The End of the Season - March Madness

As I spent the evening packing up an old USA gear bag for a trip to my families cabin in Wyoming, I couldn't help but feel a certain longing to be back on the ice. Its been a few weeks now since our last day of training and as I came across my bobsled gear spread throughout my closets, drawers, cabinets, and shelves, I could only smile as I silently wished I could be back out there on the track.

Our sliding season normally runs from the beginning October to the end of February. In some ways its kind of like school. The summer seems to fly by too quickly and before you know it, you're back out there, ready to prove how hard you worked (or slacked off) over the summer months. But, in the end, the time flies by even more quickly when you're training four nights a week. When the day comes that you empty your gear bag for the summer, and quietly stow your gear, your body gives a big "Hallelujah" for the break it will get for a few months. But your mind....that's different. After a few days, you're ready to pull the sleds out, polish the runners, squeeze into the spandex, throw the spikes on, and go again.

I have to say I felt incredibly lucky to have worked with such wonderful athletes this last season. From my dedicated and hard working teammates, to the skeleton athletes we trained alongside; even the skaters, skiers, and luge athletes I came in contact with. Everyday I sit back and wonder how I was so blessed to become involved in such a sport as bobsled and to be surrounded by some of the greatest people on earth.

It will be a fun summer though, with plenty of pushtrack training and some bobsled clinics, etc. Plus, plenty of vacations and parties! Oh, and throw in the job-hunting for some of us!

Speaking of that, I know the economy has put a pretty dark cloud over a lot of the world, but we can all still do some amazing things with our lives, even when life gets tough. Staying optimistic is the best medicine around. I recently read a biography on the great American actor John Wayne. He said something that has stuck with me since I read it: "Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway"

So no matter what situations you might be facing in life, no matter how tough it might seem, saddle up. Luck might just be turning in your favor.

-Jeremy