Chasing the Olympic Dream: How I Tried Out for the U.S. Bobsled Team

Standing next to the bobsled track at the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, a familiar feeling washed over me. As the athletes flew by, I felt a hunger in my stomach, and it wasn’t for another round of Korean BBQ.

I was hungry to compete again, to feel the building up of nerves before a match and the joy or frustration that followed. I missed being around people who were also athletically motivated and dedicated to working towards something bigger than themselves.

After competing as a track and field athlete in college, I struggled to find my sports niche. The transition from working out twice a day, six days a week, to having a completely open schedule was weird. I missed having the direction of a coach and a training plan that would get me where I wanted to go. Give me a workout and I’ll do it but give me the opportunity to plan my own and I’ll flounder around and probably convince myself I made it too hard and I’ll finish early.

It was at the Winter Olympics this past February that I first heard about the tryouts for the US Bobsled team.

How Does It Work

Every summer the US Bobsled and Skeleton Team recruits athletes from other sports through open combines across the country. At the tryouts, they have…