Verified Magazine

Here is a recent article about me from Verified Magazine.  Enjoy!

http://verifiedmag.com/2010/02/28/bronze-isnt-good-enough/ 

Swagga

USOC intern Riley Steinmetz recently posted a blog entitled "An Olympic Attitude", which discussed the attitude it takes to achieve greatness, specifically the attitude it takes to become an Olympic athlete (http://www.teamusa.org/blogs/all-access/posts/2171-an-olympic-attitude).  For athletes, we know the necessity of thinking positive in all situations and how it affects everything from our game-day results to even our daily training.  Those of you who have been long-time fans may recall me tweeting or posting facebook messages about my swagga- and losing it and regaining it.  Well, my "swagga" is my Olympic attitude.  It is the attitude that tells me I can do anything I want to, that I can achieve anything and nothing is impossible with a little hard work and determination.  My confidence has faltered from time to time, especially during an Olympic year when people are out for blood and will be quick to tell you when they think you're not up to par in hopes that you'll fold under the pressure, and in this year- the toughest year athletically for me- I indeed lose my swagga at times.  It always is tough to regain a positive attitude when you're at your lowest of lows, but it's imperative that you find your "swagga" and pull yourself out of it- and that's exactly what I was able to do.  I found my "swagga" right before the Olympics in Park City, and I was determined to win an Olympic medal.  And even though the odds were against us, I had my "swagga" back and I knew anything was possible.  Once was lost, was newly found and I knew great things were going to happen.  So hold tight to your swagga, cause it makes all the difference in the world.

Thank You David Dinger

The bobsled and skeleton community lost one of it's family members today. Dave Dinger was an amazing man who greatly impacted not only the development and success of bobsled and skeleton, but also the lives of many. He will be sorely missed. He may have lost his battle to cancer, but in his life he won the hearts of so many. RIP Dave Dinger.

6 months...

So today was an anniversary and a death of sorts for me- as it has been exactly 6 months since Erin and I won bronze in Vancouver.  So yes, I celebrate that great memory today, but also it is a death of sorts.  Ever since winning the medal, people have told me that the life of a medal is only about 6 months- and then after that no one cares.  Of course my family and I still care dearly, and I'm sure Erin and her family care as well, but to most of the public, there's other big sporting events that have happened and you are essentially old news- the appearance requests disappear and so does the so called "celebrity" status that goes along with it.  I'm ok with that, as I've stated in other blogs it's never been about being famous or anything like that, although I have greatly enjoyed the appearance requests and speaking engagements.  I've had a blast this summer traveling and meeting so many amazing people!  Although the next season is fast approaching and my medal may be "dead" to the world, I'll live the rest of my life as an Olympic Bronze medalist (hopefully multiple medalist, including gold :))- and it won't matter how famous I was during these past 6 months, what will matter is that I have accomplished a dream- a dream that began at the age of 7.  I still continue to dream and my dreams continue to grow exponentially, but today, I'll reflect on the past 6 months, remember all the fun and excitement, and then focus on those dreams that have yet to be achieved.

Life as an intern

This summer I have been working tirelessly in my position as an intern for ORDA (Olympic Regional Development Authority) in which I have been recruiting bobsled and skeleton athletes.  Although my internship is not yet complete, this week we have in town over 40 new recruits trying out for bobsled for the first time.  I must say, I feel pretty excited that I contributed to this increase in recruits.  Now obviously, all of them won't go on to be Olympians (although it is unfortunate that everyone can't be an Olympian), it is exciting to see so many people excited about trying out my sport!  I can't wait to get all the recruits behind a sled to see what they can do!  They did their sprint testing today, and throughout the week they'll learn how to push among other activities.

Recruiting can be pretty frustrating sometimes- lots of work and often little return- and lots of people turning you down.  But this camp has inspired me to continue my work in recruiting- and I'm excited to go into the office Wednesday to get back to work!  I've learned so much about sports through this internship, and it's been a great experience- not to mention I work with great people at ORDA.  I still have a couple more weeks as an intern, but I'm newly enthused- and can't wait to do more work and find even more recruits!

The Source Magazine

Check out my latest interview with The Source Magazine, one of the top hip-hop magazines in the country!   Great picture thanks to photographer Michael Toles!

http://www.thesource.com/articles/23946/Olympic-Bobsled-Bronze-Medalist%3A-Elena-Meyers/274/Source-Sports 

Got Milk: A humbling experience

This week I was invited to the Refuel America Launch by Got Milk, an event to launch NBA player and USA Basketball player Chris Bosh and Apolo Anton Ohno's Got Milk Ads, and to promote the use of low-fat chocolate milk as a post-workout recovery beverage.  Not only is it truly a great post-workout beverage- the event was a lot of fun!  My teammate Jazmine Fenlator and I, drove to her mother's house where we parked my car and then traveled into the city.  Gotta admit- the experience was pretty terrifying!  I went to school in Washington DC and I've traveled all over the world- but the amount of people in New York City at rush house was a little more than I could handle.  Thank goodness Jazmine was there- she knows the city and was a great tour guide.

Anyway, we went down there, did the event, and then had a chance to tour the city.  We had cupcakes at Eleni's and also at Billy's Bakery, hot chocolate at Jaques Torres, and cheesecake at Junior's- obviously I was not on my diet for those few days.  We toured Times Square- and that's when I really began to enjoy the city.

Reflecting on the experience, I realize how humbling it truly was.  Yes, I have achieved much, as an Olympian and as a medalist, but standing next to Apolo Ohno, the most successful Winter Olympian in history, was a truly humbling experience.  In order to win the amount of medals that Apolo has won (8), I would have to continue bobsledding for the next 28 years, make each Olympic team, and win a medal in all of them!  Additionally, Shawn Johnson and Chris Bosh are no slouches either- both have accomplished so much- including Olympic gold medals!  I was not star-struck by any means, I have met many stars, but being around such accomplished athletes makes me realize that I have so much more to accomplish- so much more I want to do as an athlete!  I can't wait to get back on the track and back to work- so I can go after all my goals!  Thanks Apolo, Shawn, and Chris for inspiring me- Push Championships is less than a month away!

It was never about the money

One of the questions I often get asked is how much money do I make bobsledding?  The answer is- not very much- if any at all!  We can win a very small amount in prize money every year, but even that doesn't cover what we spend to compete in the sport.  Even gold medalist Steven Holcomb, who is quickly becoming the face of our sport in the U.S., has said he still has over $40,000 in debt from bobsledding alone!  So why if the financial rewards are so great and the return is very little, do we compete?

Well, when I was 7 years old I made a decision that would alter the rest of my life.  At 7, I decided to become an Olympian.  At the age of 7, I had no concept of money, but I made that decision and I have worked my entire life to get to where I am today.  To me, representing my country means more than the amount of money it takes to get there- it's a once (hopefully more than once in my case) in a lifetime opportunity, to go to the Olympics and fulfill a lifelong dream.  No amount of money can take away from that accomplishment.  No amount of money could be offered to me to take back that memory.  Some things are priceless, and competing for your country on the world's biggest stage is one of those things.  Every moment was priceless and I cherish every bit of it.

So these days I'm working at a burrito shop and trying to be as creative as possible to raise funds for the upcoming season.  Yes, money is tight, and I am still far off my goal, but I know that the ultimate goal of all this cannot be measured in dollar signs.  Although I hope to walk away from bobsled one day fully satisfied and with as little debt as possible, even if I leave with debt, I'll know it was all worth it...

After saying all that- feel free to donate! lol  Paypal button is on the right!  :)

Blog and You Shall Receive!

I blogged about it yesterday, so today when I was doing my multiple throws exercises and actually talking to my teammate Jamie Greubel- I looked down and I found one!  I found a four leaf clover- just looked down and saw it!  Who knew all I would need to do was to blog about finding one and I would!  Something so small but definitely made my week- God works in mysterious ways and uses the smallest things to make you smile- which in turn makes Him smile.  All the things a four leaf clover represents- good luck, good fortune, and hope- God has shown me once again that they are around us all the time!  I'm so happy I can't even put it into words- great day!

Four leaf clovers

Everyday when I'm training (I run every day mind you), I walk by patches and patches of clovers.  Maybe it's just my distraction from the toughness of the workout, but I can't help but look for a four leaf clover.  I like to think I do this because I always want to find the goodness out there- what the four leaf clover stands for- the luck and hope that is carried in a plant that has four leaves instead of three.  The four leaf clover does stand for luck though, and although I am blessed, I still get super excited when I find them.  So I guess for me a four leaf clover not only represents luck and hope, but also happiness- items that we all search for in life.  So what four leaf clovers are you searching for?  What do they represent to you?

Dieting- the new training

Happy August everyone!  Can't believe it's August already- the season is only 2 months away and I'm so excited!  Of course, everyone is busy getting ready for the season, but one part of training you can't forget about is dieting.  Now- dieting doesn't necessarily mean losing weight- dieting as this sense is crucial to training- and as a matter of fact- IS TRAINING!  Whether you have to lose weight (like in my case) or gain weight or just maintain your weight, watching what you eat and making good dietary decision will greatly enhance your performance.  Think of it like a car- every day we're working on the engine- making it stronger and more powerful, but if at the end of the day you put gunk in the gas tank- you're not going to go anywhere!  Dieting is the exact same way!  I struggle greatly with dieting- I love food and I love brownies in particular- but I know that watching what I eat will allow me to reach my goals.  Daily- I have to make my choices very wisely and sometimes its pretty difficult- especially when those around you are eating anything and everything- and when you work in a burrito shop- but I know I'll be at my best when I fuel my body the best, so I'm going to give it premium fuel!  Happy Dieting everyone!