If any of you watched the ESPYs this past week, you saw many athletes get on stage after winning their awards and thank a countless number of people. Although it can sometimes be boring to audiences, each and every one of these people are part of the athlete's team that helped them get to where they are.
Now normally when we think of team- we think of the other players on the field- the ones with them day in and day out sweating and grinding. But any athlete, and any family member of an elite athlete, knows that there is a team behind the team that is equally if not more important than the other players on the field.
So even though the Winter Olympics are 3 years out, I have already begun the process of assembling my "A" team- the group of people that are going to help me reach my goals. Center and foremost on my team, is of course God. He has brought me out of the darkness and into the light so many times and without Him I am nothing.
As for my earthly team, one of the toughest decision I faced this past season was selecting who was going to be my new strength and conditioning coach. As I mentioned in previous blogs, I loved working with Stu McMillian and Dan Pfaff and am eternally grateful to them, but I needed a change and found that change in Brad Deweese. As for my bobsled specific coach, I'm grateful that the federation has added Todd Hays and Mike Kohn to our already great coaching staff- and now we truly have the dream team coaching staff!
So I've also started working with a new sports psychologist and a new nutritionist, and am blessed to have Dr. Josh Glass on my team as my chiro whenever I'm in Atlanta. I'm working to finalize the remainder of my medical staff, but I'm confident that I will have a great one going into Sochi.
However, one of the most important pieces of the team is the social aspect. I'm blessed to have a great family who supports me in whatever I do. They are truly the people that keep me in check- that no matter what I do- whatever medals I win- I will still have to keep my room clean. They love me regardless of what I do- but they're my biggest fans as well. I truly am blessed with the best family in the world.
Family is only one part of the social "A" team though. For any athlete, friends are essential. Sounds simple right? People unfortunately assume just because you have a lot of twitter followers or Facebook friends- you must have a lot of friends right? Wrong! I know a lot of people yes, but I have very few friends. My mother said it's a lonely road to the top- and I can't think of better words to describe it. Friends to me are those people who I can call up and say absolutely nothing about bobsled to and they could careless. They're those people who love me and are excited for me about what I'm doing, but love me for the person I am. They also are some of my biggest fans, but they really don't care if I never bobsled again. They're the people who ask me what else is going on in my life- and not just about bobsled. They're the people who push me to want more- not just out of bobsled- but out of life. They're the people who help me figure out my future- and share my past- and love me in spite and because all of it. These are the people I couldn't win medals without.
The lonely road I'm on is not simply the fault of my friends by any stretch of the imagination. I take full responsibility for losing contact with some of the greatest people I have ever met. I've always been a little socially awkward and therefore I've had trouble making and keeping friends. As I've gotten older, the awkwardness has subsided slightly, but I haven't been the best at maintaining my friendships. I desperately seek to develop genuine relationships, and am working to re-establish the friendships I've been neglecting over the years, and hopefully develop new friendships. These people are so important to what I do, they keep me sane! And making any Olympic team and succeeding at the highest level, requires some level of sanity lol
So there you have it- my "A" team that will take me to the next level. Without this team, Sochi won't happen...they're the people who are going to help me try to make my dream a reality
Now normally when we think of team- we think of the other players on the field- the ones with them day in and day out sweating and grinding. But any athlete, and any family member of an elite athlete, knows that there is a team behind the team that is equally if not more important than the other players on the field.
So even though the Winter Olympics are 3 years out, I have already begun the process of assembling my "A" team- the group of people that are going to help me reach my goals. Center and foremost on my team, is of course God. He has brought me out of the darkness and into the light so many times and without Him I am nothing.
As for my earthly team, one of the toughest decision I faced this past season was selecting who was going to be my new strength and conditioning coach. As I mentioned in previous blogs, I loved working with Stu McMillian and Dan Pfaff and am eternally grateful to them, but I needed a change and found that change in Brad Deweese. As for my bobsled specific coach, I'm grateful that the federation has added Todd Hays and Mike Kohn to our already great coaching staff- and now we truly have the dream team coaching staff!
So I've also started working with a new sports psychologist and a new nutritionist, and am blessed to have Dr. Josh Glass on my team as my chiro whenever I'm in Atlanta. I'm working to finalize the remainder of my medical staff, but I'm confident that I will have a great one going into Sochi.
However, one of the most important pieces of the team is the social aspect. I'm blessed to have a great family who supports me in whatever I do. They are truly the people that keep me in check- that no matter what I do- whatever medals I win- I will still have to keep my room clean. They love me regardless of what I do- but they're my biggest fans as well. I truly am blessed with the best family in the world.
Family is only one part of the social "A" team though. For any athlete, friends are essential. Sounds simple right? People unfortunately assume just because you have a lot of twitter followers or Facebook friends- you must have a lot of friends right? Wrong! I know a lot of people yes, but I have very few friends. My mother said it's a lonely road to the top- and I can't think of better words to describe it. Friends to me are those people who I can call up and say absolutely nothing about bobsled to and they could careless. They're those people who love me and are excited for me about what I'm doing, but love me for the person I am. They also are some of my biggest fans, but they really don't care if I never bobsled again. They're the people who ask me what else is going on in my life- and not just about bobsled. They're the people who push me to want more- not just out of bobsled- but out of life. They're the people who help me figure out my future- and share my past- and love me in spite and because all of it. These are the people I couldn't win medals without.
The lonely road I'm on is not simply the fault of my friends by any stretch of the imagination. I take full responsibility for losing contact with some of the greatest people I have ever met. I've always been a little socially awkward and therefore I've had trouble making and keeping friends. As I've gotten older, the awkwardness has subsided slightly, but I haven't been the best at maintaining my friendships. I desperately seek to develop genuine relationships, and am working to re-establish the friendships I've been neglecting over the years, and hopefully develop new friendships. These people are so important to what I do, they keep me sane! And making any Olympic team and succeeding at the highest level, requires some level of sanity lol
So there you have it- my "A" team that will take me to the next level. Without this team, Sochi won't happen...they're the people who are going to help me try to make my dream a reality
Your bobsledding is like the 500th most important thing about you to your great friends! (But we still go crazy supporting you in it.) Love you E!
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