​Whistler, BC, Canada
November 4, 2017

This was the first race of my bobsled career. I slid with Pilot Kristi Koplin.

Race day is a different feel. There are more emotions and the hype is there. I put on my speed suit, burn vest, helmet, ice spikes and mouth guard and we were ready.

We pushed, jumped in, had the smoothest first 6 turns, and then I heard Kristi say “sh**” and then the sound of the sled dragging on the ice.

This is it. This is what it feels like to crash.
 
I held on tight and screamed. We flipped back and forth from one side to another and at one point we were in upside down. We made it cross the finish line and the track workers caught us.

I got out and was fine. My shoulders were burnt from the ice burn but I wasn’t dizzy at all. Like, the least dizzy I had ever been after a ride. Now looking at it, it was adrenaline. Kristi got pretty beat up. Her ankle, finger and head. We ended up not taking a second run because she wasn’t feeling well at all. The best part of it all, they ended up canceling the second run (which never happens), for reasons I am unsure of (so many crashes I think), and so we didn’t get disqualified.
 
To top it off, we ran a killer start time: 5.27. We had the fastest of anyone. God was sure watching out for us. The brakeman
normally take it pretty hard hit when they tip, especially from as high up as we were on the track (turn 7).

My shoulders are in rough shape this morning though (11/5). I am excited to just go watch today and cheer on Team USA!

Whistler, Canada
November 2, 2017
 
NAC Bobsleigh Tour
-1.6 C or 29 degrees F

Whistler, British Colombia, Canada -- breathtaking beautiful. This is the first stop of the NAC tour.
 
There are 2 pilots here and 4 of us brakeman. This is really a blue-collar sport; we lift, transport and work on the sleds ourselves. The two pilots rented trucks so we could transport the sleds from our garage to the track. The sleds weigh about 400 lbs.
 
I took two slides on Nov 1. I was just as nervous as before because it had been a week plus since I slid and the last time. Lake Placid is the roughest and most technical track in the world but Whistler is the fastest…awesome. LOL!
 
The two slides went great. You could feel the speed! We went 86 mph or 133 km. I was dizzy though. I think because it was my first time on this new track, it was dark when I slid, and I didn’t know what to expect.
 
Today we have a race off to see who gets to be the brakeman for the pilots on race day. It snowed like 4-6” last night!