Was it the most courageous,
or the most idiotic thing I've done?
I'm still not sure. In January, I participated in skeleton
school at one of Utah's Olympic Parks. My first run could be explained in
two words: sheer terror. Once I shot out of the first turn I wanted off the
ride. But my body, clinging to the sled beneath me, became both a rocket and
human pinball down "Hell Mountain."Wind whipped through my helmet's face shield threatening to pop out my contacts, while the roar of my helmet being slammed then dragged across the ice track was deafening. My prayer of "stay on the sled, be one with the sled" was continuously interrupted by "Oh #$@!, there's another turn!" As I ricocheted and blasted through the last turn, I started hyperventilating and shaking as my sled came to a stop. I planned on quitting—but I didn't.
3 Days, 9 Runs, 70mph and Countless Injuries
I completed three days of training with a total of nine runs, three of which were made from the top of the track, where our 2002 Olympic athletes launched. I hit 70 mph on my sled twice. Crazy? Yup. We lost half of our class to injuries: concussions, stitches, split chins, black eyes, bruises/welts, chipped teeth and cracked ribs. Don't worry, everyone is healing just fine (I suffered a strained neck and minor bruises). It was the experience of a lifetime. And my classmates and I are among the estimated 1,000 skeleton sliders in the world. Here are a few photos of my experience and fellow sliders (click to enlarge)!
