Chicago and More

HI... sorry I haven't written in so long!! I've been REALLY busy with school, my new job at P.F. Changs and training. Chicago is great! I can't wait for it to get a little warmer. Here are a few pics of what I've been up to. This past week I helped out at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Media Summit. The event went exceptionally well and provided a great opportunity for the media to get aquainted with some of Beijing's Olympic hopefuls.

Mellenium Park (Downtown Chicago)

USA Track & Field Press conference

USA Track & Field Sports Illustrated Photo Shoot

BMX Washington Post Photo Shoot

...and of course, my Sports Illustrated shoot (while the photographers were out to lunch!haha)


As soon as I have a free minute I'll finish up some season wrap up thoughts and tell you more about Chicago!!

World Champs - Day 1

WOW…. That’s the first thing that comes out of my mouth when describing this day! There were so many people at the track it was incredible… It took me ten minutes to walk up the outrun after my run because I was surrounded by kids cheering and wanting my autograph! It was really neat. I don't know that I've ever felt so important in my entire skeleton career. haha

As far as my actual sliding, I was happy with how I did. I definitely had some trouble on the top half of the track my first run but was able to fix it on my second. The biggest factor of the day was frosty ice. It was a huge advantage to go off early in the pack when the ice was freshly spritzed. The air was so warm that the refrigeration had to be turned up which quickly created thick frost on the surface. In a sport where hundredths of a second can determine placement, it was strange that my second run was exactly 2 seconds faster than my first. That’s not normal in sliding sports but there wasn’t much we could do about it. I’m definitely pleased with where I’m sitting knowing there’s room for improvement tomorrow. Let’s see what happens!


Pics: Both from the race today!

YOU CAN WATCH THE RACE LIVE (OR ANYTIME AFTERWARDS) ON ********** www.NBCOlympics.com************
There is a link on the home page for Skeleton World Championships!!

...I'm Racing! WOW

It’s crazy how things end up sometimes… I was brought to Altenberg as an alternate for World Championships after learning of Annie’s strained hamstring. To be honest, I was just excited to stay in Europe and continue my all expense paid vacation and help out the team in any way I could. Annie was getting the best treatment possible and had two weeks to recover so in the back of my head I never expected to race. I trained with the team as if I were competing but the first few nights, I’m not going to lie, I cracked open a beer and enjoyed hanging out in the hotel. Sunday after dinner the coaches informed me of the BIG news… I’m racing! Annie made the decision to give up her spot knowing she may not be 100% for the race.
Going from my world cup debut just two weeks ago to competing in world championships is crazy! To top it off, it’s in Altenberg, which is arguably the most challenging track in the world. I’ve only slid here three times prior to this week a few years ago and that race was cancelled due to heavy snow. I don’t really get scared of tracks… maybe a bit nervous the first time down but this one has a serious reputation of beating people up. I just hope I can pick it up quickly and be competitive come race day. It’s going to be tough but I look forward to every second of it!! This is such an awesome and unexpected experience that I’m sure I’ll be happy with whatever happens this week!!

Pic: This is the view that I woke up to outside my window this morning :)

Buchenwald Concentration Camp

Germany is a country rich with captivating history, especially in the last 100 years. Often times we jump on the autobahn and don’t realize what we are missing just off in the distance while we travel to our next destination. Last week on our way to Oberhof, we decided to stop at Buchenwald Concentration Camp for a little history lesson. Well, for most of us it became a big history lesson and a great eye-opening perspective on life… I thought I’d share a bit of what I learned.

Buchenwald was built in the summer of 1937 on Ettersberg Mountain just outside of Weimar. Originally it was intended for political opponents to the Nazi regime, previously convicted criminals, Jews, Jehovah’s Witnesses and homosexuals. After the war started, there was an increasing amount of inmates from other countries and by the time the camp was liberated, 95% were non-German. In the 8 years of operation, 250,000 people were imprisoned and more than 50,000 lost their lives. There were no gas chambers at Buchenwald. Instead, malnutrition was the leading cause of death along with medical experimentations, hangings and shootings. Not to mention thousands lost their lives from hypothermia in the winter months. The details of how inmates were terminated were disturbing and eerie as I stood in the original buildings where the events took place. I was sick to my stomach as I walked through the interrogation cells and crematory. It really is an experience that I can’t put into words as I imagined what actually took place under my feet.

The team split up into groups and toured the camp for two hours with a hand-held automated guide. We listened to actual excerpts from inmate journals and stories from survivors. Everyone had studied WWII and the holocaust in school but agreed that seeing this memorial site in person left a much larger impact than a textbook ever could. We all left Buchenwald feeling exhausted, enlightened and knowing just how lucky we are to be doing what we are doing today.


Pictures:
1) One of many rock memorials constructed onsite.
2) The main gate which every inmate passed through as they arrived. The inscription on the door read from the inside said, "To Each His Own". This picture was taken in 1945.
3) The same gate today.
4) Eric and Katie reading the inscription on one of the memorial rocks placed where an inmate barrack use to stand.

WINTERBERG WORLD CUP -11th

I finished 11th in my first world cup race and I couldn’t be happier. What a great experience and what a way to finish the season off on a positive note. I woke up this morning with some crazy feelings... I couldn’t tell if I was nervous or just overly excited for something I’ve been looking forward to for so long. I knew it was most likely both and I went about my morning like I would any other race… Intercontinental Cup prepared me well. One thing I like to do when I first arrive is to snap a few pictures. Some people may think I’m not focused but it helps me appreciate the day and where I am at that moment. Race day is special to me so I want to be able to look back and remember my experience as well as share it with others that can’t be here.
Really the only differences on the surface of a world cup race are the TV cameras, sponsor signage and a lot more spectators! I was surprised that all that didn’t faze me much (especially when I had a massive camera in my peripheral vision as I stood on the start line)… I guess I thought it was all really cool and then it became fun.

Speaking of fun, I had the best time at this race! I had a huge smile on my face before and after each run because it was more about proving to myself that I could put down two solid runs and where ever that put me in the rankings was okay with me. I was loving all of the people watching especially when I got off my sled and could wave to a crowd… it made me feel kind of important.

For me, today was a lot about perspective and attitude. I realized that this was a huge competition for me but I also knew that it was just another race. I did what I knew how to do and that included having a the right state of mind. I was happy to be there, I was excited to race, and I no one could change that! For me, the result was more than I could have hoped for on a track that happens to be my least favorite in Europe. What an awesome day!!
Pics:
1) This is the view we had from the top of the track... it's not often we see the sun in Winterberg so this was an extra special morning!!
2) Court and I at the finish after our second run

** There are a lot more pictures of the races this weekend in my photo gallery- Album: 2007-2008 Season (Winterberg World CUp)

MY WORLD CUP DEBUT!!!!

The team has been in Winterberg, Germany for the past week… We’ve had awesome weather that has consisted of snow, rain, snowy-rain and dark clouds.haha Needless to say, training has been interesting… different conditions on the track every day has made it hard to test equipment. The race tomorrow is going to be bright and sunny!! Imagine that... if any day of the week is going to be nice I'm glad it's race day :)

I’ve always wanted to race on the World Cup team so this really is a dream come true. Intercontinental Cup has prepared me well… training has led me to believe that I can be competitive with this group of sliders so I’m looking forward to the race. I didn’t expect to have the opportunity to race here so I’m more excited than anything… not only that, I don’t have any expectations for myself as far as results so I’m ready to just give it my all and see what happens. I just hope that I’ll be able to stay composed and focused in order to put down a run that I know I’m capable of. I’d like to go out there and have fun… for real, I’m not just saying that!! This is my last race of the year and I want to enjoy it!!

PS: Annie O'Shea is racing in Jr. Worlds tomorrow too... if she wins then I'll get a spot at WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS!!! So wish her luck too :)

Picture: I'm 15th off in the race... I sewed my first bib and got my first credential for a race!! I was kind of excited!!

Attitude.

Wow, what a change in attitude from the last time I was here in Konigssee. It has been so awesome to travel with the World Cup team. I’ve been able to appreciate every second of my first fully-funded trip and the opportunity to watch the best sliders in the world compete here in Europe. It’s amazing how eager you get to slide when you’re not allowed. I watched my teammates for two days straight and while I learned a lot, I was dying to get on my sled. Today I was SUPER lucky to get the chance to forerun!! If I left tomorrow I would be happy knowing and believing that I would be competitive on this circuit overseas. I slid better than I ever have here and I most definitely contribute that to my attitude. Today, it was all about enjoying my time on the track because it may have been my only day to slide this week… and I just found out that I get one more day of forerunning tomorrow! Yippee. I can’t remember the last time I slid to have fun without the pressure of having everything figured out for a race. My pushes were even strong and I’ve been struggling with deteriorating strength towards the end of the season. It’s almost like being here is a new challenge for me and I’m loving it. Everyone on the team has been getting along great… I guess I just don’t have enough good things to say about being here.