I know I haven't been the greatest in updating my blog this season, but now that the season has slowed down tremendously, I have time to reflect. I will post about everything that happened this season as a pilot, but for now I want to take a moment and remember the past. Exactly one year ago today Erin and I celebrated as we crossed the finish line at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Over two days and four runs, Erin piloted us to an Olympic bronze medal, an amazing accomplishment as we weren't even the top ranked US team! No one expected us to medal, except ourselves, and that's what made the accomplishment even more amazing.
Now I hate to say I'm a profit, but with all the hype going around about USA 1 going into the Olympics, one day I decided that there's no reason why we couldn't win an Olympic medal. On that day, I typed into my twitter window "I'm going to the Olympics, and I'm coming home with some hardware." I received some very interesting responses to that tweet, but on that day I learned that if you don't believe in yourself, no one else will, and on that day, I decided to choose to believe that Erin and I could win a medal. I'm not sure if anyone else at that time believed it, but I honestly did.
Erin and I at our first World Championships together- Altenberg 2008
What made that day even more special is all that Erin and I had overcome. The year prior to the Olympics, we had quite a blow up at World Championships and weren't on speaking terms. I believe because of our shared faith, we were able to overcome our differences and continue to compete together. Although it took time, eventually our faith and our shared belief that all things are possible through Christ, would allow us to do something even greater. Not only did Erin and I compete at the Olympics together- we had a blast doing it!
Something changes when you win an Olympic medal with someone. Although Erin and I had overcome so much to become friends, Erin will forever be special to me. Every time I think of winning the bronze, I can't but help remember how great it was to win it with Erin. I'm not sure if the experience would have been as great with anyone else. After all we had overcome, I was honored to win a medal with Erin. I guess that's what made winning the medal so great- it wasn't just winning another race, it was everything that had occurred the past three years, our journey together as brakeman and pilot. Erin was my pilot for my first World Cup race, and as of now, she will be the last pilot I ever raced with.
It's funny- I think of the past season- my first as a pilot, and it's remarkable how much Erin has influenced my pilot career. We have pretty differing personalities at the line- she was always super pumped up, and I was always so calm. However, there are so many things I do like her on the line as a pilot. My cadence (what my brakeman says to signal its time to leave) is the same and my routine is the same as hers. Little things like that- it was a routine so long for me as a brakeman- I couldn't help but convert it to my piloting career!
I thought of Erin quite a bit this past season, about what she had to have gone through trying to win an Olympic medal in just four years of driving- all the struggles and all the triumphs- learning new tracks, racing with different brakeman, and just trying to figure out where you fit on the USA team. She had a difficult four years but she persevered and for that she is truly a champion.
I can't believe it has already been a year since winning the bronze. So much has happened and this year has been such a whirlwind. I had no idea everything that would occur as a result of that medal, but today I remember what happened that night. I remember the nervousness I felt on the line followed by the calmness I received looking at Erin and knowing what was about to happen. I remember crossing the line and hearing Erin scream wondering what just happened, and finally seeing the scoreboard to realize we won a medal. I remember chaos at the bottom dock- and not remembering exactly everything that happened. I remember hugging my teammates at the bottom dock, and my coaches, and everyone celebrating and happy. I remember finally seeing my family and how excited they were. I remember sharing this moment with one of my best friends, Shelley-Ann Brown. I remember so much, yet so little- so much of that moment I was truly living and just feeling. That day was truly the best day of my life.
