For those who know me, it should not come as any surprise that when I saw an opportunity to try bobsledding (again), I jumped at the chance. Visit Park City and @sheswanderful gave the participants of WITS (Women in Travel Summit) Conference the option to try bobsledding at Utah Olympic Village in Park City, Utah. Confident that I would love speeding down the track for the third time in my life, I eagerly signed up.

Jamaica

Bobsledding in Jamaica was a smooth ride. Naturally, the track there was not icy; we went down on wheels, just like the Jamaican bobsledders did when they were training. I’d compare it more to an amusement park ride than a sport, but mastering the ride earned four Jamaicans a place at the 1988 Winter Olympics.

Latvia

The bobsledding ride in Latvia was a little more adventurous. We were in padded bobsleds and sent careening down the ice, laughing and screaming all the way. I loved it!

Utah Olympic Park

It was here that I was reminded of just how treacherous and rough the sport of bobsledding could be, and that it is best left to the professionals.

When we arrived, we were greeted by Carl Roepke – a former US Luge Team Olympian and current Olympic commentator. Listening to him was enthralling. He shared that he was actually a competitive swimmer for years. Then he had the chance to observe the luge team and learned that there were only 50 luge competitors and he quickly decided that he was potentially in 51st place among Olympic lugers. With hard work, focus, and goal-setting, he could move up much more easily in this sport than in the saturated pool of world-class swimmers.

Which is exactly what he did.

His story was fascinating, but eventually, we needed to start getting geared up to zoom down the ice track.

Putting on protective helmets was just one part of Carl’s mission to keep us safe. He and the rest of the crew helped us get settled in the bobsled according to height. We had a professional in front steering our sled. Our instructions were to hold on the the railing inside, hunch our shoulders to keep our neck and head straight through the curves, and we were cautioned to puff out our upper arms/shoulders to press against the sides of the sled so that we wouldn’t be bouncing back-and-forth against the sides.

“Do it as soon as you get into the sled. If you try to do it after the sled takes off, it’ll be too late. The ride is only 49 seconds long.”

Wise advice. Wish I’d listened. Actually, I DID listen, but I was so busy trying to get myself settled in the back of the sled that when we took off, I ricocheted around like a pinball inside my tight little spot in the sled.

It was fun, but it was the roughest of the three bobsled rides I’ve done. My head, arms, and legs were slamming against the sides of the bobsled all the way down. Then it was over and we posed on the podium with our medals.

But the next day — I was bruised. Deep purple bruises on the outsides of my arms and legs. Luckily, winter sports require winter clothing, so I was able to keep my bruises covered while they healed.

I certainly didn’t feel like an Olympian, but gained a whole new appreciation for the work and skill involved in this treacherous sport. Will I go bobsledding again? Sure. I like to think I rank somewhere in the Top 10,000+ bobsledders in the world, but that’s only because I keep practicing. 😉

Do any of these bobsledding forays sound fun to you?