Emily Azevedo, who will be competing in the bobsled for the
Winter Olympics in Vancouver which start Feb. 12. Photo
courtesy of the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation.
Emily Azevedo took the next logical step after her track and field career.
Bobsledding.
OK, so maybe it’s not logical for you or me, but that’s only because we couldn’t pull that off. The 26-year-old happens to have rocked that transition in a short amount of time.
In the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, Azevedo was watching the bobsled events on TV and thinking it looked like something she might try. Four years later, she’s the brakewoman for driver Bree Schaaf in one of three American bobsled pairs headed to the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.
She was kind of enough to answer some questions via e-mail about why she took up bobsled, the training differences for bobsled and track and what she likes to do when she’s not in a bobsled.
CS: You are pretty new to the sport of bobsled. Why did you decide to get into it? What do you like about it?
EA: I was looking for the next step in my life and I was not ready to be finished with my athletic career. I love competition and what better team to compete for than Team USA? I love the thrill of the ride and the competition. I also like how technical everything is as I feel I am constantly learning new things and new push form.
CS: You used to do track and field. Has it been weird to transition from a warm weather sport to a cold weather sport?
EA: Honestly, I am not a huge fan of the cold, but I am able to train in warm weather during the summer which helps to make up for the cold during the winter.
CS: What are you most looking forward to about the Olympics?
EA: I am most looking forward to walking in Opening Ceremonies. I cannot imagine the thrill of representing my country on such a large stage.
CS: What are your goals for the Olympics?
EA: I think every athlete goes into the Olympics with a goal of a medal. Special things seem to happen at the Olympic Games, so I think it can be anyone’s day.
CS: What events did you do in track and field? How is the training for bobsled similar and/or different from track and field?
EA: I was a hurdler at the University of California, Davis. Bobsled training is similar to track training because we still have to have speed and do sprint workouts, but it is different because we are more focused on short bursts rather than long sprints. The longest we will sprint is about 60 meters. We also do a lot more weight lifting then is done in track and field. We want to be as strong as powerful as possible, so we focus on a lot of Olympic lifts and squats.
CS: What does a typical training day for you look like?
EA: During the off season a typical training day consists of waking up, eating and then heading to the track to do a sprint workout. After the sprint workout I take some time to rest and refuel before going to the weight room for a lifting session. During the season we have long hours at the track where two training runs can take hours to complete. On top of sliding we have to find time in the day to lift and keep up with our strength training.
Photo courtesy of the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation.
CS: What is your routine on the days of competitions? What do you eat before races?
EA: I first attempt to eat some breakfast and then I get mentally prepared for the race and try to stay as calm as possible. I often have a hard time eating the days of races, but the night before ideally I would have steak, potatoes and broccoli or green beans.
CS: Do you enjoy cooking? If so, what do you like to cook?
EA: I do not really cook that often as I am mostly on the road or at training centers, but when I do I like to make Mexican food.
CS: What is your guilty pleasure food?
EA: I love to eat and I love food. Any kind of good food is my guilty pleasure, but I mostly love dessert.
CS: What do you enjoy doing when you aren't training or racing?
EA: I like to spend my time doing craft projects. I also like to play cards with my teammates and watch movies.
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Thanks Emily and good luck in Vancouver!
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