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.

2008 "Race for the Cure"

Every year hundreds of thousands of people gather together for annual Susan G. Komen "Race for the Cure." It is a movement that has inspired hope in women all around the world as millions of dollars are raised to help fund breast cancer research and prevention programs.

And with good cause.

It has been estimated that nearly 10 million from around the world could die from breast cancer in the next 25 years unless a cure is found. And if that isn't startling enough, in 2008 an estimated 182,460 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. The facts are thought-provoking.

At Team Holm Racing we do our best to use our time and affiliation in such a unique and exciting sport to do as much good as possible. From motivating kids at schools, to speaking at black-tie events, it is an honor and a thrill for us to be able to help out and "give back" to the community.

That being said, we are proud to announce our plan to run in the Salt Lake City leg of the "Race for the Cure." We are excited to take part in this incredible event alongside nearly 16,000 other race participants. The race will begin at 8:30am on Saturday, May 10th, and while it only lasts 5K (or 3.1 miles), we have a feeling that this is something that we will remember for the rest of our lives.

If you would like to help Team Hhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifolm Racing make an even greater impact in the fight against breast cancer, please click here to make a donation. Whether it is $1 or $1,000, each of us can do what we can to help end this tragic and heart-wrenching condition. Since 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, each of us most likely know someone close to us who has faced this devastating disease.

Please join Team Holm Racing in supporting the Susan G. Komen "Race for the Cure" movement as we do our part to help end the fear of breast cancer once and for all.

Freak Snowfall Leads to Track Re-Opening

Salt Lake City- In a strange turn of events, Utah's historically odd weather led to the re-opening of the bobsled track in Park City.

"I can't believe it's snowing on the first of May," said Joe Citizen as he cleaned the snow off the hood of his Dodge truck. "I just mowed the lawn on Friday and here I am getting ready to drive to work in the snow."

Fed up with the weather's irratic behavior, management at the Bear Hollow Winter Sports Park decided to re-open the bobsled, skeleton, and luge track for the duration of the summer. The colder temperatures will allow the track to run without the exuberantly high cost that normal summer temperatures would inflict.

"Can ye believe it?" said Track Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott. "Ah dinna think we'd have the power to make it happen all summer, but with the weather acting the way it tis, ah am excited we'll get tah see athletes train on the track all year this year."

Athletes from around the world have expressed their anticipation at the opportunity to train at the Park City course all summer long.

Master Chief Spartan, team captain for the Halo Bobsled Team, was found preparing his four-man bobsled, nicknamed "Cortana," for use early next week.

"We'll be fine," he said in a deep, gravely voice. "It will be an honor to race and train all summer long. Normally we just pack the sled away in the garage and work on physical training, but now we actually get to get out on the ice and take runs down the track straight through to the beginning of the next season."

# # #

PS- Just consider this a one-month-after April's Fools posting in honor of today's snowstorm in Utah.

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 #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!

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.

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

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!

Attention: Final Boarding Call for the Night

So, last night we had an incredible night of training, minus a few last minute delays and scheduling changes. Joe Sission was short a brakeman so Matt was going to slide with him, and that required some re-shifting of our plans. It was OT (Official Training) for the skeleton athlete's last night so they were scheduled three heats of training. We were very lucky to get to slide at all during their training as it is very uncommon to allow bobsledders into a skeleton race training session, so thanks to Steve Revelli and Tom Raty!

Well, on our first run we were all pretty excited, though I could tell that some of the athletes were a little tired. Even so, when we set the sled down on the ice and started pushing I could tell that it was a good push. I loaded into the sled and felt Don load in behind me and immediately noticed that his knees were farther forward than normal which affected how much room I had to drive. Not his fault, it happens a lot when it comes to four-man in general. With four big guys trying to sprint and load into the sled, it is no surprise when someone ends up out of position. So it definitely made driving a little interesting, but we made it down ok. Well, better than ok.

Our final downtime? 51.42!!!!! Not only did we break through the 52 second mark, we smashed it by 6/10ths of a second! We were all so excited!!! Our second run was a hair slower at 51.64, but that is because our push was slower, a 5.86 whereas our first push was a decent 5.68. All I can say is that as a team I am so proud of how fast we have progressed this season and how far we have come. We are now staring hungrily at that 51 second mark and with two days of four-man training left, we are going to go for it all: a 50 second finish time. I think we can do it, all we need to do is drop our pushtime down a bit and sand the runners a bit more as they are still pretty pitted from all the rust.

But you can bet that we are focusing our eyes on next season's races. Its our time now. Gold medals, here we come!

Last Minute Changes = .03 seconds

Saturday morning came wayyyy to early after a late training session Friday night, but that's OK. I don't know of anything that wakes you up faster than roaring down a bobsled track at 80 MPH.

It was an odd morning when we first arrived to the track. Fog covered the entire valley that the course is nestled in so that when you stood at the start and looked down the start ramp you could barely see turn run. But the fog soon melted away and the sun came out to provide one of those beautiful mornings that really get you energized for slidding.

Well, Don and I pulled the two-man out of storage and wiped off the dust (it's been two weeks since we used it last). But as we were putting the runners on the sled, another team who was going to use the club's four-man pulled their two-man off the truck and set it next to the four-man. After we got the runners on we went into the start house where we found Matt and Brad who was going to be pushing with the other team.

We got to talking and asked the other driver if he was going to do two-man on the first run. He said yes so we all had the same thought: let's do four-man first and then do two-man on the second run. The other driver agreed so we were all very excited.

It was also an exciting morning because we had a lot of friends and family up there. Matt's girlfriend Robyn came up, my mom was there (she's the one who took these cool photos), and Don's family also arrived which caused a considerable stir since his dad is Donny Osmond. Boy did he get a kick out of being up there and watching us train!

So our turn soon arrived and we were all pumped up. I have to say, the chemistry with this team is incredible. Other than the fact that we give each other a hard time ALL the time, we also push each other to be better athletes. It is not often that as a driver you find your pushers teaching you things, but this season I have learned a ton from these guys.

Anyway, we got the sled to the starting line and took our positions. Another really cool thing is the way that all the skeleton athletes have supported us and encouraged us this season. When we launched the sled off the starting block and started sprinting down the ice you could hear them all cheering us on. It was awesome.

Well, the run itself felt great. It was smooth and clean and we definitely felt Turns 4 and 6. Next time I'm going to work on 11 and 12 to get more speed, but when we crossed that finish line we knew we had a good time. And we did, one that everyone both cheered and groaned about. It was a 52.03! A mere three-hundredths off of a 51! I was both elated and disappointed, but only in that 'Gosh I want a 51 so bad' kind of way.

We got the sled back to the top and all our supporters were so excited for us. It was really a great morning!

On our second run Don and I took the two-man down with a 5.6 second push. Definitely a good time as we keep improving. I wish I could say that my two-man run was as clean as the four-man one, but it was still decent. We even had a huge group of school kids lining the start ramp to cheer us on. And Don's family went down to Turn 12 to watch us come rushing through. After that I couldn't tell what his mom was thinking about this crazy sport her son has gotten into!

Sadly, this is the last week of on-ice training for the season, so be sure to check back as we will try to update the blog after each session! And don't worry, we'll be sure to write about all the great things happening over the summer for us!

Fantastic Four

So tonight was an incredible night of four-man training. At first we weren't sure that we would be able to use the Club's sled, but thankfully we were able to work it out where we got it tonight.

And it was awesome.

Myself, Don, Matt, and a newcomer to the team, Brad Welsh, all put on our spikes for our first push start loads of the season....at the end of the season, sadly enough. But it was worth it. We practiced a few dry loads with the sled just sitting on the ice just to get a feel for the load process and to get a better understanding of how to get to our seats on a sprint. After that, we just sat around and waited. My old friend and teammate Joe Sisson was coaching a previous session, so he came up to the start and we shared a few stories with some of the newer athletes.

Well, our time came up and we moved the sled up to the starting line. I could tell that everyone was just a tiny bit nervous and all the skeleton athletes had there faces pushed against the starthouse windows so they could watch us.

Matt yelled "Backset" and Don and Brad both yelled "SET!" and I yelled "READY" and bam! We were off. Now, you have to remember that it was our first push-load so we just jogged a couple of steps and then started hopping in. I got in and all of the sudden I could hear Matt yelling "Get in! Get in!" Then I realized that I hadn't felt Don get in yet. Brad and Matt had to wait for Don to get in before they could take their seats. Well Don did make it in and everyone got into their positions just fine.

Our first run was actually a lot of fun, a mid-54 second. So we dropped another second off our time from last week. I was pleased with that considering we had 7-second push. Once we crossed the finish line all the guys were cheering. We got out of the sled at the finish dock and man oh man did Matt give Don a hard time for not getting in the sled. I had to laugh at the way those two just pick on each other. But it was all in good fun and we were so excited about the run. I asked everyone if they wanted to push farther on the next one and they were all for it. What was really funny is that when we got back to the Joe gave MATT a hard time for the way he was yelling at Don to get in. We all got a good laugh at how the tables were turned on Storms. But he's a good sport so he gave it right back to Joe.

On our second run everyone was pumped up still. With grins on our faces and a bit more fire in our eyes, we pulled the sled to the starting line, set it in the grooves, and called out our readiness. We didn't give it our all, we all held back quite a bit, but we dropped a half-second off our start time. And the second run felt GOOOOOD. It was a lot smoother and cleaner and we had a low 53-second downtime. And as soon as we crossed the finish line everyone just cheered. I heard Matt and Don and Brad just let out the loudest yells when they saw our finish time. I grinned. It was just an incredible feeling for all of us. Fourman training is pretty much the toughest side of bobsledding their is. Its more dangerous, its faster, and its harder on the body. But last night, all four of us were on Cloud 9. That was our track that night.

And as I sat there thinking about it, surrounded by some of the greatest athletes I've ever known, I was pretty grateful for what I was able to do. And then that got me thinking even more. We had just hit a 53 with AWFUL runners that haven't been sanded in years and that have rust marks and scratches all over them. On top of that, we pushed a 6.24, probably a full second slower than we could push if we really tried. And it was snowy last night so some of the skeleton guys were getting 56s, 57s, and even some 58s. So if we sand the runners, push our all, and on good ice conditions...wow. We could be getting 51s or even 50s! Now THAT is something to smile about!

Four-men in a little sled

So Friday night (Feb. 15) was a big night for Team Holm Bobsled. As a driver and as pushers, moving into four-man bobsled training after a season of two-man is a refreshing and exhilerating step!

And a little nerve wracking. While you might think that the two events are so closely related that there's no difference between the two, the honest truth is that there are big differences. The biggest would have to be for me, as a driver. The difference between driving a two-man sled and a four-man sled is comparable to the difference between driving a compact car and a full-sized tractor trailer rig. While they both go on the same road, their handling styles are worlds apart.

As it is in bobsled. In a two-man bobsled you are able to make quicker changes and corrections in your lines on the track. In a four-man sled, however, with that much mass moving at slightly faster speeds, well, its not as easy to drive. Once you drive a four-man sled into a line in a turn, it just stays there and when it gets to the end of the turn, if you don't start driving out of the turn at the right time, you can't just pull the sled down like you can in a two-man. Basically it boils down to the fact that four-man sleds are harder to correct and easier to roll over.

Four-man sleds are incredible examples of engineering. The fact that you can take an almost 1,400 pound sled and crew down the track at 80MPH in those tight turns, it just amazes me. And it sure made some of the newer pushers nervous!

I could see it on their faces as we got the sled prepped for training. To the untrained eye, the sled wasn't much to look at. You could tell that it had seen years of training and some neglect. The fiberglass body had cracks in it and the metal framework was rusted in several places. As a driver my main concern was the steering system. Was it rusted over? Was it responsive enough or would I have to drive heavy-handed? I had no idea and the thing about driving a new sled down the track is that you have about three turns to learn how the sled handles before the danger starts. So basically its a trial by fire 'learn it as you go' sort of experience.

Well, all the athletes breathed a sigh of relief when I told them that we weren't going to be pushing and jumping in at the start. Don (Osmond), and Hans were all a bit relieved when they found out that all they had to do was sit in the sled while Matt (Storms) walked us off the top and then jumped in. No running, no jogging, just a leisure walk. At least they had some peace of mind!

I was a bit nervous, I'll be honest. I've driven four-man sleds before, but it has been a little bit. About two years to be exact. So once we started down that ramp I started praying a bit. I trusted my abilities as a driver, I just didn't trust the sled yet.

The first run, while somewhat smooth, was a bit slower without the push and I was steering too much in the turns to keep us safe as I adjusted to the new steering system. But once we crossed the finish line right side up and with an ok downtime considering there was no push, well, I had a huge smile on my face. Honestly, we all did. We'd done it. We completed a four-man trip successfully, something some bobsledders never even do. When I asked if they all wanted to take a second trip the answer was a unanimous YES.

So we did. And it was a lot smoother and faster. Not by a ton since we didn't do a push start again and Matt just walked us off. But I eased up on the steering and let it run through the turns a bit more. We dropped a full 1.5 seconds off our time between the first and second runs! And we had even bigger smiles on our faces! It was so awesome! I couldn't stop smiling about it, I was so amped up! Everyone was so excited about it and we can't wait to try pushing the sled this upcoming week and loading in. Don and I and my cousin Caryn all went to grab dinner afterwards and I couldn't help myself, I just kept saying over and over again how much fun that was! I am so excited for this upcoming week as we get three days of training. Don was just as excited as we sat there eating our incredible nutritious Taco Bell!

So stayed tuned for this week's updates and pictures! Its going to be a great week!