HOW I GOT STARTED
Have you ever been able to go back in your life of decision-making and find that one crucial point that changed your entire path? I can honestly say that time came for me my sophomore year in college after sitting through a class I was taking called “Contemporary Issues in Sport”. My decision had nothing to do with the actual class, but everything to do with a friend of mine, Allison Nickel, that handed me an application to apply for an internship with the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC). There was only one week until the deadline and she had decided not to apply herself but thought I might be interested. Of course, as a college student with a million things going on in my life, I got excited for about two seconds until I realized it required two recommendations, an essay, and a ton of paperwork…all to be finished in less than a week! I thought it sounded like an amazing opportunity, so despite the time crunch, I took it to my academic advisor, Lynn Schweizer. I needed a little guidance and motivation because I was about to let it all slip through my fingers. Lynn was able to give me that push and helped me pull everything together last minute. Four months later, I found myself checking into the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center for my first summer internship.

I was extremely nervous and excited at the same time. Being far away from home and not knowing anyone didn’t really bother me that much. It all hit me at dinner that night when suddenly a huge shadow came over my food and I looked up to see Rulon Gardner sitting down at the table next to me! All I could think of was “Oh my gosh, that’s Rulon Gardner… I watched him on TV… he won a gold medal at the Sydney Olympics in wrestling”. I became so star struck I almost couldn’t finish my food.  I couldn’t believe that I was living at the OLYMPIC TRAINING CENTER! Later that evening I met the rest of the 23 interns that I would be living with. We all became great friends that summer and still keep in touch to this day. 

I worked for the “2012 Bid Cities” department. My office was in charge of choosing the best city to represent the U.S. in the worldwide bid for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. At the time, there were seven cities in the running - Baltimore/ Washington, Cincinnati, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Tampa. New York was chosen, but in the end, London, England was the final winner. With the help of my supervisor, Keith Ferguson, I learned a great deal about how much effort goes into putting on the Olympics… It’s unbelievable and I’ve only seen a fraction! This was my first true-life experience working behind the scenes of a major organization.

It was this internship that gave me the opportunity to work at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. USOC Media Director, Bob Condron offered me a position on the media staff and it was a proposition I couldn’t turn down! Due to the length of time I had to be in Utah, I took my entire second semester off (junior year) at Denison and packed my bags. Little did I know I was about to embark on one of the most amazing and memorable times I’ve ever had. The two months I spent in Salt Lake were full of hard work, new experiences, life and culture. The positive energy and team spirit in that city during the Games was unforgettable. 

My media credential allowed me to attend team practices and this is where I stumbled across Skeleton in person for the first time. I had seen it on a Home Depot commercial prior to the Games so I knew I wanted to check it out. I woke up early one morning and jumped on a bus up to the track. I had three hours before I needed to be at work so I had to make it quick with all the traveling involved. I remember being a bit lost at the bottom of the track because the signage wasn’t quite posted… the event wasn’t held until the last day. All of the sudden I heard what sounded like a rollercoaster flying behind me, but by the time I turned around there was nothing there. I made my way over to the ice and stood there in amazement. How in the world do these people go so fast on such a little sled? I had to see another person go down so I made my way up to the top. Every three minutes another slider sailed past me and was out of sight in a blink of an eye. I guess you can say I was a bit fascinated. I could have stayed at the track all day, but I had to get back to work. That morning opened my eyes to something I’d never seen before. I was hooked! From then on I was on a mission to gather as much contact information as I could on Skeleton. I just had this burning desire get on a sled myself! At the time, that was honestly my only intention… just to try it. Well, I guess I’m still “trying it”! It has become such a thrill in my life to wake up everyday and try to make myself a better person mentally and physically. Sliding is the added bonus that teaches me something new each time I go down the track because you can never have the same run twice. It truly is an amazing sport and I encourage anyone who has an interest to get involved to contact me and I’ll be happy to point you in the right direction! 

I suppose the moral of my story is… The next time you are faced with a small decision, take a minute to stop and think about where it could lead you.  Who would have thought that one photocopied application with a fast approaching deadline would have ever led me to where I am today? Go Team USA!