Team Holm Goes to Australia

A good friend of ours, Jason Oliveri, from the Australian bobsled team recently sent us a copy of this ad from an Australian broadcasting company Foxtel. As a team we're extremely excited about the ad because that good looking team riding in that red sled? That's us. We participated in a photo shoot last year with Getty Images and this photo is one of the shots we did. I have to give Kudos to Foxtel's creative team for putting the shot on the water, it looks amazing!



It's kind of exciting to see stuff like this coming in from all over the world. As a team we feel very lucky and blessed to have been able to take part in such a great thing.

To read more about the photo shoot, please click here.

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.

We Make This Look Good

Hey everyone,

After the response to looking at these images on Getty Images' blog, posted by Art Director Stephen Schauer, we decided to post them on here. The first one is definitely my personal favorite, and I can't wait to see the final products!

Enjoy!

From the Artist's Perspective

Dear All,

As you know Team Holm Bobsled had the incredible opportunity to participate in a photo shoot on Easter Sunday 2008 with Getty Images at the bobsled track in Park City, Utah. While we have posted several entries about our experience with the marvelously talented Getty crew, we'd like to invite you to read about the big day from THEIR perspective.

The art director for the shoot, Stephen Schauer, posted an informative and entertaining entry on Getty's blog that describes how they chose the sports, the athletes, the angles, the turns to shoot on, etc. In addition, you can be amongst the first people to see some of the shots taken by photographer Ryan McVay and his crew! Stephen and his crew truly made us feel welcome as a part of their team that day and it was an honor to work with them.

Please read his blog posting, "Operation Snowflake" by clicking here.

The Shoes in the Closet

The end of the season always brings a mixture of bitter-sweet memories and relief.

As I was getting ready for work this morning I glanced down at my bobspikes (bobsled shoes) just sitting at the bottom of the closet and I had to pause. I guess you could say it was one of those "Do I really do that?" moments. You know, when you stop and think about the crazy sport that we're involved in, sometimes it just seems so surreal. I mean, who in their right mind goes out and plays in sub-zero temperatures wearing nothing but spandex, then runs full speed ON ICE and then loads into a metal and fiberglass rocket just to hurl themselves down an ice covered track at 80 MPH? Who does that???

One can only laugh at the way we try to put our bobsled gear away at the end of the season. Of course each athlete is different, but I think it is rather similar all around. The gear bag that you just drop on the floor at the end of the day because you know you'll need it tomorrow has to actually be put away. The toolbox that you leave in your car all winter has to be stowed in the garage somewhere. The training gear needs to be washed and hung up or folded away. I've got three helmets on the top shelf in my closet, two speedsuits that sit in a dresser drawer, a box full of medals, two pairs of bobspikes in two closets, and a two-man bobsled sitting under a cover in my garage. Call me crazy, but I'm betting that isn't normal!

But it IS worth it. This last season was, if anything, a blast. We worked hard out there on the ice, don't get me wrong. There were plenty of nights where we froze our butts off for hours, then went home tired and bruised and sore. However, the great runs we had, the improvements we made, and the friendships we formed more than compensated up for the sacrifices we made.

I think that is the hardest part about the summer "off-season." You miss the sport of course, but you also miss the atmosphere, the camaraderie, the personal battles between fear and dreams, and of course, you miss the rush. It goes without saying that we have plans for summer training and so forth, but nothing beats unloading the sled at the start pad and saying "hello" to all the athletes, coaches, officials, and volunteers. In a way, all US bobsled and skeleton athletes are part of a very small, yet very close family. Oh sure, some members of this family hate each other, but that doesn't change the fact that we are part of a group of athletes who do things everyday that 99.9% of the world's population will never get to experience. With that knowledge comes a certain responsibility to represent our sports with honor as we may be the ONLY bobsledder or skeleton athlete a person may ever meet.

I don't want this to sound like we belong to some exclusive club. That isn't what I mean at all. What I'm saying is that when you're out there at the starting line, looking down the track, waiting for the green light to go, you can't help but get a grin on your face as you think about what you're about to do and who is supporting you out there. We're a darn lucky group.

So while I am planning to do some school over the summer, take some vacations to Las Vegas, NV, St. George, UT, a cruise to the Caribbean, and a training trip to Calgary, Canada, there will be, of course, a part of me that will always be thinking about our sport. After all the bruises, cuts, broken equipment, lost races, blood, sweat, toil, and tears, one would think that as athletes we have gone through a type of war. And I guess you could say that. We're veterans of a different sort. But the good times, the races won, the lessons learned, the friendships formed, the sponsors gained, the cheering crowds, the perfect runs, the personal bests, etc. all add up to form a type of medal of 'honor' that we will wear with pride for the rest of our lives.

And that is definitely something to smile about.

Wow, all this about a pair of $400 bobsled shoes. And you ladies thought your Gucci's were inspiring!

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.

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.