Bobsled World Championships
I hope 2023 is off to a great start! I can't believe it's been 18 months of sending monthly newsletters and thank you for being part of the PR community. Every month has been about topics to help you live a healthier lifestyle or fitness questions I am frequently asked.
This month I am switching it up to discuss the Bobsled World Championships. I am asked every day about bobsled, training with Team USA, and my goals of making it to the 2026 Winter Olympics so this newsletter will be blog style for the first time.
Joining Team USA
I haven't been doing bobsled my whole life and this is actually my first year in the sport. In March 2022, I set the goal of making the USA Bobsled Team and did everything in my power to make that goal happen. I did research on all current bobsled athletes to learn more about the athlete's background, height, weight, and what features of strength it takes to become a great bobsled athlete. Long story short, through a series of virtual combines, online interviews, in-person camps, in-person combines, and a lot of emails, I am now on the USA National Bobsled Team. If you're interested in the full story of what motivated me to set this goal and the recruitment process, check out the Barbend Podcast where I was a recent guest. It's a story about how you can do anything you set your mind to and that you can't wait for opportunity, you have to create it yourself.
The 22/23 Bobsled Season
In September 2022, the teams were selected for the 22/23 season. Every winter there are three international circuits for countries to compete in bobsled. There is the North American Cup (NAC), the Europa Cup (EC), and the World Cup. Every country puts its best sleds in the World Cup and the sleds that follow on NAC and EC. During the first half of the season, I was on NAC. The races took place in Whistler, Park City, and Lake Placid. Being brand new to the sport and a rookie, NAC was an amazing opportunity to learn, grow, and develop. My first race was NAC in Park City, home of the 2022 Winter Olympics. It is a fast track with high pressures. Cruising around big turns at 85+ mph you're folded like a lawn chair. The most underestimated thing about bobsled is how violent the sport is. You're holding on to a metal frame and thrown around like a sack of potatoes. Despite what most people think, there is no leaning involved. The pressures are so high you don't have much control of your body. Even after getting beat up during every run, I love the sport. The adrenaline, competition, camaraderie, and opportunity to represent Team USA and compete against world-class athletes is worth it. During this race, I got my first full runs under my belt, learned how to prep a bobsled, transport a sled, sand runners, and even had my first crash. Bobsled runs are approximately 60 seconds long and there is so much that goes on behind the scenes to get ready for training days and competitions. We don't have sled mechanics so the athletes are responsible for their sleds. 80% of this sport is sled work and when on tour it is very important you know how to do everything yourself. My pilot (Kris Horn) and I medaled in Park City and we had the 2nd fastest start time. Our start time was 5.04s and the fastest was 5.02s. Boblsed is a sport where every hundredth-second counts and the margin for error is so small. My only goal for this first half of the season was to learn and develop as much as I can. As we entered the second half of the season, the opportunity to join USA 2 on the World Cup quickly arose. I was called up to the big leagues and 8 days later had to book flights to Europe to compete in a World Cup race in Innsbrook Austria, an EC race in Winterberg Germany, and World Championships in St. Moritz Switzerland.
Bobsled World Championships 2023
World Championships is the biggest race of the season. It is essentially the Olympics of a non-Olympic year. World Championships is a different location each year and this one is held in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The St. Moritz track is the only track in the entire world made out of snow and by hand. All other tracks are made from cement/metal and iced over. It makes this track one of a kind and truly a special place. World Championships takes place over 2 weeks. Week 1 consists of 2-man and Monobob for women. Week 2 consists of 4-man and 2-woman. Prior to the race days, you have official training days where you have to qualify for the race. In order to qualify you must complete 2 successful runs in each discipline. The US did alright in 2-man and monobob and we just finished official training for week 2. We have alternatives in case of injury so that means even being out here you're not guaranteed to race. The teams were announced and I am beyond excited to be named to my first World Championships team. I will be competing in the 4-man races Saturday, Feb. 4th, and Sunday, Feb. 5th. There will be 2 runs each day and the winner after both days is the lowest cumulative downtime. I am honored to represent Team USA and compete against the best in the world in Boblsed. The races are on live networks across the world but the easiest way to watch it is the IBSF YouTube live stream. Races start 7 am EST on both days and if you miss the start because you're sleeping in on the weekend you can rewatch. The races are exciting and fun to watch, and it would mean a lot to know you're at home cheering us on.
