Genetic Freaks...really?

Genetic freak.  It's a term that gets thrown around a lot in power sports such as bobsled, track and field, and football.  It's a term that supposed to be a compliment, that so and so is a genetic freak, so and so is so athletically gifted, but what does it really mean?  A simple google search of "genetic freak" turns up many links to body building sites, the first a forum from steroidology.com (http://www.steroidology.com/forum/anabolic-steroid-forum/627368-how-do-you-know-if-man-genetic-freak.html).  The second site is the only source to turn to when vague new phrases are created, the urban dictionary:

1.	Genetic freak Share on twitter Share on facebook Share on more	11 thumbs up
	One who is a freak of nature. Mostly used to describe one's superior physical abilities but can also be used for superior mental abilities. Lebron James could dunk when he was 14, he's just a genetic freak. That guy Marco is a genetic freak, he barely works out and eats fast food all the time, but he has a six pack. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=genetic%20freak

So what really is a genetic freak?  How does anyone actually know if someone is a genetic freak versus someone who has just put in the time and effort to work hard and achieve a certain level of athleticism and fitness?  The short answer is, you don't.  In the past two seasons, two rookies have come in and won the women's bobsled push championships, does that mean they're both genetic freaks?  Another man on our team can power clean over 170kg, does that mean he's a genetic freak?  Most of our guys can squat over 200kg, does that mean they're all genetic freaks?  If at the end of the day all of my teammates (men's and women's bobsled teams) have extraordinary athletic talents in various areas, does that make all of us genetic freaks?  Some may say yes, but most will say no, so what then defines who are among the genetic freaks and who aren't?

Then the other question is, what makes someone a genetic freak anyway?  If someone comes from two parents who were athletic, is it freakish to think that their son or daughter will be athletic as well?  Can that person be a genetic freak then if they are exactly like their parents?  For example, my father was a running back- and I'm built exactly like him but in female form.  Does that exclude me from being a genetic freak because I'm built exactly like my genes say I would be built?  There's not anything freakish about being built like my father, it's in my blood...

So I guess the truly only way to know if someone is a genetic freak is to examine the genomes of athletes.  Is there a particular gene that certain athletes have that make them superior to other athletes?  Is this gene missing from their parents genome or did a new gene mutate in the athlete's genome to make them superior?  I'm not a geneticist, so I won't attempt to answer that question, but there's some very good research out there that examines genetics and athletics (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=genes-sports-talent).  

Even if we eventually do determine who our genetic freaks are, what does that mean?  Does that mean that everyone competing against genetic freaks should just give up?  Does that mean that genetic freaks should just stop training and let their genetics do all the work?  As coaches, do you just stop training a genetic freak and let them rely on these genetics?  Does that mean a genetic freak will win every time?  No, it certainly doesn't- it practically doesn't change anything!

The only thing calling someone a genetic freak does is give other athletes an excuse when they are defeated by one of these athletes...and excuses are pretty worthless in my book...

Sponsorship

Sponsorship.  It's a word that's commonplace these days around athlete circles, especially those training for Sochi 2014.  It seems like it's all anyone can talk about, and rightfully so- sponsorship is one of the ways athletes try to fund their careers and try to extend them as long as possible.  For us in the bobsled world and in other less mainstream sports, the lead up to the Olympics is the main time to attract sponsors in hopes that they'd join your team and help you along the journey.  It's during this time, April, May, and June, that all the major sponsorship deals are signed for the upcoming season and really an athlete's last chance to repay debt before the Olympics.  If you aren't one of the fortunate ones to sign a deal now, good luck making it to the games (financial hardships can cost athletes dearly in terms of athletic performance) and even better luck trying to capitalize after- where even if you have a medal, most companies have already committed to athletes already so they're out of sponsorship dollars.  It's a tough way to try to fund what you've been working on your whole life- to make an Olympic team and win a medal for your country- but it's necessary to reach your dream.  It's very hard to get there without at least one major sponsor, trust me- I know, as I currently don't have any...

So what's it like trying to attract sponsors?  It's quite a bit like dating.  Now as a female I've mostly left it up to the man to approach me (thankfully Nic took all the first steps), so I'm not as familiar with what it's like from a dating perspective to approach someone- but from what I've heard the two are very alike.  First, you've got to find a commonality between you and the sponsor- what do you have in common that can bring you together- aside from just needing money.  Then you have to attract them- whether it's through your athletic accomplishments, your connection with the company, your story as an athlete- etc.- attraction is the name of the game.  After this initial attraction by both parties, then the courting begins- it's a combination of you as the athlete selling yourself to the company and the company selling themselves to you- trying to see if a relationship can actually work.  Most of the time, unfortunately, it doesn't.  Much like dating, sometimes you hear a lot of nos before you get a yes (or like my mother used to say, "Sometimes you gotta kiss a lot of frogs, to get your Prince").  If you get a yes, then the relationship begins- a negotiation between what is expected from each party and hopefully you both end up happy- you become a family of sorts- offering support to each other in new and fun ways.  Sponsorship can be great for that- it introduces you to a whole new group of people- each of whom have their own relationship to sports, athletes, and the Olympics and it can be an awesome experience to be able to relate and share with them and the entire company.  On the other hand, if you get a no, it's back to the drawing board and starting all over again...

Unlike dating however (for most people who believe in monogamy), once you have one sponsor the work isn't done.  You've still got debt to pay back from the previous 4 sponsorship years, so you've got to try to attract another one to keep you going for the Olympic season and beyond (should you choose to continue).  So even though you've got one sponsor now, the work has only just begun, and it's time for the next pitch.

Now as I mentioned earlier, I currently don't have any sponsors, but it's not for lack of trying.  Earning sponsorship is a fascinating mix- you've got to put in the leg work to do so, but at what price?  I have an agent that handles most of the leg work for me, because at the end of the day I just don't have the time.  As much as the sponsorship is needed to fund my career, I need to focus on my performance and being the best athlete I can be, or else sponsorship won't be an issue at all- because I won't be able to keep making teams and winning medals.  It's a tricky balance- trying to get sponsors, raise money for your career, and train 40+ hours a week- but it must be done to some extent to continue to pursue your dreams.

Hopefully in a few months I'll be able to report that I have a sponsor, that I don't have to find odd jobs to try to pay for the season that cut into my preparation as an athlete, but nothing is guaranteed.  In the meantime, I have to focus on preparing myself for the upcoming season athletically, and do what I can to secure sponsors on the side.  Don't get me wrong, if I'm fortunate enough to secure a sponsor leading into 2014, I'll do everything I can to make that as great a relationship as possible, and I'm excited at the possibility of connecting with a company or business, but in the meantime, I can't afford to let talk of sponsorship consume me.  It has consumed many athletes in the lead up to the games, and I've seen it lead to the downfall of many athletes.  Many athletes get too concerned about capitalizing off the opportunity to make a little money and forget why we're all here.

We're here because we love our sports.  At the end of the day, sponsors or not, I still love bobsled and I still love going down the hill as fast as possible.  I'd love to have sponsors to help me keep bobsledding, but if I'm not fortunate enough to get them, I'm going to do whatever I can to keep bobsledding as long as possible- and not for the money- but because I love my country and I love my sport.  I love representing the USA and I love driving my sled.  I'll do this sport as long as I can, because there's no amount of money that can compare to the amazing feeling of wearing USA on your back for all the world to see.

WHOA...It's been a WHILE

It's been so long since I've blogged!  So much has happened- well I suppose a lot can happen in a year lol.  I'm now engaged, a two time World Championship medalist, and a silver medalist on the Olympic track- and that's just a small update of all that's happened!  With my blog for espnW and my increased tweeting (I'm addicted), I'm not sure there's much to leave for this blog anymore.  So I've decided to change things up a little bit.  This blog won't be used to update you on what's going on with me, but rather a forum for me to write on various topics that I don't get to write about in other instances.  Hopefully you'll find some of it funny and you'll find others intriguing and good reading.  Let me know what you'd like to hear about also, because I can blog a Q&A session.  At any rate, I enjoy blogging and I enjoy writing, so it's about high time I get back to it!  So I'm not going to blog all the things you can already find on the internet- the press stories- but hopefully topics you'll find interesting.

If there's anything you want me to comment on, let me know!

I'm back!

Celebrating my engagement with the girls
Photo by Charlie Booker

Support systems

Hugging my mom after winning a bronze medal at the 2012 World Championships.  So glad I was able to share this with her and my entire family.

I just recently returned back to Lake Placid to continue training for the upcoming season after driving 20 hours with my boyfriend to Douglasville to surprise my mom for her birthday.  She was completely shocked and I was so excited to see all of my family, as I didn't think I'd get the opportunity to see them until Christmas- and I wasn't even so sure about that.  So in that spirit, I write this blog...

I was talking with my little sister one day, who currently works as a CNA, and she stated that I didn't know what it's like to work with people who don't like me.  Oh to the contrary!  I live in an Olympic Training Center.  I wake up every morning and have breakfast with people who directly want to take my spot.  I eat train with them, eat lunch with them, spend time in the cold tub with them, eat dinner with them, and sometimes there even the last face I see before I go to bed.  It's quite the intense environment!  Every day you are directly confronted with people who want to beat you and of course, being the competitor that I am- I also want to beat them too.  Most jobs you go to work but then you get to come home to a loving family and relax and not think about the competition for the next promotion or the competition for the next big project.  That's not life in a training center.  In life in a training center, you're constantly reminded that no matter how much you may like your teammates, only one team can be on top of the podium and each person is working to be that team.  You are daily, hourly, face to face with your competition not only for a spot on the Olympic team, but also for a spot on the top of the podium.  And this type of environment can drive you completely insane...

But for the most part, I wouldn't consider myself insane (I still do bobsled after all- and that in itself is a little crazy).  So what's the key to keeping it all together in an intense environment?  For me, it's my support systems.  My support comes from all the people who love me regardless of how much I can squat or power clean, how fast I push, how I drive down an ice track, or how many medals I win.  My support comes from the people who know how to make me smile, who know how to make me life, and allow me to be myself and act as crazy as I want to be.  It's hard being over 1,000 miles away from home because in a large part my family is this support.  I love being able to talk football or finance with my father; I love being able to talk politics with my mother; I love being able to talk about relationships with my little sister; and I love being able to talk about all kinds of crazy with my older sister.  Luckily through technology I get to speak with them as much as I want, but it's really not the same as being with them- sharing our lives together.  It's crazy hard, which is why I was so happy to be able to go home this past week and spend time with them.  My support system is crazy vital to my success in the sport of bobsled.

Luckily, I also met the love of my life through bobsled.  Although I don't have my family by my side every day, I do have him and he provides me with more joy and laughter than I ever thought possible.  You see, that's the key to being able to be successful in such an intense environment, laughter and support, and he provides both.  Like yesterday- I've been struggling with power cleans for a long time now and despite devoting an entire month to just technique- it's still not clicking (needless to say I'll never be an Olympic weightlifter lol).  So yesterday was another day spent working on it- another day ending with me frustrated- a frustration that is hard to erase when I walk into the cafeteria and are faced with my teammates and competition.  My normal M.O. would be to wear my emotions on my sleeve, go into the caf and continue with my frustration, but that's not what happened.  What did happen is I walked into the caf and saw my boyfriend, who instantly made me smile and forget all about the power cleans.  We spent the entire dinner making up Cookie Monster remixes to popular songs, trying to see if we could send some to Sesame Street and get published (more on this later- and perhaps a song or two lol).  I didn't focus on my power cleans or what happened that day in the weight room, I didn't stay frustrated as I normally would have, I just smiled and laughed and had a great dinner.

That's what a support system is all about.  A support system loves and encourages you no matter what.  They love you through the rough times and cheer you on in the good times.  They pick you up when you're down and also humble you when you're too high (my mom doesn't care how many medals I win, I'll always have to keep my room clean at her house lol).  I love my family and I love my boyfriend and they'll be right beside me through the good times and bad times, in bobsled and after I retire.

P.S.- there are other people in my life that are support systems- my friends, my teammates, my fans, heck even my agent- but this blog wasn't about them- I'll speak more on that support later.  This blog was specifically devoted to those people who know me best- uninhibitedly.  Thank you to all my friends, teammates, fans, etc for all the support- I love you all!

The Facts: Olympic Finances

With the London 2012 Olympics just finishing up, throughout the course of these games there has been much discussion about the finances of Olympic athletes and their families.  See the following articles below:

http://money.cnn.com/2012/07/10/news/economy/olympic-athletes-financial/index.htm?hpt=hp_t2

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/08/07/gabby-douglas-ryan-lochte-why-families-of-america-s-olympics-athletes-are-broke.html

So what can you make out of all of this?  Well, here's my take:  the finances of Olympic athletes in the US is a very complex issue.  On one end you have superstars like LeBron James, Michael Phelps, and now Gabby Douglas, making millions just to name a few; but these are the very very few of the Olympic athletes who represent the U.S.  Think about it, out of the 529 2012 US Olympians, how many can you name?  Probably not a lot, but each of these athletes have spent great amounts of money to reach there goals, have wracked up credit cards bills, their families have taken out second mortgages or sacrificed other ways,  in order to reach their Olympic dream.  And so many others have done the exact same thing, only to get to Olympic trials and not make the US Olympic team.  Not only will the majority of US Olympians never make back from their sports what they spend, but for those who spend just as much if not more and don't make the team, they don't even get the reward of being able to call themselves Olympians.  All many of these once Olympic hopefuls have to show for their years of commitment to a dream is staggering debt.  

So here's what I'm going to do.  I'm going to lay out exactly how it works and let you decide what to think.  I'm not going to give you my opinion, just lay out some facts to open up some understanding.  So here we go:

1.  The US Government does not financially support the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), the committee that as part of the International Olympic Committee, nominates the US Olypmic team and funds all their sports and activities.  The US Government does not give any money to athletes or to our sports.  The USOC is funded by sponsorship and private donations, as well as tv and broadcasting rights, that accounts for billions of dollars (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2011/06/olympic-tv-decision-between-nbc-espn-and-fox-could-come-down-today/1#.UCg8dqmyWnB)

2.  Very few Olympic athletes make the millions you see the top most marketable athletes making.  Most Olympic athletes make very little money, spend most of their savings on their sport, and wrack up debt during their sport.  I do not have my own house because I cannot afford it and many other Olympians don't either in order to keep competing in their sport. The majority of us are not balling out of control and have to find creative ways to raise funds in order to keep competing in our sports.

3.  The USOC gives money to each individual sport federation for the operation of their sports.  For example, every year the United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation receives funds from the USOC to not only pay its coaches, but also fund its season and even provide athlete support.  The decision of how exactly these funds are used is up to the officials of the sport, including in bobsled our CEO, High Performance Director, and our coaches.  The majority of this funding received is spent on funding the travel and expenses for the season for our teams to compete on World Cup tour, which leaves little to nothing left for bobsledders and skeleton athletes on lower development circuits (bobsled is one of the most expensive sports in the USOC).

4.  On the developmental bobsled and skeleton tours, the tours that are required in order to move up the ranks in these sports, are self-funded.  These tours require travel throughout the US and Europe, in order to gain experience to contend for a spot on the national team.  These tours are quite expensive, as you must make sure you have a sled (a bobsled to purchase can cost up to $100,000), all your equipment (our runners- blades- alone cost $5400 a set), provide all your necessary travel, and any related training expenses.  Luckily, our federation is usually able to accommodate all athletes with sleds, but shipping a sled may cost over $3,000.  In just 1/2 a season as a beginner pilot, I had expenses over $16,000.

5.  The USOC does provide some athlete support in the form of stipends.  These stipends differ from federation to federation and are very dependent on your ranking.  If your ranking drops, so does your stipend.  Stipends are given monthly and each federation chooses how to allocate their stipends differently.  In bobsled, the athletes receiving the highest stipends are the one's winning the most medals.

6.  Athletes do not receive pay checks.  Other than stipends, which may or may not be adequate to cover living expenses, athletes must find other ways to support themselves.  One of the main ways to do this is through sponsorship.  However, sponsorship is hard to come by.  I have an Olympic medal, an agent, and have been actively doing PR and appearances for 3 years and yet have no sponsors other than a few product sponsors.  I also host my own fundraisers and rely on donations (to which I'm very grateful to all my supporters).

7.  The USOC also provides health insurance, but this is also based on rank.  If your rank drops, so does your health insurance.  Also, not all athletes are able to get health insurance.  How many are able depends per federation, but once again, the highest ranked athletes receive health insurance.

8.  The USOC has a partnership with Adecco USA to give athletes the opportunity to work a flexible schedule and train full time.  Most athletes training for the Olympics train over 40 hours per week, so there really is not time to work, but the program is there none-the-less.  I am in the program and struggle to fit hours in because of my hectic schedule, but have the opportunity to make a little money when I can.

9.  The USOC provides housing for some athletes at Olympic Training Centers.  There are 3 Olympic Training Centers in the US and each has a limited amount of bed space.   The ability to get a bed also depends on ranking, with higher ranked athletes having greater access than lower ranked.  However, some federations choose to use the beds they have for developmental athletes, which leaves the higher ranked athletes out.  Also, not all federations get beds in an Olympic Training Center, as these beds are also dependent on the strength of the sport.  Sports that aren't performing as well receive less beds, leaving those athletes out.  At the Olympic Training Center, food and housing are covered.  Housing differs per rank, some athletes are guaranteed housing for a year, while others live week to week hoping each week they still have housing.  The Olympic Training Centers also try to raise revenue for the USOC, so often beds are filled with organizations willing to pay, like cross country camps here in Lake Placid.

10.  The USOC has many sponsors and some of these sponsors offer athletes discounts and savings.  Also, some of these sponsors provide athlete support by giving athletes the opportunity to make appearances for small earnings.  For example, DeVry University has joined with the USOC to help athletes find a way to earn a degree while competing.  I am part of the program and am currently working toward my MBA.

As you can see, this is a very complex issue with many different parts, and everything is based on rank.  In sports like bobsled however, rank can only be accomplished after working your way through the development circuit and then making the national team.  Working your way to the national team is something that is funded completely on your own, and unlike track where all you need is a pair of shoes, the expenses in bobsled can be staggering in the tens of thousands of dollars a season.  Even once you are on the national team, the expenses are still immense.  Last season I was the number 1 ranked pilot on the US Women's Bobsled team and won a medal at World Championships, but spent over $13,000 on bobsled expenses.

So I've presented all the facts, nothing to agree or disagree with, because it's simply that- just the facts.  (However, if some of my facts are wrong, please let me know!)  One thing is for certain though, as Olympic athletes we are not in it for the fame or the money.  We are in it because we love our sports and more importantly love our country.  We are honored to represent the USA and no amount of money could take that honor away.  We each go after the greatest honor of all, winning a gold medal for your country, regardless of where it leaves us financially.  

Share the Ride for Women's Bobsled

This past season the women's bobsled team managed to keep 3 sleds on the World Cup tour.  What do I mean by that?  The World Cup tour is the highest circuit of bobsled races.  It's the race circuit that the Olympic team is named from, and it consists of 8 races each year (this year it's actually 9), and you earn points for each place finish on the tour (1st place is 225 points, 2nd is 210, etc).  These points add up and give an overall ranking, which not only ranks each sled but also ranks each nation.  The top 4 nations are allowed 3 sleds on the World Cup tour, but only the top 2 nations get 3 sleds in the Olympics.  Because it is so competitive to get 3 sleds at the Olympics, it's essential that we keep 3 sleds on the World Cup tour and this season despite having relatively new drivers (myself and Jazmine Fenlator) we were able to keep our 3rd sled heading into this season.  However, despite that we were able to keep that sled, our federation can't afford to fund that sled on the World Cup tour this season.  As the US women's bobsled team, we have decided that we are going to find a way to keep this sled on tour, as it's imperative in order to make our Olympic dreams come true.

As a team we're trying to sweep gold, silver, and bronze at the Olympics, so we're doing everything we can to make that happen, starting with fundraising.  First, we're going to be holding a spaghetti dinner in Lake Placid, NY, along with a silent auction to raise some funds, which will be September 1.  Second, for all those who aren't able to make it, you can take a ride with us!  What do I mean by that?  Well, you can put your name on our sleds for just $25 and 1/2 of the proceeds will go directly to helping us keep our USA 3 sled sliding, thereby helping us get to the Olympics.  Not only will you help us reach our goal, but your name will be on a bobsled that is shown on tv worldwide through the 10 races of the season (9 World Cup races and World Championships).  You can help us reach the top! For more information and to put your name on a sled, visit here: http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Bobsled-and-Skeleton-Federation/Donate/Share-the-Ride.aspx 

Thanks everyone for all your support!

The Olympics are here!

Finally!  After waiting 4 years for more memorable moments, the 2010 Summer Olympics have arrived!  This is the first Olympics since I've went in 2010 and I've got to say watching it now has a whole new meaning.  It was crazy watching the Opening Ceremony and feeling some of the things I felt walking through in 2010.  Each medal ceremony reminds me what it was like to stand up there as a representative of the USA.  Every single event reminds me what it was like to compete on the world's largest stage.  It's so exciting!

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make the trip over to London to view the games firsthand (too much training to do to try to make 2014), but I can assure you I'm watching as much as possible.  Between NBC's tv coverage (even though we don't have all the channels in the OTC) and the online coverage, I've watched quite a bit of coverage, and a lot of sports I haven't been able to see previously.  Today alone, I've watched indoor and beach volleyball, rowing, cycling, weightlifting, gymnastics, field hockey, swimming, and water polo, and there's still day left!  

Here at the Olympic Training Center, it's extra inspiring as I know everyone around me is training to reach those moments, to live their Olympic dream.  Everyone crowds around the tvs whenever possible to take it all in.  We even have it turned on during the weight room, which inspires everyone to push even more.  We're all fired up here cheering for our Team USA counterparts, and each of us knows that after these 16 days, the world's eyes will be on us.  We're next and the clock is counting down!  Can't wait to train this week with another week of inspiring Olympic action ahead!