive manner. You could see it on their faces, at least those who were really paying attention at that point: those who would succeed at their goals were those who wanted it bad enough to work for them.

I can't think of a better lesson than that.

We're ready for our close-up....

We just wanted to post this press release that we sent out about our incredible photo shoot opportunity that we mentioned in the previous post:

Utah Bobsled Athletes Immortalized by Getty Images

Team Holm Bobsled selected for exclusive photo shoot.

Mar 18, 2008 – SALT LAKE CITY—Following the successes of the 2007/2008 season, Team Holm Bobsled, a Utah-based United States bobsled team, has been selected by world-renowned Getty Images to participate in a special photo shoot at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City on March 23.

"We've been very successful this season, but to be immortalized by Getty is a dream come true," said Jeremy Holm, team captain and driver of Team Holm Bobsled. "I can't think of a better way to finish a full season of hard-work, dedication and sacrifice. We will remember, and be proud of this for the rest of our lives."

This season, Team Holm Bobsled was awarded first place twice in both local and regional competitions. The team has also medaled in years past during various competitions.

The photo shoot will involve athletes in still and action shots portraying both two-man and four-man bobsleds; skeleton and luge athletes will also participate in photos.

"The 2010 Winter Olympic Games are coming up, and it's our dream is to compete in front of the eyes of the world," said Holm. "This is one step toward fulfilling that dream; it will be both amazing and intimidating."

The pictures will be added to Getty's immense stock photo library and made available for various uses including magazines, newspapers, Web sites, etc.

# # #

About Team Holm Racing:
Team Holm Racing has competed in bobsled races on the national and international level and has been awarded 6 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 1 bronze, with 11 top-ten finishes.

And there it is! A little shameless self-promotion never hurt anyone, right? :)

Good Things Come....

We've all heard the saying "Good Things Come to Those Who Wait."

Well, sometimes good things come to those who receive a less than favorable outcome on obtaining their end of the season track time.

After having our last three days of training canceled at the last minute, we are proud to be able to announce some incredible news. We hinted about it in our last blog entry, but since the decision hadn't been finalized just yet, we didn't feel comfortable saying anything until it was settled.

And now it is.

Team Holm Bobsled is proud to announce that they have been selected to participate in a special photo shoot at the Utah Olympic Park bobsled course on March 23rd. The photo shoot is being run by Getty Images, the world-renowned photography collection company.

According to Getty Image's website, www.gettyimages.com:

Today, gettyimages.com serves an average of 3.2 billion thumbnails, 7.3 million visits and 4 million unique users in addition to an average of 175 million page views each month.

As athletes we dream of competing before the eyes of the world, but through this photo shoot our sport, our team, and our very images will be THE image of bobsled for years to come. The pictures taken during the shoot will be added to Getty's immense stock photo library for magazines, newspapers, TV stations, websites to purchase all over the world. And with the 2010 Winter Olympic Games coming up, it will be a thrill to see how many times our pictures are purchased, printed, and posted across the globe!

Words cannot properly express how honored we are as a team to participate in this project. After a full season of hard work, sacrifice, and dedication, the 23rd will mark the perfect ending to our 2007-2008 year. Indeed, as we have talked amongst ourselves about it, this opportunity is something that we will remember, and be proud of, for the rest of our lives.

As this very opportunity teaches, even when obstacles seem to stand impossibly and impassibly in your path, just be patient and keep believing.

The bright lights and the red carpets are just around the corner.

May I see some I.D.?

I've been getting the question a lot lately about what we do during the summertime as bobsled athletes. I think the common misconception is that we just sit around and relax all through the hot summer months and attend parties and take vacations.

Well, that's half true. But the other half is where the real work comes into play.

Throughout the summer we have some incredible plans and goals as a team. Of course we have the general goals of increasing our strength and speed for our pushing abilities, but we also have some specific plans as well. A few of us are going to be working with TOSH at the Utah Olympic Oval to better perfect our sprinting technique. This is going to be a blast to work with the TOSH crew and we'll be sure to post some pictures of it.

We are also planning a trip to Calgary in July to do some practicing at the Ice House, a facility built next to the bobsled track where teams can go and practice their push and loads. I can't decide if this will be more work or more play. Probably a good combination of both, so we'll be sure to have some fun posts about this as well.

Another plan involves heading to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs sometime in either June or August. I'm not sure who all will be going on this one, but it is going to be an incredible opportunity to work with some of the trainers and nutritionists out there at the Center.

As you can see, there will be plenty to do during the off-season, including all our regular working out and sprint training. Plus the norms of life such as careers, social lives, other hobbies, etc.

So where does the title of this post come in to play?

Most of the time when you go to pay for something with anything other than cash, you get asked the question "May I see some I.D.?" Well, what most people don't know about bobsledding is that it is the second most expensive sport in the Olympics, second only to Equestrian. And contrary to popular belief, as athletes we pay for a lot of our training, travel, and equipment needs out of our own pockets.

So a huge overall goal of ours this summer is to actively seek out and gain sponsorships and donations to help defray the costs of our summer training as well as the immense financial burden of next season.

We are currently working to set ourselves up as a non-profit organization, but are running into huge cost estimates to do so, so if any of you blog readers have any experience with setting up a non-profit group, please let us know.

Also, if you know of any companies interested in helping an incredibly talented team as they prepare for the Olympics, please send them the following link and have them contact us to discuss further options: http://www.teamholmbobsled.com/Pages/donating.html

Duty, Honor, Country

I just listened to an incredible speech given by General Douglas MacArthur when he was presented the Sylvanus Thayer Award at Westpoint in 1962. General MacArthur titled his address 'Duty, Honor, Country.' Though not a retired military serviceman like two of the members of our team, I have always been taught to respect and uphold the ideals and freedoms of this great country.

Though perhaps not directly related to our training or competitions, I guess this entry has more to do with why we do what we do.

Although we all bobsled for various reasons, I think one of the greatest reasons (and honors) behind our desire to compete in the sport lies in the feeling you get when you represent your country out there on the ice. When you step up to that starting line as a team and you hear the announcer say "USA 1 to the starting line" you can't help but feel a stiffening of the spine.

In his address, General MacArthur talks about the the effects that duty and honor have on soldiers as they serve their country. I really enjoyed listening to his speech because he talks about living higher standards in life and being responsible for ones actions and desires for life.

As I mentioned, two of our team members have served time in our nation's armed forces. Matt was an air traffic controller for the Navy and Brad served as a Marine. Their love for country has always been apparent in the way that they speak about the United States and I have greatly enjoyed sharing the same passion for our nation.

I think the reason I liked General MacArthur's speech is that he wasn't afraid to speak out about honor and virture and hard work and responsibility and respect for our country. In our 'modern' world where every thought and ideal seems so often to be constructed around what is 'Politically Correct' I wonder how his speech would be accepted today? Probably as too conservative and idealistic and too stuffy.

But General MacArthur was right. As I have spent eight years representing my country as an athlete I have come to respect it more and more for the great nation that it is. Whenever I put on a US uniform and take to the ice, I want to do my very best.

I think what MacArthur was really trying to say was this: you choose how you will live your life. You can either live up to your better self, of you can take the easy way out and just go with the flow. It takes effort and discipline to be your best and to put forth that kind of effort, you must have some underlying emotion and ideal that drives you.

So in short, for each and every one of us to succeed at whatever dreams we have for life we need to strife for and develop those three powerful words of 'Duty, Honor, Country.'

Encore! Encore!

In the immortal words of Monty Python, "(We're) not dead yet."

This past weekend we were supposed to have three days straight of training (Fri, Sat, Sun). The plan was to have us forerun for the Western Regionals skeleton races in the four-man sled because let's be honest: its big, its fast, and it makes a lot of noise as it roars through a turn. Crowds love it and we would have loved to get a few more days of training in before the season ended.

But those hopes were dashed when we were told that there would be no bobsleds allowed around the races. The reasoning behind this decision depends on who you ask. Some cast the blame on the fact that there wasn't much time scheduled for the races themselves, but there have been comments made about something that someone irresponsibly did that caused this verdict to come down to eliminate bobsled for the weekend. We were frustrated and angry to put it mildly. Bobsledding has always been one of the biggest draws for tourists at the Utah Olympic Park and people love it when we train, but since we don't have as many athletes training out here as say skeleton or luge, we always are one of the first programs to suffer when it comes to training time. In other words, we get the shaft a lot.

So, we all quietly began to mentally and physically put our bobsledding season behind us and prepare for summer as we believed that the season was indeed over now.

But then the encore was called for.

It's not something I can talk a lot about right now due to the nature of what we will be participating in, but we are crossing our fingers for another opportunity to train and participate in a very cool project.

Basically what I'm saying is: More news to come so stay tuned!