ArKanSaw...

Yea, I got to come home for Christmas to celebrate Jesus' birthday with the fam and get some much needed rest and recuperation in. Its been good to be home but its time to head back over to Europe (on friday) and continue living the dream. Here are some pictures from my time in Arkansas:

Doing the dew and watching my girls play! Leaving my team to bobsled was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, wish it was possible to coach and slide. 

               

Hanging with the sista for one of the last times before she moves to a top secret missionary location probably forever! 

Notice anything different about this picture? Look carefully and you will see Barbara Wilburn coaching the Marked Tree boys. She is the first female to ever coach a high school boys team to a state championship victory! I met her at a coaching clinic last year and she is awesome! Unfortunately her Marked Tree boys won the game over the Augusta boys. At least I can joke with my homeboy, Coach Everett (Augusta), that he got beat by a girl. 

First Half Highlights...

Wow, did I seriously just spend 5 weeks traveling around Europe on the U.S. Bobsled team? God is so good! I'm now on a 2 week break for Christmas in Arkansas before heading back over to Europe for the  second half of the season.

Check out the first half highlight video below:

Notre Dame Cathedral...

We don't get much time away from bobsledding over here in Europe. So we (the women's bobsled team) decided to see some sights while we were traveling from LaPlange to Winterberg, Germany this past weekend. We decided to stop at the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Strasbourg, France. It was surrounded by a festive European Christmas Market too!


The cathedral was pretty amazing. Hard to believe that it was built in the 11th century! As soon as we walked in I could just feel the awesomeness of the history in that place. Walking around I was awe struck by the Christian traditions, but the more I thought about it, the more I began to realize how ridiculous it all really was.



The massive crowds of people instantly became reverent as they entered the cathedral. Im not disrespecting that, I was also speechless, but is that what God really wants? Reverence to a building and place? Is that cathedral really the Holy ground that everyone seemed to think it was? I began to feel like I was walking in the shoes of St. Francis of Assisi or Martin Luther.


One of my mottos is: Don't go to church. Be the church.

Think about that. The Spirit of God no longer dwells inside a building or place. The temple curtain was torn and things changed when Christ rose from the dead! Now His Spirit lives inside the believers who make up the Body of Christ, the Church. And we aren't tied down by traditions. Isn't that awesome!? We don't have to go to a Cathedral or pay indulgences to be free! St Francis of Assisi and Martin Luther took a stand against these issues of the church during the time that the Notre Dame Cathedral was thriving, and I think we still need to take a lesson from those theologians today.

So was the cathedral awesome? Heck yes it was! Is it any different from any other man made building? No, not really.

We (believers who make up the body of Christ) are the Church.

U.S. Womens National Bobsled Team
outside the Notre Dame Cathedral in Strasbourg, France 

Merci Beaucoup!

Greetings from France!

We are now in La Plange, France! Home of the 1992 winter Olympics! There has never been an international bobsled race on this track for women, so at training today I officially became one of the first American women to ever bobsled in France!

We have been fairly lucky with weather so far this year. Temperatures have been in the 50's and sunny for most of tour. However winter has arrived. It has not stopped snowing for 3 days now! It's a perfect fit considering this entire village is a huge ski resort located in the French Alps!

The view outside my hotel window. 

Team Competition...

I got to race in the World Cup Team Competition in Igls, Austria. It was a blast! In the team competition one men's skeleton sled, one women's bobsled, one women's skeleton sled, and one men's bobsled team together for one push each.

Article: "U.S. sixth in team competition" 

You can watch a replay of the event here:

http://eurovision.digotel.com/fibt/index.html

Click on "WC Igls" and then "Team Comp"

Game Day...

Article:
"Meyers teams with Reinbolt for second consecutive victory" 

We have 5 brakewomen and 3 drivers on the National Bobsled team, so there will always be two brakemen as alternates on standby. As a rookie brakemen I won't get many chances to compete this season and will mainly be an alternate (which is still an amazing experience). However, I had the opportunity to race in two races of the Europa Cup this week in Königssee, Germany. It was awesome!

On Friday I raced with Jazmine Fenlator and we finished on the podium in 5th place! Then on Saturday I raced with Elana Meyers and we fought to finish with the gold in 1st place! This was definitely all Gods doing! Especially considering how close Saturdays race was.

A Nazi Thanksgiving...

Its funny how we take things for granted and forget that our american holidays are not always celebrated around the world. In fact, the rest of the world thinks that half of the stuff we americans do is just plain craziness.

We celebrated Thanksgiving in Germany as one big bobsled family. The people at the hotel restaurant even did a fabulous job at using Google to look up exactly how to make things like mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cranberry sauce.

Bobsled Thanksgiving in Koenigsee, Germany 

Earlier in the week a few of us took a journey to discover some old WWII Nazi tunnels. It was crazy to think that such a peaceful country was terrorized by this horrible war and genocide just a few decades ago. Several people around this area even still have vivid memories of it all.

Katie peeping through a Nazi Machine gun post. 

I refuse to do nothing...

Whether you are a sports fan or not, you have probably heard about the recent firing of the legendary football coach, Joe Paterno, from Penn State University. Neither Joe Paterno or the Penn State University President were directly involved with the abuse that took place on their campus. They were not guilty of committing the crime. They didn't do anything, and that is precisely the problem. They did nothing.

It is easy for us to point fingers at this tragedy and think to ourselves, "How could someone just allow that to happen?" However, the sad reality of the situation is that we are all facing similar situations in our lives. The question is, will we do something about it, or will we do nothing?

Think about it. How many times have we as individuals simply done nothing when someone else needed a friend, a bite to eat, someone to listen, or simply someone to stand up for them.

I've been in Austria for six days now and keep thinking about the horrible holocaust that took place here several years ago. The history of this place constantly reminds me of the current slavery, human trafficking, and genocide taking place around the world at this very instant. Situations like the holocaust are alive and growing. More than 27 million people are in slavery today. About 1.5 million children are homeless in the good ole' USA. And what are we doing about it?

The point I'm trying to make out of this is that we will all still be held accountable and found guilty for simply doing nothing. God calls us to seek justice, and be a voice for the voiceless. Refuse to do nothing.

My sisters blog:
http://twocandlesonelight.blogspot.com

International Justice Mission:
www.ijm.org

Austria!!!

Saturday may have been the longest day of my life, literally. After a long trip from Lake Placid, NY we finally arrived in Munich, Germany. From there we unloaded our crates full of sleds and equipment into big Mercedes vans and drove to Austria. The crazy thing is that the vans are stick shift and none of us really have any experience driving a stick, especially not through the Alps. But we made it safely to Igls, Austria, unloaded our crates, and then recovered from the jet lag. Check out our video from the day below:

Schedule...

Eight months ago, if you would have told me that tomorrow I'd be leaving to bobsled around Europe as a part of the US National Team I dont know if I would have believed you. Even one month ago I would have been skeptical. But thanks to God, it's really about to happen! Here is the schedule for the first half of the season!

11/11 - 11/20  Igls, Austria
11/21 - 11/27  Konigssee, Germany
11/28 - 12/4    Igls, Austria
12/5 - 12/11    LaPlange, France
12/12 - 12/18  Winterburg, Germany

You can check out http://www.universalsports.com/ for coverage of the events.
And http://www.fibt.com/ for results.

And if you still are confused about why I do this crazy sport, maybe this video featuring my coaches in their old glory days will help you understand:

Meet the team...

Click here to meet the 2011 USA Womens National Bobsled Team :)

"Legends are born in October" -Baseball World Series Quote

It seems like God tends to enjoy displaying His power and glory by using average people to do extraordinary things. He loves a good underdog story. After all, He used a small shepard boy named David to defeat a giant warrior and He used Gideon to lead a tiny army to a huge victory.

I've just had one of those experiences where the only possible expalaniation to my underdog victory is simply God's graceful awesomeness. Let me explain:

Bobsledding is set up kind of like baseball. Just like professional baseball has the minor leagues, bobsledding has the Americas Cup. Then you have Major League Baseball which is an entirely different ballgame, and the equivilent to MLB in bobsledding is the World Cup.

It didnt seem like there was a chance in the world for me to make the World Cup Team this season. Especially considering that I am viewed as the smallest and weakest athlete in the womens bobsled program. So when I was asked to go on the Americas Cup tour after Push Championships in September, I said YES! I was pretty stoked about it. Heck, I even quit my job for it.

But I wanted more. When I came to Lake Placid for Team Trials in early October I decided not to accept the expectations set for me. I knew I wasn't going to have many chances to prove myself and that when my opportunity came I had to make every moment count.  Afterall, I had nothing to loose.

I made the most of my opportunities, and praise the Lord, I was moved up to the National World Cup Team! The only possible explanation for all of this is God. Its all because of His grace and I truely believe He has placed me on this team for a reason. According to the bobsled world, I was not supposed to be on the National Team this season. However one thing is for sure, you can expect the unexpected with God.

There is still a long road ahead. The dream is not finisished and there is still work to be done. I don't know how long or far this bobsled road will last, but as long as I'm following Christ it will be an amazing adventure.

If you've seen the movie "The Rookie" then you've basically heard my story.  Just like in the movie, I was a coach who taught my athletes to dream big. Then I left my girls for my dreams. I just pray that others are motivated by my experience.

Curve 4...

We went to check out some skeleton races this past weekend. This is a skeleton athlete flying through curve 4, the famous curve where I crashed.

Thankfully my arm is healing fast. I even got back on the track last night and took two trips down the track. God is good!

Miracle...

If you haven't seen the movie "Miracle", based on the true story of the 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team, you are missing out. I posted a movie trailer below. I nearly cry just from watching this preview. The movie combines so many memories from my experience on the Women's Football National Team with my bobsled dreams for the present and future.

The amazing true life story took place right here in Lake Placid and this past weekend I went to check out the rink where it all went down. It was awesome to say the least.

I also got to check out the Olympic museum.  It was humbling to see exhibits dedicated to several of my bobsled coaches and teammates that I have been working with. It was also a  good reminder not to take a second of my time here for granted.

Wipeout...

It's hard to believe that I have been in Lake Placid, NY for almost two weeks now. I feel like a college kid again; living in the dorms and spending hours hanging out in the cafeteria joking with freinds. However, the best part is that this is not college. This is the Olympic Training Center and I don't go to class, I bobsled!

In my last post I said that Gods timing is perfect. That has most definitly been proven true over the past week! Due to a short amount of bobsled drivers and a whole lot of brakemen, I have only taken two runs from the top of the mountain this season. Understanding the circumstances I knew I had to make every opportunity count, and glory to God, somehow I did. After the first two weeks of training, I currently have the second fastest start times out of all the U.S. Women this season. I have to give all the credit to God, becase none of this has been by my own ability. Plus, there is still alot of work to be done. I'm just trying to take this day by day, and enjoy every moment.

Wednesday night was pretty wild. I was taking a run with one of the best bobsledders in the world, Elana Meyers. In the first three curves I thought things were going as smooth as a bobsled run can go. Then all of a sudden I realized my head was scraping along the ice. Next the sled was completely upside down, then  we were on our side again and I was just struggling just to try and get back in the sled. Apparently this went on for almost a minute and for about 3/4 of a mile, down a mountain, on ice, at very high speeds, and through lots of gravitaional pressures. It was insane. Elana did a great job of repoisitoning herself so that she could turn around and hold me in the sled. Eventually the sled came to a stop the emergency workers immediately pulled us out and began to make sure we were okay. I just had to lay on the ice for a second and asked, "what was my start time?". All I can say is that this epic crash was definitely worth the start time.

Glory to God we both survived without any major injuries. No concussions, no broken bones, only a burn on my left shoulder. That's right, a burn, the friction of the speed of the ice along my shoulder actually melted my skin. Don't worry folks, the medical staff has been taking great care of it. And after all, its just a part of a day in the life of a bobsledder.




The burn on my left shoulder.




Here is a video from the view of a German bobsled pilot on our track here in Lake Placid. As a brakeman, I don't get to see this view, however Wednesday night I got to experience it.

Rain Check...

I arrived at the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center on Monday afternoon with hopes of jumping right into sliding. However warm weather and rain have been delaying the opening of the track. This has left all of the luge, skeleton, and bobsled athletes anxious for colder weather.

After much delay, we finally got some sleds on the track last night (Thursday). Opening Day had finally arrived! We have a rotation for brakemen that includes recovery/off days. Last night happened to be my off day, so I helped out with the sleds and just tried to soak up as much bobsled knowledge as possible.

Unfortunately it's raining again today and sliding is once again postponed. It has been frustraiting waiting around for days to get on the ice. I just try to remind myself that Gods timing is perfect and that I will get plenty of opportunities throughout the season. So until my time to shine arrives I'll be preparing to push fast by sprinting and lifting.





-Mt. Van Hovenberg Sliding Track at Sunset-



In the news...

If you missed the article in Sundays Democratt Gazette, check it out by clicking on the link below!

Chasing dreams produces Arkansas' version of Cool Runnings

Farewell...

This bobsled adventure quickly got to the point where I had to make a decision.  It wasn't fair to keep leaving my girls for extended periods of time to bobsled; and I wasn't going to get any further in bobsledding unless I committed myself to it full-time. Deciding between coaching at Augusta High School or pursuing my dream as a Bobsledder was probably one of the hardest decisions I have had to make.

This school year had started out a little more frustrating than normal so it was easy to find reasons to choose bobsledding. But I didn't want to make excuses and focus on the negative. So I started to look for reasons to choose Augusta over New York. I found about 15 of them - just pull out any lady devil roster and you will see the reasons clearly listed.

Saying that I had the privilege of coaching the best high school girls basketball team in the state of Arkansas would be an understatement. I'd take these girls up against any high school team in the nation. Most coaches spend their entire careers waiting to get a group of girls like I have. They are young but experienced, unselfish on the court, and they love to play defense. Not to mention, these girls can just flat out play ball. But that's not what makes this group special. Its not their talent and potential. Its the fact that I simply love them like they are my own children. They have grown on me in ways I never expected or imagined. Although I hope I have made and impact on each of their lives, they have all made a great impact on my life as well.

But then I realized my reasons to stay, were actually reasons to leave. Ever since my very first day at Augusta High I have been teaching these girls to dream big, take risks, work hard, and to go out and conquer the world. What kind of a lesson would I be teaching them if I didn't do that myself? Will they learn more from hearing me preach everyday, or will they learn more by witnessing me take a leap of faith?  I feel exactly like Jim Morris (they made the movie "The Rookie" about him) who left his high school baseball team to follow his dream in professional baseball. I just hope my story has a Hollywood ending.

In the beginning...

Many people have been wondering how a girl who claims to be from California but lives in Arkansas got into bobsledding. I'd like to say that the simple answer is that I dream big dreams and follow them. But the reality is that God is faithful and He seems to enjoy giving His children the desires of their hearts, especially when those desires are used to spread His glory.

I have wanted to give bobsledding a try for what seems like forever. I don't know what exactly triggered this desire. Maybe it was the movie Cool Runnings, maybe it was watching the Olympics on TV, or maybe it was a little bit of both. I do remember one particular instance during my senior year of high school when my dream was solidified and I started to tell everyone that I was going to be a bobsledder someday. Of course everyone thought I was crazy and told me it wasn't going to happen, but I didn't listen. After all, the two ladies I had just watched win the first ever women's bobsled gold medal at the 2002 Salt Lake Games did it. I was hooked.

I did my research over the years. I sent my athletic information into the Bobsled Federation, but nothing ever came of it. I planned to go to a tryout, but it never happened. After I graduated college I figured that my athletic days were over so my bobsled dreams started to fade away. And I just tried to keep my athlete days alive by following my football dreams (and that is a story for another day).

Then God brought me to Augusta High School (also a story for another day), where I am the Head Girls Basketball Coach and a PE Teacher. I started to work towards being the best coach possible and trying to make a difference in my athlete's lives. I was ready to completely retire from competition myself and focus on becoming a winning coach. Then during my first year of coaching, when I least expected it, I received an email about applying for the Women's Tackle Football National Team. Glory to God I made it! Through that experience I realized that maybe there was still some juice left in this old washed up athlete and maybe there was a bigger purpose in all of this. However at that point Bobsledding had almost completley fallen off the radar.

Then in my second year of coaching, I was spending a Sunday night doing what most coaches do: watching film and getting ready for our big games that week. When all of a sudden, something randomly popped up on my Facebook newsfeed. I must have clicked the "like" button on some bobsledding pages the year before when I was watching the 2010 Vancouver Games. The "Seeking Future Olympians: US Bobsled and Skeleton" Facebook page said something along the lines of "desperately seeking female brakeman". I think my heart skipped a beat.

It had been 8 years since I watched those Salt Lake Games in High school. And 6 years since I tried to try out for the team. I thought I was retired. But next thing you know I was e-mailing Olympic Bronze Medalist Elana Meyers about Bobsledding. And soon after I was in the back of a bobsled and hanging out at theOlympic Training Center.

But really, at that point I was still set on coaching. Still set on leading my girls to a State Championship. Bobsledding was just kind of another fun adventure.

That was last March. Since then I've been up to the Olympic Training Center for a combine, and then to compete in the National Push Championships. And now it's looking like I may be able to make one last go at this. It's crazy how things happen when you least expect them. Oh, and those two ladies that I talked about winning the gold in Salt Lake, I had the honor of competing against one of them (Vonetta Flowers!) at push championships.

I'm still very far away from my Olympic Dream. The truth is that it is not very likely for anyone to get there, much less me. But I'd be lying if I said that wasn't still my goal. And waking up every morning at the Olympic Training Center seems to be a step in the right direction. So next week, I'm headed to New York for hopefully a while. We have National Team Trials, and then it looks like I will be headed off as a brakeman on the Americas Cup Tour.

Live the Dream!