The "We've Been There" DVD

I'm kind of excited about my latest venture, a DVD that I'm producing with the goal of bringing positive energy to all those who view it.

The more I find myself working with wonderful non-profit organizations across the state, nation and world, the more I witness the power we have when we use our time, talents, and influence for the good of others. It can be as simple as serving at a local soup kitchen or as elaborate as establishing a world-wide foundation to support cancer research. Whether we reach out to one or one million, the result is the same: we make a difference.

I have seen the kids smile at an after school club we visited who were there because there was no one at home to take care of them. I have seen the relief on the faces of brave men and women at the veteran's hospital we toured who were glad to have someone to talk to that afternoon. I have see joy on the faces of cancer patients whose bravery inspired us all each time we stopped by. The list goes on and on, but perhaps more important are those quiet moments I've been able to be the friend, be the shoulder to lean on, or just be the listening ear to someone in need.

Life can get so crazy one day and monotonous the next, but we can call ourselves lucky if we have someone to turn to in those times of need.

Lately I have been working with some organizations who spend their time helping teenagers deal with adversity like family troubles, social pressures, academic difficulties and more. Their goal is to help teens understand that its ok to struggle, ok to ask for help and ok to believe in themselves. The hope, the overall desire, is to help teens realize they're not as alone as they might feel and that the situation isn't as hopeless as they might believe.

To that end, I'm working on this incredible new project that I hope will help teens all across the nation feel understood and inspired at the same time. The project will consist of several athletes telling their inspiring stories of overcoming adversity, pushing themselves to the limits, and relying on friends, family, teammates, etc. to do it. As each athlete talks about their experiences in life and sport, it is our hope that the teens, parents, educators and administrators who watch the DVD will feel that spark of hope and the fire of belief in life and their future.

If this DVD sounds like a good idea to you then I challenge you to come up with a way to make a difference in your own part of the world. It doesn't have to be big or world-saving, but to that one person you reach out to you might just be the world.

The DVD is in production right now, but here's a sneak peek at the cover of the piece. Stay tuned for release date and details on how you can get a copy!

My Latest Adventure

So as many of you know, I tend to try and fill my life with enough projects, activities, goals and other productive tasks to keep myself busy. But I guess I'm a gluten for punishment because I'm going to through another big time-taker onto my schedule: higher education.

Part of my goal to further my education is to apply for a very special scholarship at Westminster College in Salt Lake called the "Exemplary Achievement Award." Its only awarded to three students each year and is based on the student's achievements in career, sports, arts, service, and more.

For the past three weeks, in addition to everything else, I've been working on my official application with the help of some very talented friends who've been my sounding boards and proof-readers. In addition, I've been gathering up letters of recommendation from some of my colleagues. I know I'm qualified for this scholarship, I just hope the Westminster scholarship committee thinks the same thing.

So please send any good thoughts/vibes my way!

A Brave New World

Ok, I know, I know. We've done a terrible job updating our blog over the past year. The sad thing is we've had so many great experiences and announcements and events that we should have been posting about. And we will. We'll go back and post videos and photos and tell you about the things we've been up to as athletes, as friends, and as a family.

But lately my (this is Jeremy, team captain) energies, and my time, have been directed towards developing and coaching the United States Adaptive Bobsled Team. It has been a marvelous opportunity, one full of adventure and courage. I say courage, not on my part, but a bravery that so many of us can't even comprehend.

When I say the United States Adaptive Bobsled Team, perhaps the easiest way to explain is to think of these athletes, of this team, as Paralympic hopefuls. I am surrounded by men who are defined as AKs, BKs,Paras, Quads, and so on. Translate: above-knee amputee, below-knee amputee, paraplegic, quadraplegic, etc.

I am the explorer who has entered the brave new world, their world, a world that isn't defined by what they cannot do. Instead, these men have taught me to define my world, my horizons, by what I can do. Our whole program is designed around the ethos that these athletes can do.

When I first began coaching these pilots and brakemen, I felt as though I was there to help them enter my world, one that I have been in for over a decade now. Its an exciting, challenging world of exhileration and growth. We use science and physics to our advantage as we roar down icy tracks at over eighty-miles an hour. We pull more G's than the astronauts do on take-off. And we do all this as a team. Again, I thought I was there as a coach to help these athletes enter my world, the world of bobsled. But I was wrong.

It's not about me or them. Its about us as we work together to grow this program, not just nationally, but internationally as well. I appreciate their patience and dedication, their willingness to learn and to try. We are breaking new ground, setting new standards, and developing new guidelines. In the words of one of my favorite TV shows, we are working to "boldly go where" no adaptive athletes have gone before.

My 5 Favorite Commercials

So I was sitting there watching the Green Bay vs. Chicago game last night (and what a game it was) when a whole slew of great commercials came on. Having worked in advertising for over a decade now, I can appreciate the challenge it is to produce a great (i.e. memorable and motivating) piece of marketing collateral that entertains and informs.


What does this have to do with bobsled? Nothing really, but this is my blog and I decided that today I'd put together five of my favorite all-time commercials. Enjoy!

In the Company of Heroes: Athlete Visit to the VA

Having driven bobsleds for about a decade now, there are days when I just have to look in the mirror and ask, "Is this really my life?!"

July 1st was definitely one of those days.

It started off early in the morning (too early for me) with two radio interviews with local stations 101.5 FM The Eagle and 103.1 FM Jack, both Salt Lake City-based. I met up with fellow athletes Brady Canfield (skeleton) and Rebekah Bradford (long track speedskating) at about 8:15am and we just sat there trading sport stories until it was time to go on air. I have to give props to Shannon Bahrke (freestyle skiing) who came down for the interviews, but we crossed signals due to a communication error. As I sat there listening to Brady and Rebekah, especially Rebekah's account of her time during the recent 2010 Games, I could only smile. We are lucky to be involved in these sports. Now, there were 3 reasons we went on the shows: 1. to share our experiences as American athletes at this 4th of July time, 2. to talk about an upcoming event at the Utah Olympic Oval for US Speedskating and 3. to talk about our important athlete-visit to the SLC Veteran's Hospital later in the day. I was able to talk The Eagle into asking its listeners to write letters for the veterans which we hand delivered during our visit.

Now, before you get too deep into my novel of a blog post, if you want to see pictures from our athlete visit to the Veteran's Hospital you can do so here.

With the interviews done, it was back to work for me for a few hours then off to the Veteran's Hospital to meet up with the other athletes that were kind enough to donate their time to help me pull off the visit.

When I first walked into the VA at around 1:45pm, I have to admit that a wave of...history poured over me. Perhaps history isn't the right word. I found myself carrying in a box of letters written by Utah residents for the vets with some stickers and pins dropped in and as I looked around at all the veterans in the waiting room and coming and going from the exit and I thought, "This isn't enough. Not for what they've done for our country." But then I saw the smiling faces of the other athletes and I knew we would make a difference this day.

Dick Winters, the legendary CO of Easy Company made famous by HBO's "Band of Brothers" miniseries once told his grandson that he wasn't a hero, but that he served in a company of heroes. As I looked at the group who came out for the visit, I felt the same way. I was in the company of heroes.

There was Debbie Clark, the tiny gymnastics athlete from the '72 Munich Games who still has all the energy and grace of a dancer. Besides being the President of the Utah Olympian Alumni Association, Debbie recently underwent a surgery herself, but no amount of downtown could keep her away from a chance to make a difference. She really was my mentor in planning this little get together.

There was Fuzz Fedderson, a three-time Olympian in the sport of freestyle skiing and co-founder of the extremely popular Flying Ace All-Stars group. Despite his full-schedule, Fuzz has always been willing to lend his support for our athlete service projects.

There was Bill Spencer, a retired Special Forces veteran and two-time Olympian in the sport of biathlon. Bill's easy smile and grandfatherly approach (said with much love Bill) brought a sense solidarity to our group. He and I were able to have several discussions throughout the afternoon about sport and military service. His quiet dignity would keep him from saying he's a hero, but as I listened to him recount his very recent medical prodcedures at the very hospital we were there visiting, plus the account of him facing enemy fire in Vietnam to rescue a wounded comrade (he later counted) 28 bullet holes in the helicopter, how can he not be viewed as a hero?

And coming back after our early morning interviews was Major Brady Canfield, U.S. Air Force retired and current writer and illustrator of the very entertaining Wombat Rue comic books. Not only was Brady a very successful athlete in the sport of skeleton, he served our country with honor, not to mention a fair amount of brain power. As he told Rebekah and I stories from his military days before our morning interviews, I couldn't help but think, "Another hero."

We had some amazingly talented Olympic hopefuls in the form of Joy Bryant (former luge, now skeleton) and Liz Swaney (skeleton). Both these ladies brought an energy and brightness into every room they visited that day. I also have to give props out to one of my pushers, Don Osmond, who despite running a business, working a full-time job and his recent engagement found the time to join us for part of the visit.

In the company of heroes? As I watched these great athletes, these great people, share their support, their gratitude and their encouragement with everyone they met that afternoon, I couldn't help but say "yes, I am in the company of heroes."

But they weren't the only heroes I saw that day.

All in all we visited about 75-80 veterans in about a two-hour time frame. I'm not sure how to put those individual experiences into words. Too quick a description wouldn't do it justice, but a full-review might tug at your heart strings just as it did ours.

How do you tell about the old, grandfatherly veterans with tubes in their nose and arms who smile as we introduced ourselves and then calmly say, "I was in Germany or Normandy or Africa"? How do you tell about the loving wives who spoon fed these men who once stared death in the face and fought for the liberty of the entire free world?

How do you talk about the pained look in an older, long-haired Vietnam veteran's eyes as we handed him his packet of thank-you letters, stickers and pins when he said, "But I didn't enlist, I was drafted" as if to say, "Are you sure I deserve this? I did my duty, but am I really good enough for this?"

Or how do you place into words the conversation with a crying wife as she explained that her husband, lying in the bed next to her chair, was suffering complications from Agent Orange, the toxic herbicide used in Vietnam. "He wasn't even on the ground," she explained. "He got it from the ship he was on that they shipped Agent Orange on."

I do not mean to paint the visit as negative or depressing. Perhaps eye-opening is a better term. We sure had our fair share of fun as well, the visit was a memorable and very positive one for all. There were plenty of vets who we laughed with, shared personal stories with and, in those moments, became friends with. There were photo-ops with entire nursing stations and staff areas, and any veteran who asked if he could tell a joke found a willing audience. There was the warm and friendly janitor who helped us find our way when we became lost in the maze of hallways who went on to explain that she was retired Navy and was quite the athlete in her younger days. There was the nurse's aid who couldn't wait to shake all our hands or older vets who winked and flirted with our female athletes with a charm that must have been reminiscent of their younger glory days.

Perhaps one of my favorite moments, yet touching at the same time, came from a visit to one room with two veterans in it. The first veteran, a World War II vet, seemed to have lost his hearing, so we did the best we could, awkwardly shouting loud enough to be heard in the hall, and then stepped to the other side of the room/curtain and talked with another Vietnam vet who was laid out on his back, in obvious pain, but in brave and good spirits. After chatting for several minutes, we said our goodbyes and went to another room. Soon, a nurse came in, touched my arm and said, "Could you come back to room 13?" Back we went and this kind veteran quietly asked if we would all sign the envelope that contained his thank-you letters, just so he could remember who came to visit him.

And you must understand, these are only the experiences from my group. We split into two parties, so you're only getting half the story. I know the other half is just as full of uplifting moments and touching experiences.

As we made our rounds through the hospital, it really brought to my mind the saying that a little good can go a long way. How amazing it was to bring some light and fun into the lives of our veterans and the medical staff who serve them so well. Perhaps it was best expressed by one veteran who I chatted with who was just stopping by to pick up a prescription. We shook hands and with a twinkle in his eyes he said, "It is so wonderful that you all are here today. Some of these guys really need it, even just a visit." It wasn't what he said, it was how he said it. His tone reflected his inner feelings: "These are my comrades, my brothers and sisters. Thank you for looking out for them."

After our final goodbyes to the hospital staff, we walked out together, unified as athletes through service and the inner warmth it brings. Having planned two major hospital visits, the athletes kept asking me, "What are we doing next?"

Don't worry, there are plans in the works so stay tuned!

Thank you again to all the athletes who took the time to come help us serve. I appreciate your compassion and strength. Again, if you want to see some pictures from our visit you can do so here. And thank you to veterans everywhere who have served our country so honorably and sacrificed so much.

Happy 4th of July everyone!

In the Company of Heroes: Athlete Visit to the VA

July 1st was quite a day for me (Jeremy, team captain).

It started off early in the morning (too early for me) with two radio interviews with local stations 101.5 FM The Eagle and 103.1 FM Jack, both Salt Lake City-based. I met up with fellow athletes Brady Canfield (skeleton) and Rebekah Bradford (long track speedskating) at about 8:15am and we just sat there trading sport stories until it was time to go on air. I have to give props to Shannon Bahrke (freestyle skiing) who came down for the interviews, but we crossed signals due to a communication error. As I sat there listening to Brady and Rebekah, especially Rebekah's account of her time during the recent 2010 Games, I could only smile. We are lucky to be involved in these sports. Now, there were 3 reasons we went on the shows: 1. to share our experiences as American athletes at this 4th of July time, 2. to talk about an upcoming event at the Utah Olympic Oval for US Speedskating and 3. to talk about our important athlete-visit to the SLC Veteran's Hospital later in the day. I was able to talk The Eagle into asking its listeners to write letters for the veterans which we hand delivered during our visit.

Now, before you get too deep into my novel of a blog post, if you want to see pictures from our athlete visit to the Veteran's Hospital you can do so here.

With the interviews done, it was back to work for me for a few hours then off to the Veteran's Hospital to meet up with the other athletes that were kind enough to donate their time to help me pull off the visit.

When I first walked into the VA at around 1:45pm, I have to admit that a wave of...history poured over me. Perhaps history isn't the right word. I found myself carrying in a box of letters written by Utah residents for the vets with some stickers and pins dropped in and as I looked around at all the veterans in the waiting room and coming and going from the exit and I thought, "This isn't enough. Not for what they've done for our country." But then I saw the smiling faces of the other athletes and I knew we would make a difference this day.

Dick Winters, the legendary CO of Easy Company made famous by HBO's "Band of Brothers" miniseries once told his grandson that he wasn't a hero, but that he served in a company of heroes. As I looked at the group who came out for the visit, I felt the same way. I was in the company of heroes.

There was Debbie Clark, the tiny gymnastics athlete from the '72 Munich Games who still has all the energy and grace of a dancer. Besides being the President of the Utah Olympian Alumni Association, Debbie recently underwent a surgery herself, but no amount of downtown could keep her away from a chance to make a difference. She really was my mentor in planning this little get together.

There was Fuzz Fedderson, a three-time Olympian in the sport of freestyle skiing and co-founder of the extremely popular Flying Ace All-Stars group. Despite his full-schedule, Fuzz has always been willing to lend his support for our athlete service projects.

There was Bill Spencer, a retired Special Forces veteran and two-time Olympian in the sport of biathlon. Bill's easy smile and grandfatherly approach (said with much love Bill) brought a sense solidarity to our group. He and I were able to have several discussions throughout the afternoon about sport and military service. His quiet dignity would keep him from saying he's a hero, but as I listened to him recount his very recent medical prodcedures at the very hospital we were visiting, plus the account of him facing enemy fire in Vietnam to rescue a wounded comrade (he later counted 28 bullet holes in the helicopter), how can he not be viewed as a hero?

And coming back after our early morning interviews was Major Brady Canfield, U.S. Air Force retired and current writer and illustrator of the very entertaining Wombat Rue comic books. Not only was Brady a very successful athlete in the sport of skeleton, he served our country with honor, not to mention a fair amount of brain power.

We had some amazingly talented Olympic hopefuls in the form of Joy Bryant (former luge, now skeleton) and Liz Swaney (skeleton). Both these ladies brought an energy and brightness into every room they visited that day. I also have to give props out to one of my pushers, Don Osmond, who despite running a business, working a full-time job and his recent engagement found the time to join us for part of the visit.

In the company of heroes? As I watched these great athletes, these great people, share their support, their gratitude and their encouragement with everyone they met that afternoon, I couldn't help but say "yes, I am in the company of heroes."

But they weren't the only heroes I saw that day.

All in all we visited about 75-80 veterans in about a two-hour time frame. I'm not sure how to put those individual experiences into words. Too quick a description wouldn't do it justice, but a full-review might tug at your heart strings just as it did ours.

How do you tell about the old, grandfatherly veterans with tubes in their nose and arms who smile as we introduced ourselves and then calmly say, "I was in Germany or Normandy or Africa"? How do you tell about the loving wives who spoon fed these men who once stared death in the face and fought for the liberty of the entire free world?

How do you talk about the pained look in an older, long-haired Vietnam veteran's eyes as we handed him his packet of thank-you letters, stickers and pins when he said, "But I didn't enlist, I was drafted" as if to say, "Are you sure I deserve this? I did my duty, but am I really good enough for this?"

Or how do you place into words the conversation with a crying wife as she explained that her husband, lying in the bed next to her chair, was suffering complications from Agent Orange, the toxic herbicide used in Vietnam. "He wasn't even on the ground," she explained. "He got it from the ship he was on that they shipped Agent Orange on."

I do not mean to paint the visit as negative or depressing. Perhaps eye-opening is a better term. We sure had our fair share of fun as well, the visit was a memorable and very positive one for all. There were plenty of vets who we laughed with, shared personal stories with and, in those moments, became friends with. There were photo-ops with entire nursing stations and staff areas, and any veteran who asked if he could tell a joke found a willing audience. There was the warm and friendly janitor who helped us find our way when we became lost in the maze of hallways who went on to explain that she was retired Navy and was quite the athlete in her younger days. There was the nurse's aid who couldn't wait to shake all our hands or older vets who winked and flirted with our female athletes with a charm that must have been reminiscent of their younger glory days.

Perhaps one of my favorite moments, yet touching at the same time, came from a visit to one room with two veterans in it. The first veteran, a World War II vet, seemed to have lost his hearing, so we did the best we could, awkwardly shouting loud enough to be heard in the hall, and then stepped to the other side of the room/curtain and talked with another Vietnam vet who was laid out on his back, in obvious pain, but in brave and good spirits. After chatting for several minutes, we said our goodbyes and went to another room. Soon, a nurse came in, touched my arm and said, "Could you come back to room 13?" Back we went and this kind veteran quietly asked if we would all sign the envelope that contained his thank-you letters, just so he could remember who came to visit him.

And you must understand, these are only the experiences from my group. We split into two parties, so you're only getting half the story. I know the other half is just as full of uplifting moments and touching experiences.

As we made our rounds through the hospital, it really brought to my mind the saying that a little good can go a long way. How amazing it was to bring some light and fun into the lives of our veterans and the medical staff who serve them so well. Perhaps it was best expressed by one veteran who I chatted with who was just stopping by to pick up a prescription. We shook hands and with a twinkle in his eyes he said, "It is so wonderful that you all are here today. Some of these guys really need it, even just a visit." It wasn't what he said, it was how he said it. His tone reflected his inner feelings: "These are my comrades, my brothers and sisters. Thank you for looking out for them."

After our final goodbyes to the hospital staff, we walked out together, unified as athletes through service and the inner warmth it brings. Having planned two major hospital visits, the athletes kept asking me, "What are we doing next?"

Don't worry, there are plans in the works so stay tuned!

Thank you again to all the athletes who took the time to come help us serve. I appreciate your compassion and strength. Again, if you want to see some pictures from our visit you can do so here. And thank you to veterans everywhere who have served our country so honorably and sacrificed so much.

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Relay for Life: Bobsledders, Beauty Queens, and Kicking Cancer's Trash

So we announced a few weeks ago that our bobsled team was invited to help out at a local Relay for Life event held in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. I have to tell you, it was quite an event. Full of a lot of firsts, and a few lasts.

It was the first time we'd all gotten together to do a Relay for Life, though I and a few of my past teammates had done so.

It was the first time we'd offered to push people around in the bobsled to help raise money for cancer research. And man, oh man, what a blast! I have to give props to our team member Brad Welch for his ingenious wheel-system that he built to mount onto the shoes of the bobsled. I confess we were all a bit nervous when we put the system on and began to flip it over, but after a few people took their rides, confidence took over and we were pushing a bobsled on wheels across the soccer fields. By the end of the night, we were all pretty exhausted. Its tougher than the pictures will make it look.

Another first was that night was the first time (perhaps ever) that two beauty queens ever sat in a bobsled at the same time. When the even coordinators showed us where they wanted us to set up, we all laughed. It was right next to the booth that contained the 2009 Miss Utah and Miss Teen Utah. It was a rough night, let me tell you!

Both girls were very nice and even jumped into the sled for a ride across the field and back. Kudos to Miss Utah for her handling of the sled, if she's ever ready to kick off the high heels and put on some bobspikes, she might be a slider yet!

I think the best part for all of us, though, was knowing that we were making a difference. We couldn't help but stand there in thoughtful silence when all the cancer survivors began their walk around the park. There's a quiet serenity about them and you have to respect what they've gone through, what they've overcome. Perhaps that is why we love hearing about cancer survivors so much: because they show us that no matter what we face in life, no matter how difficult, we really can overcome. Whether our personal "cancers" be an illness, an addiction, financial stress, family struggles, or whatever the case may be, let us take a lesson from the chapter of cancer survivors. You face it, you beat it, and you come out stronger because of it.

Enjoy the pics everyone and I hope you have a great 4th of July weekend!

We're Headed to the Relay for Life

A couple weeks back, our bobsled team was invited to participate in a community event to promote healthy living. During this event, we had the privilege of meeting Melissa Lowry, the Cottonwood Heights local Relay Online Chair.

We got to talking about the upcoming American Cancer Society Relay for Life and what they were planning. Melissa wanted our team to participate in the event and well, it wasn’t long before the Don, Brad and I got the wheels in our heads moving. We started coming up with a couple of different things we could do to participate in the event.

If you've never heard of the Relay for Life, here’s what’s going on.

The relay is an all-night event where teams of people will take turns walking around a local track to help raise money and fight cancer. During the event, we’ve decided to bring the bobsled to the track and place it on wheels. We are going to offer rides to people who want to sit in the bobsled and be pushed by our team.

We’re all stoked about the idea. Not only is it for a great cause, but we are also going to get a bit of a workout in the process. The riders are going to have it cushy; maybe even try to find a couple pillows to place in the sled to make the ride that much more appealing.

We will be charging people to ride in the sled, but all of the proceeds will be going directly to the cause.

If you happen to be in Utah, and would like to come check it out, here are the details.

Relay for Life of Cottonwood Heights
June 19, 2009
7500 South 2500 East (Butler Park) Salt Lake City, Utah

For more information, go to the web site.

New Team Holm Bobsled Logo - Over 10 years and running

I was recently going through some boxes of my old junk and I came across some photos and documents dating back to my earliest days of bobsledding. Man, I almost felt old as I flipped through the pages of old time sheets, letters to my high school excusing my absence due to training, sponsorship agreements, and photos of a rather nerdy looking teenage bobsledder. Let's just say I'm glad that the glasses are gone! God bless whomever invented contacts.

But as I looked through all the old memorabila, the thought crossed my mind that I've been in bobsled since 1997. Wow. Has it really been that long? It sure doesn't feel like it. I mean, I did take two years off to serve as a missionary to Honduras and Belize for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Plus, when I got home, the next season and a half were really a bust since I had to fight tooth and nail to get track time at the Park City track. I was told over and over again, "We'll make it happen." And then no one ever did. I'll be forever grateful to Steve Revelli and Tom Raty for starting up the local skeleton group and letting my team and I slip into the training slots.

So, being in a creative mood (I am a graphic designer after all) having recently been working on an incredible project for the Price Musuem of Speed, I decided that it was time to revamp our ten-year old Team Holm Racing logo and turn it into what we really are: Team Holm Bobsled.

So, please, take a look at our new logo concept ideas and help us decide which one is best by voting at the top right hand corner of this blog.

Cheers!

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

Online Bobsled Game

Well, after a few weeks off and some repairs to the sled, we are looking forward to our last few days of training for the 2008-2009 season! Don't worry, we'll post some pictures from our World Cup adventure (including the ensuing sled work), but in the meantime, we thought we'd let you try your hand at the fast-paced world of bobsled...online that is!



Click to Play!

The Best of Times, The Worst of Times

Sitting here this morning after a few hours of job hunting, I can't help but think of that famous line from Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities." After the incredible time we had with training the other night, reaching the best time we've ever hit AND getting ready for the excitement of the World Cup next week, imagine the cold water splash of getting laid off yesterday.

Yup, that was my Friday morning surprise. Well, I can't say total surprise as I worked in the travel industry and we've been hit pretty hard by the economy. And yet, we just finished a hugely successful travel show Jan 30-31 in which I put in a ton of work. We had 3,000 attendees last year and 4,500 this year!

So now I find myself on the hunt. And trying to stay positive and focused for World Cup forerunning next week. For anyone who's been where I am, you can imagine that some moments make it tough to do so.

What am I looking for? Wait, am I shamelessly self-promoting on my team's blog? Oh well, as they say, "(Team) Captain's Perogative."

I'm looking for something in the following fields: marketing, advertising, graphic design, public relations, instructional, writing, media production, journalism whether it be print, TV, or radio, and pretty much anything that's out there!

I am also open to freelancing to all you self-employeds out there. Hiring someone full time to do your marketing/graphic design/media relations can be expensive and quite simply unfeasable. Solution? I can freelance the work that you need to increase the public's awareness of your company and its services.

Whether it be something as simple as designing a business card or as complex as creating a website, I can help you with it. And I'm cheap! Much cheaper than you would pay someone full-time or even a professional production studio. You can expect to pay bucco bucks for that sort of thing. But I have almost 10 years of experience in the field and can promise you top-level work. When is the best time to cut marketing costs? Never. Companies make that mistake when times are tough and it only hurts them in the end.

And don't be afraid to pass the word around about my services! If you know of any friends, family, or previous employers who could use some inexpensive marketing and graphic design work, please pass this information along to them and I would be happy to work with them.

As you can see, I'm hitting the ground running. So many of you have been such incredible supports for my bobsled running, now I ask for your help in my financial running!

Giving It Your Best is a Good Feeling

There are some nights in our sport that just feel amazing. Nights when everything just gels together. The energy is just right, the sled is dialed in, and the driving is just perfect.

Well last night was almost one of those nights (driver error on the second run ruined it). A slight drop out of Turn 11 and a brush in Low-Point kind of set us back from a perfect second run.

The good news is that we got all the bungies for the brakes replaced and moved the handles for the #2 spot back a little bit. Turns out we'll have to move them again, but the brake handles worked just great for both runs. We're trying to get the sled all dialed in for World Cup forerunning next week. We also need to adjust the driving bungies and use our coach's alignment bar for the runners. But that's a story for another time.

Last night we had a bit of a laugh because we got the sled up to the top and two-man after two-man kept arriving. Turns out there was a race-off to see who was forerunning for the two-man races. Oh well, we wanted to focus on four-man last night anyway! The ice was nice and the track was fast.

So fast that we PR'ed, or hit our "Personal Best" downtime: 49.87 seconds. That was our first run, and as soon as we came down the braking stretch and saw the time I heard the crew behind me start cheering. Our goal is go get down into the 48's, but we'll have to do some sled work and some leg work to make it happen. We were all very pleased with the 49.87, however. I know World Cup times are a few seconds faster than that, but it was a great accomplishment for us. And we didn't even have as fast a push as we could!

As a driver it feels very good to hit that mark! Now we just need to finish up work on the sled and get ready for World Cup next week. Cheers!

Down By Two

(A post from Blackout – Don)

Last Saturday came as a surprise to both Jeremy and I. We were unaware there was going to be a bobsled race; therefore, didn’t do much to prepare for it. Sure we’ve been at the track regularly, but practicing 4-man bobsled. The race was for 2-man sleds. Until Saturday morning, we hadn’t pulled out the 2-man in about a month and a half. That sled felt neglected (and it made sure we knew that).

We got to the track about an hour before the race to do a little maintenance. Most of the time was spent sanding runners. After about 45 min, the runners weren’t perfect, but they looked better.

Show time!

Once the sled was in position, Jeremy and I set ourselves and began the cadence: “Back. Set. Ready…”

Since I don’t see much in the back, I have to recall the trip down the track by feeling. And once I felt turn four, I knew something wasn’t right; we were taping walls and dropping out of turns.

Sure enough, once we crossed the finish line Jeremy turned to me and said, “Something’s not right with the steering.” (Yeah, that would explain the ride.) And after the first heat, Team Holm was in fourth place.

After taking a couple minutes to adjust the steering, and getting back in the zone, we were back at the top of the track waiting for our second and final heat of the race. (If there were ever a time to get in the zone, this was it. We needed a really good push off, and you could tell that Jeremy was ready to pilot.

Again came the cadence: “Back. Set. Ready…” And we’re off! We definitely pushed harder; I also gave it a couple more steps before jumping in. (I think I kick Jeremy by accident during the load.)

This time it was a lot smoother, and I could feel Jeremy taking the bobsled to higher lines than before.

Given the condition of the track (I failed to mention it was raining that day and we were sliding on slush – not ice, which would be far more conducive to bobsledding) we were pleased with the run. But, we still needed to wait for one more bobsled before finding out if we medaled.

Sure enough, we made it! We came in third. I gotta hand it to Jeremy; he did a fabulous job getting us down the track safely the first time, and having a killer run the second time. Medaling with a non-responsive bobsled is pretty impressive.

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.

Hmmm that's odd...

In the world of social media, numbers can either mean everything or nothing. It all depends on what you're going for. If your blog or online profile on the social site is just for fun, numbers don't mean anything. But if you're a professional blogger or a business profile, you try to boost your numbers as much as possible.

The Team Holm Racing blog is a bit of a mixture of both. It is written mostly in fun for our friends and family to follow our weekly training sessions and what life is like in the sport. We've made it very clear that we are not the US Bobsled team, but you can read all about them on www.usbsf.com.

That being said, it has been fun, and odd, to see readers finding this blog all over the world. From Utah to India, Australia to England, Switzerland to Japan, we've gotten hits from across the globe. And lately there's been a lot of them. We used to get maybe 7 or 8 views a day. Yesterday we logged 48. How does a jump like that happen? Blame it on lucky keywords or just a lot of posts, but it has been fun to see the power of the Internet in action.

We hope you enjoy our blog and the stories and experiences we get to have in the sport. We're very lucky to get to do what we do. As the Australian national bobsled team told us, we're lucky to have the opportunity to live close to a track, have training time to get to do it, and be able to just drive right up after work or school and slide.

We really are some lucky guys.

For Your Viewing Pleasure

Dear All,

At Team Holm Racing we've toyed around with the idea of putting together a fun video for the team that we can show friends and family as well as potential sponsors and groups we might find ourselves presenting to.

Well here it is!



Let us know what you think! And a special thanks to all the athletes, photographers, videographers, and editors who helped finish it. And an even bigger thank you to the man behind the scenes who sponsored the production of the video, Donny Osmond. Thank you, sir!

Taking One For The Team

This past Friday we had a bit of a last-minute change to our training session. And it reminded me of a sport-related principle that isn't often seen in the competitive world of athletics.

Right before the final check-in time for the session, two of our athletes let me know that they couldn't make it up in time. So there we were, three athletes with a four-man sled ready to go. As the clock marched forward, we desperately tried to find another athlete who would jump in with us. This is difficult at the last minute as all the other athletes who are up there are heavily focused on their own training schedules and needs. Totally understandable.

About fifteen minutes before the session was to start, Chad, one of the skeleton athletes, said he would be willing to ride with us and still take his skeleton runs down the track. I was so grateful as by this point I was starting to feel a bit nervous and frustrated.

The point I wanted to make, in gratitude for Chad's willingness to help, is that in the end he had to skip his planned skeleton runs down the track so he could ride with us. And we had some decent times, ones that I was very happy with. Like I said, its not very often that you see an athlete in any sport who is willing to give up what they want in order to help another. It was the perfect example of "sportsmanship."

A special thanks to Chad for helping Team Holm get their training in on Friday night and for helping us get some great times!

On a side note, we must have impressed the coaches as they kept saying that I was making the driving-coaching too easy for them. They had nothing to advice me on!

And to make matters even greater, after the session we were officially asked to Forerun (hill test) for the FIBT World Cup race to be held on the track in mid-February. Stay tuned for details and times!

Auzzie, Auzzie, Auzzie - Oy, oy, oy!

L to R:Jeremy Holm, Jason Oliveri, Jeremy Rolleston, Matt Storms, and Don Osmond)

This past week and a half has been a lot of fun for us as a team. As we've tried to cram in as many training sessions as possible to make up for the holiday break, we've found ourselves up at the track as much as four days a week.

One of the best part about bobsledding is all the friends that you make through the sport. Not that they're all bobsledders themselves, you get to meet athletes from all sports, summer and winter.

These past few training sessions we've had the great honor of training alongside some athletes from the Australian bobsled team. Jeremy Rolleston and Jason Oliveri. Despite requiring a few minutes of straight conversation to get used to their accents, we quickly became mates with these guys and had a lot of fun together (especially when they were so thoughtful and tried to buy us beer as a thank-you for all the help we gave them even though none of us, including the Aussies, drink)! I was able to sit and talk with Jeremy and go over drive-lines in the track and to help him in some spots he was trying nail down. Some of the Team Holm pushers were able to go over technique with Jason as well.

And then, the best of all, we were able to get Jeremy into our 4man bobsled for some runs just before they had to leave to head back to Australia. Two Team Holm athletes, Don Osmond and Matt Storms, even volunteered to ride with Jeremy on his runs down the track that night. I decided that Jeremy needed the runs and my athletes more than I did, so I helped coach at the top of the track that night. And he did great! Jeremy's first runs down in a 4man were very nicely done, so good on ya mate!

Afterwards we all went down to Main Street Park City for a farewell dinner. Although it ended up a late night by the time we all got to our homes, it was well worth it.

Jeremy and Jason, you'll always have mates in Team Holm Bobsled and we'll see you on the ice!

Merry Christmas!