April 18, 2025 • 53 mins
This week on the Summit Sessions Team USA Bobsledder Adrian Adams joins me to talk al about the life of a Team USA bobsled athlete and living in Lake Placid full time as he pursues his Olympic dream.
If you've ever wondered what it's like being a winter sports athlete who trains at all of these winter sports facilities in Lake Placid, this is the episode for you!
Coonnect with Adrian on Instagram: @adrianadamsusa
Follow Along on Instagram & Facebook:
@46of46podcast
@jamesappleton46
Get my books:
1.) The Adirondack 46 in 18 Hikes: The Complete Guide to Hiking the High Peaks
2.) Adirondack Campfire Stories: Tales and Folklore from Inside the Blue Line
Join the next GREAT RANGE ATHLETE 6-week challenge and get in mountain-hiking shape in just 6 weeks from your local gym or your house.
Learn more about the Great Range Athlete Team Program HERE
Looking for help to improve your both your fitness for hiking and your disicpline and daily habits so you can become the strongest version of yourself on and off the trail?
Book a free strategy call with James to learn more about his 1-on-1 coaching program,
SEEK TO DO MORE at
www.seektodomore.com/vsl
Websites:
www.46OUTDOORS.com
www.46OF46.com
If you've ever wondered what it's like being a winter sports athlete who trains at all of these winter sports facilities in Lake Placid, this is the episode for you!
Coonnect with Adrian on Instagram: @adrianadamsusa
Follow Along on Instagram & Facebook:
@46of46podcast
@jamesappleton46
Get my books:
1.) The Adirondack 46 in 18 Hikes: The Complete Guide to Hiking the High Peaks
2.) Adirondack Campfire Stories: Tales and Folklore from Inside the Blue Line
Join the next GREAT RANGE ATHLETE 6-week challenge and get in mountain-hiking shape in just 6 weeks from your local gym or your house.
Learn more about the Great Range Athlete Team Program HERE
Looking for help to improve your both your fitness for hiking and your disicpline and daily habits so you can become the strongest version of yourself on and off the trail?
Book a free strategy call with James to learn more about his 1-on-1 coaching program,
SEEK TO DO MORE at
www.seektodomore.com/vsl
Websites:
www.46OUTDOORS.com
www.46OF46.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is the forty six of forty six podcast Summit Session,
where we'll talk all things Adirondack back country and beyond.
From high peaks stories and adventures to trail tips and tricks.
We'll dive deep into the heart of these mountains and
the people who passionately climb them. Adirondack maps and spruce
traps to bushwacks and backpacks. It's all here, the forty
(00:22):
six of forty six Summit Sessions.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Hello everyone, and welcome back to the forty six of
forty six podcast. It's April. That means mud season is
just around the corner. Although it's April, so winter really
doesn't want to let go of us up here in
the Adirondack Park. But it's coming. The hiking season is coming,
the grass is coming. I can't wait to see it.
Winter is still here though, But anyways, this week on
(00:59):
the Summit Session, I have an Olympic hopeful with us.
His name is Adrian Adams. He is the husband of
the Bethany Garrettson, one of the most famous guests here
on the podcast, now known as Bethany Adams. Her husband
is a team USA bobsledder and he is with me
this week on the Summer Sessions to talk about what
(01:20):
it's like being a winter athlete up here in the Adirondacks.
I'm pretty sure most of you who have listening to
this podcast have heighted Mount van Hovenberg. You've probably seen
the Bob Sled run. So we're going to find out
this week what it's like to actually be a winter
sports athlete up here in the Adirondack Park. So Adrian Adams,
(01:41):
nine time national team member of Team USA Bob Sled. Adrian,
Welcome to the forty six to forty six podcast.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Hello, Hello, Hello, glad to have you here.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
It's going to be exciting to talk to you. I
have always wondered about this myself, so to have you
on the podcast to chat about it will be exciting.
So quick BackStar before we even before we even dive
into it. I remember being in. I think I told
Bethany this actually on one of the podcast episodes that
she was on. I remember being in. I had had
to be sixth grade, maybe fifth grade, going to a
(02:15):
store on Main Street and Lake Placid called Farm Moor's Kids.
It's like where they sold toys in town, and there
was this big playobile Bob Sled pack. It was like
thirty thirty dollars. I remember, like as a kid, you're
in fifth grade, Like, I don't have that type of money.
I remember like just doing stuff around the house, doing
chore anything I could to make some money because I
(02:38):
wanted to go buy the Bob Sled pack of the
play the Bob Sled playmobile toys. Anyways, good stuff. The
sport has always been fascinating to me. So I'm looking
forward to talking to you about this. But before we
get into that, give us a little background on yourself.
And obviously your tie to the Adirondacks is Bob sledding,
so we're going to get into that. But like, how
did you first come up to the Adirondack Park and
(03:00):
what was your initial reaction when you first came up
to this place. Let's start right there.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
All right. Yeah, So.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
My initial introduction to you know, coming up here to
the Arondecks and such so was because of Bob sled
of course. And you know, my father used to be
a Bob sletter you know, he did it a few
years here or there, and uh, you know, dabbled into
sport and and and such and and so I you know,
(03:31):
after you know, following the dream of playing football and such,
you know, started to come to a halt.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
I was like, man, you know, I still want to
be an athlete.
Speaker 4 (03:39):
So my father was like, hey, man, you wyonn't you
go try out for the bob sledger team. You know,
he was like, you're still in great shake, you know
you I know, You're not done being an athlete. So
you know, so you know, I decided to like really
like take heat to that and just like, Okay, I'm
gonna give this a try. So like I did, you know,
(04:00):
some combines and camps and then out in Park City
and then I ended up coming up to Lake Placid,
and man, my first initial reaction was like wow, like
this is so cool, Like it's like a place of
his own like I've been, you know, being able to
travel a few little places before becoming a bobsler, that
(04:22):
being world travel. But yeah, coming up to the Adirondacks
in itself was you know a great energy and feeling
and a lot of newness and you know, obviously trying
to learn the sport and such, but the surrounding just
really I really liked initially, and uh yeah, I ended
(04:46):
up getting to the sport and really sticking in. And
you know, I lived you know, some summers up here
in the Adirondacks and off season, and yeah, I just
fell in love with it.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Man, mountains and such. Is it is cool. It's a
different like kind of set up for me.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
Like we have mountains in North Carolina and such, but
you know, I don't live I wasn't like from the
mountain area, and I hadn't really had too much experience
with the mountains. But yeah, coming to the Adirondacks was
a new a newness and and like you said, I
fell in love with it. And you know, the people
(05:25):
and the you know, it's a it's a touristy town
of course, sure, and yeah, man, it's it's been great.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Now it's home sweet home for you. You are a
Lake Placid local. Now, welcome, welcome, thank you, thank you.
Let's get let's get a little background on you then.
So obviously now you're a member of Team USA Bob Sled.
But uh, let's rewind like what you know you told
us kind of your origin story. You said you played football, correct,
where'd you play? How'd that go?
Speaker 3 (05:52):
So?
Speaker 4 (05:53):
It was okay, back in high school, I was a
two time state champion and defensive player of the game
my senior year. I pretty much played varsity all four years.
So I was pretty good in football, pretty good, uh
baseball player as well. I pretty well pretty much excelled
in that as well. And I went to college and
(06:13):
went to North Carolina and Tea was there for a
little bit, and then I went to a junior college
program for like a year, and then I went back
to a t I had some other opportunities, but I
decided to go back to school there.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
Then I just kind of did school.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
And after that, I ended up getting into some arinal
football and played that, dabbled with that a little bit.
Then I had some opportunities. I did some combines and such,
and you know with the CFL and was doing well
and had some you know, some opportunities with that, but
(06:50):
they kind of fizzled out, and you know, nothing major
really came up of it, honestly, And uh yeah, I
was kind of at a crossroads, as I said, and
I was like, man, like, I still want to do something.
I still had that fire and energy and itch to
like do something, like you know, I was working a
few jobs here and there, and I was just like,
this is not what I feel I should be doing
(07:12):
right this second, okay, and something just kept not nudging
me to like, no, your purpose is something different, and
so yeah, and it was just funny. Like one day
my dad mentioned like, hey, like, why don't you like
go off of the Bob's Lad Team?
Speaker 2 (07:28):
And I was like, were you familiar with the sport
beyond the movie Cool Runnings at that point? And I
guess you said your dad was a Bob's Letter, so
you didn't know something about it more than probably most
people I would have to assume when they get introduced
to the sport.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
Well, yeah, Like, and it's funny because like, you know,
growing up, you know, my father was doing the sport,
you know, like I said here or there a little bit,
and like most of my people, most of my friends,
I would say, and people I never really talked about it,
you know, wildly, and it was almost like a known secret.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
It's funny and uh yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
So like he was doing the sport, and like when
I was younger, I have three brothers and a sister,
and so growing up, you know, in the video games
and such like we had like I think it was
on the Sega dreamcast or something we had like the Olympic.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Sports Game or whatever.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Olympics game for Yeah, I remember N sixty four had
it when that came out. I remember that being a
big deal. I feel like it was.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
I feel like it was something.
Speaker 4 (08:33):
It was Nagano because like it was leading up because
Nagano was the when my dad first got into the sport.
That was what it was leading up to, like Nagano,
and then he went back out towards like Salt Lake time. Okay,
but yeah, that makes sense because we had like the
dreamcast N sixty four things, but like.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Yeah, time frame. Let me let me ask you. So
you said your dad like dabbled in bob sledding? What
how how tell me how a person can do that
when there's what fourteen tracks on planet Earth I think,
and then obviously there's one here, there's one out west,
But like, how do you dabble in the sport of
(09:12):
bob sled Like this is fascinating? You said, growing up,
he was doing that, So what is that so?
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Growing growing up?
Speaker 4 (09:18):
Like so like his childhood friend, I'll revert back to this,
So his childhood friend buddy that played in the NFL.
NFL coach College coach John Settle was that like a
retreat meeting types thing or something. Yeah, and he met
some guys within a part of the Bob sled team,
(09:39):
coaches and such, and you know, they were talking and
he was like, yeah, you know, I got a buddy
that might you know, fit the mold.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
He might be interested in coming out for the team.
And they were like, oh yeah, real.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
Like he was giving him some backstory on my dad
and such, and like they're like, okay, Like he gave
him information to say, hey, like tell him like go
to this combine or these combines and see what he
got and stuff. And so long story short, like he
was doing okay, and he got into the sport and
was doing it, like I said, dabbling like he would
come out like you know, a year before the games
(10:14):
or a year, a year or two prior to leading
up to the Olympic Games, Olympic year, I should say.
But the difference is like my father opposed to myself,
I stuck into the sport longer, like steadily. My father
(10:36):
had you know, me and my siblings, and it was
kind of tough for him to you know, you know,
manage like trying to you know, take care of a
family and trying to pursue the sport in the dream. Okay,
so that's what I mean by like dabbling, Like I've
done the sport. What now I started in twenty twelve,
(10:57):
I've been a bobs letter steadily.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
I didn't I didn't, you know, create a.
Speaker 4 (11:01):
Family earlier on, because you know, had I created a
family and had some children, I probably would not have
been able to sustain my career this long.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Sure, so let's dive into that. What does And this
is fascinating for me having again grown up here, Like
my next door neighbor is an Olympic silver medalist losure,
Like Olympics, the Olympics are just part of society here.
What is it like being a member of Team USA
bob sled? And especially for as long as you have,
(11:32):
So why don't you just take us through like a
year obviously, like Olympic years are going to be different.
And I know you're trying to get into the Olympics
for the next the next Olympics here and like that's
the that's the dream, that's what everyone's going for. But
you've done all these world championships, You've been a member
of team USA bob sled since twenty twelve. You said,
So take us through, like what does a typical year
look like for I guess we'll call it someone trying
(11:54):
to make the Olympic bob sled team, And like take
us through like January to December, Like what does it?
What does it look like you in this regard?
Speaker 3 (12:02):
All right? So, like the season.
Speaker 4 (12:05):
Usually begins around you know, late September, October, Novembers, just
depends on the year. It kind of varies, and your
season is going to go up until like March April
late you know, late March basically.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
And what is like what are what are we doing
during this season? What is the season?
Speaker 4 (12:27):
Oh, during the season is just competition, Like you have
a variance of like different tours and depending on your
team and your goals that season. And you know, money
has a in an effect of how your season goes
to depending on what level you fall into the tier
(12:47):
you fall into that season. So like you could be
doing like a North America's Cup where you're you know,
just basically between here Park City, Utah, and then out
like Canada, and then like World Cup. If you're on
World Cup, you know you're on the tour. Then you
may come back for Christmas, but then you're going right
(13:08):
back to Europe and you're competing.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
How often are you competing on the World Cup for example?
Speaker 4 (13:18):
So for me, I've I've been on the World Cup,
you know, many many times in different years of different quads.
The first in the second year of the quad. This
this time I was on doing mostly World Cup. This
past season I did mostly n A C and then
I did some Europa Cup. So that's still going over
(13:40):
to year. Of course we did a couple of races
over there and then so yeah, that's how that pretty
much looks.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
So you said a couple of races, So help me understand,
like are you doing a race every week, every month,
every other day? Like how how how does that? How
does that shake out a little bit?
Speaker 4 (13:59):
So it's shape out. It shakes out pretty much from
week to week. Like you you go to a different venue,
So like one week we might be in and say Austria,
we're competing. You know, throughout the week training you have
training days and then leading up to the race, so
(14:21):
then you have the races, the two and the four,
and then once the racers are done, you're packing up.
Either that night and going to the next you know,
competing spot, or the next morning you're getting up early,
you know the next morning and you're taking off to
say same ritz or wherever. So that's that's how it
(14:43):
kind of plays out. And again it's a schedule set
each you know, leading up to each season, and so
that's you just a bide by that schedule, right.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Sure, So now who's paying for all of this stuff?
You said? There's different teams, different cups, different things, Like
how does that all work?
Speaker 4 (15:00):
So it just falls into like say, like so like
in the beginning of the year, we have like testing
and so it's different testing mechanisms and such, and so
teams are formed after that and just kind of where
you fall into the tier you'll either. And also what
makes a huge difference as well as you know, like
(15:22):
with us in the US, like we're not government funded
like most other nations. Sure, so money can play an
issue apart in other words, a big part in things.
So like whether or not we have the qualified sleds
to send over, like I said about a month's past
this past year, normally we will at least send.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Over two teams, but we'll sent over one team.
Speaker 4 (15:45):
So you know, that's going to limit the amount of
guys obviously they can go. And no one's got the
money to really fund their whole team to go to
Europe by themselves.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
It's not going to happen. This is very costly.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Okay. Are most of the Olympic sports, the Winter Olympic
sports in general, are they? Do they all kind of
fall in that sort of category or that sort of
vibe I should say? Or is everything completely different between
different sports.
Speaker 4 (16:14):
I can't speak from from for any other sports, but
like specifically Bob Saide the skeleton is again is it
could like things are just kind of different and in
such in that regard, and it can vary from year
to year, like say, this is Olympic year coming up.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
So when people see like, you know, like an Olympic athlete,
they they may be thinking that it's this like cool,
glamorous thing. But I'm sure for the ninety nine percent
of people, it is a grind like no other grind.
Beyond just the physical the physical portion of like training
and being an elite athlete and all of that stuff,
(16:49):
you have to actually fund yourself to get where you're
trying to go.
Speaker 4 (16:52):
From what it sounds like, exactly, Like like I said,
so this from say again this past season, like a
lot of the fund and fit all all myself and
you know the different teams that were competing with and
amongst each other on the North America's Cup. So yeah,
like it's a grind as you said, and it's you know,
(17:13):
from a not just physical mental and it can be stressful.
You know, it's a lot of sacrifice from in that
regard as well.
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your season is in the late fall into winter, and
then you're maybe going to Europe. You're competing basically weekly.
It sounds like constantly on tour, going around all the
different places. And then let's say March is when you
said it end, So I know the World Championships were
here in Lake Placid in March, so a few weeks ago,
(19:09):
how did those go and how did how did that
all play out.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
As a team, I would say it was some. It
was a pretty good showing as a team USA as
a whole. So but speaking for my team, it's itself.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
The part I ended up.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
Sliding with was doing very well in the two man
he had. He was in like eighth place after day one,
which is pretty good because you're going against nations and
guys has you know, been competing on the World Cup
circuit all year and they've been crushing it, and some
of those teams he actually beat out. But like I said,
(19:52):
the second day, he ended up sustaining the injury, and
so going to four man, we were pretty excited. You know,
I thought we would fall into the tier of like,
you know, top ten to twelve or possibly a little
bit better than that. But him sustaining the injury kind
of like threw us off and then Bob's laid. These days,
(20:16):
it takes to push everyone being a part of the
push to be successful.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
So four man we didn't do as well as I
would have liked.
Speaker 4 (20:26):
But it was a great experience, great experience to you know,
I was like basically, I mean I'm pretty much the
veteran leader of the team and most experienced guy overall
at this point, sure, I would say, but I was
it was good to just be able to lead some
of those newer guys whom I was pushing with and
(20:48):
you know, kind of teaching some of them some of
the you know, the things and such.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
Now with the World Championships being at Mount van Hovenburg
right here in the air deck park, kind of your
home court in a sense, do you feel that there
was a was there a advantage to being at your
I guess home track we'll call it, because quite literally
you live in La Plastic. But do you feel there
was an advantage there or not so much?
Speaker 4 (21:15):
I would say yeah, and not so much because in
this sport, I mean when you've when you have a
pilot or team or teams that have just competed and
had enough you know, experience on the different tracks and
you get to know the you know, knowledgeable the different tracks,
it's no like, sure advantage if you're on this track
(21:38):
or that track, whether it's your home track or not,
like it can be. But also you know, unfortunately like
Germany's swept everybody, they beat us.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
You know, and so there you go, and you said,
these European teams are competing all year long, because this
sport is much larger in European countries than it is
here in America. Correct, Okay, it's hard to compete against
that for sure.
Speaker 4 (22:07):
So now yeah, because again because again, like you said,
like when it comes to tour, they're already in Europe,
so they're going to be on those.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
Tracks no matter what.
Speaker 4 (22:16):
Whereas you have like some of our newer apolots that
are just you know, getting getting their feet under them
within driving and such, they don't have a ton of experience.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Over there on those tracks.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Yeah, no, it makes sense and not steadily Okay.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
Not making excuses, but that's just it is what it is.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
It's part of it. You know, different different different countries
doing things differently. Like you have your own hurdles that
you have to jump through and you're jumping in them.
So your dad, you were raised in North Carolina, your
dad Bob's led, So people might be like, well, how
are you bob sliding in North Carolina. So basically, from
(22:58):
what I'm understanding is you you go live your life
and then you come back for the season, have to
make the team I'm guessing year after year after year,
and keep yourself in shape when you're not on the team.
Is that how it works?
Speaker 3 (23:15):
Yah?
Speaker 4 (23:16):
Yeah, it definitely works that way, my Like I said,
most athletes, you know, some of us live here and
have made our lives here and now when I say something,
but most of the other athletes live wherever else they're
from or living at the time, and you know, they
(23:36):
train and we have camps throughout the summer now where
people will come in and you know, train with the team.
We'll do like little team trainings and such, and then
they'll leave and come back or what have you.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
But so it's up to you year after year two
make the team. So if you were on the team
last year, let's say even you were a pilot, do
you have other than how I think the experience obviously,
but like do you have any sort of what's the word.
(24:08):
I can't think of the word right now, but like,
is it it's still not a shoe in that you're
going to make the team year after year. You have
to compete against everybody else and rEFInd your spot, reclaim
your spot. Is it I'm hearing that correctly?
Speaker 3 (24:23):
Absolutely? Yeah.
Speaker 4 (24:25):
Like I came into this, like I said, I came
into this squad pretty strong.
Speaker 3 (24:30):
I was.
Speaker 4 (24:31):
You know, after the Olympic year, I came came back
and I was like super hungry again and I crushed
it and then in the testing, and then I crushed
it the year after that pretty well. But then this
season I wasn't. I didn't get off to a good start,
I would say, but I still was I did enough.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
To make the team.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
How many people?
Speaker 4 (24:54):
Well, yeah, it depends on the quota spots that are
said in places where so we had three quota spots
set up for this season, and so it's usually like, uh,
you got nine breakmen, nine breakmen that will make it
for the men's side as a part of the team,
(25:15):
and then you have two alternates that are still a
part of the team, so and whole you know, that's
what eleven eleven guys and then the three poets.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
So not many. So the team is fift you know, fourteen,
fifteen people. So how many And.
Speaker 4 (25:33):
You think like it's a it's a it's a ton
of people that come out and out like when we
have ports champs and such like, it's a lot of
great athletes. And that's another thing I want to point
out too, like you know, you got a lot of
great athletes that's coming out, that's vying for spots, and
and and again, you know, it's it's tough, man, it's
you know, it's a lot of it's a lot of
(25:57):
people to choose from, and then comes down to you know,
you have to break things down to like experience and
you know, if you a newer guy coming out, you
can come out and crush it, but you still got
to learn the sport itself, and you have to learn.
Speaker 3 (26:12):
It's a lot to learn.
Speaker 4 (26:13):
Like that's what I try to I try to pass
on knowledge to some of these newer guys because me
and myself, I was one of those guys at one
time when I first came out. I'm like, oh, yeah, man,
I'm about to make the national team.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
And my father's like, no, you not. I'm not.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
I'm not discrediting your talents. I know you are super talenting,
you my son, but I'm not going to tell you
that you're just gonna walk out there and walk onto
the team because it ain't that easy and it's not
that simple.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
You have to learn the sport, my man, and.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
You know to you know, in all fairness, like everyone
has to because it's not a sport you can do,
like play like Little League baseball, which is a shame
because it's actually one of my biggest regrets growing up
in Lake Placid is not partaking in any like you
could have. We could have losed. I don't feel like
we could have done bob sled growing up, but you
(27:02):
could have done like Little League baseball. You could have
done lose skeleton or ski jumping here in Lake Placid.
Didn't do any of them. I played. I snowboarded, so
that's what I did in the winter time. But big
regret not actually taking advantage of the fact that, oh,
these are some interesting sports that you actually can do
growing up here that nobody else can. So you know,
all these elite athletes that are coming in, like, they
(27:22):
all have to learn the sports. So it does kind
of level the playing field. But I see how someone
like yourself, like, once you do make that team and
learn the learn the sport, you do have a leg
up as the years go, which you have proven. You've
been on the team since twenty twelve, which is impressive.
It's quite the career you've had here.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
Yeah, man, you sure.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
Take me through it, all right, Adrian, So what do
I have to do to become a bobsledder. I'm a
pretty strong guy. I have a six hundred pound deadlift.
I can climb up mountains, I can run. What do
I what type of numbers do I need to do
to become a bob slayer to make the team, keep
get me on the team. What do I need to do?
Give me my training program?
Speaker 4 (28:06):
Well, like you said, you can, It's it's great. You know,
you gotta be strong. You gotta be definitely got to
be strong. You gotta be explosive, and you gotta be fast.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
Like how strong, how explosive? How fast are we talking here?
Speaker 4 (28:21):
I mean you gotta at least be cleaning like two
seventy five and.
Speaker 3 (28:25):
Other words, and far at speed?
Speaker 4 (28:29):
You need to be running and we run thirty meters
and you need to be in the three sixties.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
Got better or better?
Speaker 4 (28:36):
You need to be able to run a thirty meter
and three sixes or better? And yeah, man, it's again
it comes down to like we were saying about, like learning.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
The sport like you can.
Speaker 4 (28:47):
We've I've seen guys be it's crazy great in those
different measurables, but then when it comes to getting on
it's a whole nother You know, beast getting out on
the ice and pushing the actual big.
Speaker 3 (29:01):
Bob slid and pushing with a team and such like.
Speaker 4 (29:05):
I've seen guys be great by themselves, and you know
when it comes to pushing with the team, they're not.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Sure in the box sled you're going down that ice track,
you have to also be able to handle a the
speed of how fast you're moving and the fear factor
that is going to be happening when you're inside of
a inside of a sled like that going down to
track like that, you know, going how fast are they
actually are the are the sleds going?
Speaker 4 (29:33):
That's a great point too, But yeah, depending on the tracks,
like you got like Whistler and like.
Speaker 3 (29:43):
Switzerland Saint Rich. Yeah, it's like.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
You're going like ninety plus easy with no seatbelt, and
like Whistler is even worse because like out of the
first corner you're dropping like three stories and like it
it is intense, like and.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
Like you say, you got no seatbew no seatbelt going
ninety miles per hour down an ice track. Obviously it's
not a smooth ride. And it's inster interesting too. What
you talked about with the athletes with running you know,
like moving on ice. There's a line from the movie
Cool Runnings where the coach is talking about wanting to
(30:20):
get runners to become Bob's letters, and the Team USA's
coach says, but can they're like John Candy says, these
guys are lightning, and then the Team USA coach says,
but can lightning run on ice? And it's like, oh dude,
that's like a big moment in the film. But anyways, Yeah,
you bring up a very good point that being an
a leade athlete over here doesn't necessarily translate to, you know,
(30:43):
learning the sport, because obviously that not everything translates to
that sports. Imagine if I did our Adrian. Imagine if
I started training right now, specifically to try to make
Team USA at thirty eight, I'll be thirty nine in
like a month and a half from now. Would that?
I mean, that might that might weren't me my own
Disney movie at one point, you know, like what a
(31:03):
what a Cinderella story? The local who was a playmobile
at thirty nine years old makes Team Usay, Bob's side
sounds anything thirty written all over it.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
Yeah, oh for sure, And like I said, anything's possible.
You know.
Speaker 4 (31:23):
I'm I'm I just turned thirty nine myself, and obviously
I've been doing a sport and I have the experience
as such.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
But but again, like.
Speaker 4 (31:33):
Anything's possible, man, And this this sport has many folks
that do it on up into.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
Their really a little over there, like forty before, I
actually was making a complete joke. I actually figured you
were probably much younger than I. But uh, is it
weird that now you've got me thinking my brain is like,
oh man, that would be a funny story, that would
be amazing hilarious though, But that's incredible that you are
(32:00):
still at the age you are on Team USA and
like competing and making the team and yeah, dude, good
for you, Good for you. Holy crap. And the fact
that people are into their forties doing this sport is
actually really fascinating. Why do you think that is?
Speaker 3 (32:16):
Because?
Speaker 4 (32:17):
Man, this sport, man, you fought, like I'm speaking for
myself again, you fall in love with it and it's addicting.
I was joking with one of my past teammates a
while ago, Dallas Robinson, and he was like, man, it's addictive,
ain't And uh he too, he's a guy. He was
(32:38):
doing the sport right right when I started. And he's
an Olympian and he came back out a year before last.
And he's a guy that's what or two or three
years older than us, so he's in his forties.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
And he came out and he finished in the top.
Wowew and like.
Speaker 4 (32:57):
The faster pushing combo was with me and him, me,
him and many old Mitchell and yeah, man, it was funny. Again,
Like I said talking to Dallas, he was like, yeah,
I just wanted to come out, man and just see
if I could still, you know, do hood and this
and then and I'm like, Dallas, me knowing you, I
never never doubted it.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
That's amazing. That's that's actually, that's really that's fascinating. Something
I never knew about this sport. That's cool though. I
love to hear that. Now, let me ask you this.
The very first time you got on into a bob sled?
Was it in Mount van or was it on Mount
van Hovenburg the first time he went down the track
or was it okay? It was okay? So what was
it like the very first time you got in a
sled and went down the track at Mount van Hovenburg?
(33:39):
What were what was going through your head? What was
it feeling like? What was it? Clearly had to be
different from what you imagined it would be like no
one can truly describe most things in life, let alone that.
So give us a rundown of that.
Speaker 4 (33:53):
Like you said, there was no way I could prepare
my mind or really take advice from me anybody to
experience what I was about to experience.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
And uh, it was funny. I was.
Speaker 4 (34:06):
It was like a I remember it was like a
evening nighttime. It was dark, and yeah, we were up
there on the hill taking runs and such, and I'm like, man,
I'm excited.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
I get to the line, you know, hit the sled.
Speaker 4 (34:23):
I'm trying to mimic everything I learned, you know, in
the process on dry land, on hitting the sled, because
that's what that's part of the technic technical excuse me, the.
Speaker 3 (34:32):
Technic technical part of the learning curve. And so yeah,
I get up there, I hit the sled. I'm going.
Speaker 4 (34:41):
I'm like, okay, then I hop in. Okay, we go
through Curve one, We're going, and so we're navigating the
course and man, we get down to the finish.
Speaker 3 (34:58):
Excuse me, bro drown parched and.
Speaker 4 (35:04):
Yeah, I get down to the bottom and get out
the sled and I'm like, man, that was.
Speaker 3 (35:11):
That was a rush. Man, that was such an experience.
That was cool. Like I was excited because it was
like it was.
Speaker 4 (35:17):
Like a roller coaster ride, but not a roller coaster
ride because it's nothing that I can see, you know,
And when I'm in a slave, I'm crunched down and
so we're just going down the course and whatnot. And yeah, man,
I got out super excited and I was like, man,
(35:37):
like that was fun, like super fun.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
Scary, a little scary, but super fun.
Speaker 4 (35:44):
One of the guys I was I was able to
ride with, was very like knowledgeable the track and was
a pretty good driver, So that was nothing that made
it a lot easier.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
And you know, do.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
People ever, you know, like, do people actually that first question?
Were you on the team at that point when you
did your first trip down the track? Were you officially
a team at a team member or no at that point?
So do people come up here to try to make
the team go down the track one time and say, Nope,
(36:15):
this is not I'm not going down there again. Does that?
Does that ever like kill people's aspirations? After the first
time down.
Speaker 3 (36:24):
I've seen that happen. I've seen again, That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (36:26):
We've seen people be very talented, have a you know
upside to a great outlook of possibly being a good bobster.
Are they getting a slig And I've seen people overnight leave.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
Sure.
Speaker 4 (36:41):
You know it again, it's not for its sport is
not for everybody. And that's how it is. Like, you know,
they take a trip. Some people take a trip and
they're like, man, that makes me feel like nauseus, are
sick or I just can't handle the type stuff, and
they're like, yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
That would be the case I could imagine.
Speaker 3 (37:00):
But but myself, I was super excited.
Speaker 4 (37:04):
And it was funny because like, you know, some of
my coaches, you know, my dad competed around the time
and with some of those guys, and uh, you know,
they were chuckling try you know, watching my expression when
I got back to the top to see like what
how I was going to react, and they were like, oh, man,
like you seemed like you like it. You know, I
was like excited. I'm like, man, I'm trying to go again,
(37:25):
you know. So I took like two or three runs.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
That day and yeah, man, very cool, just stuff, right.
Speaker 2 (37:32):
I'm sure, I'm sure. I'm sure the coaches too. They
probably watched the people going down their first their first run,
and the people that they're probably hoping are going to stay,
they're really eyeballing them to see, like how did they
react to that ride down, because it seems like it
would make sense that plenty of people would say immediately Nope,
the sport's not for me, because again, you can't you
(37:54):
can't like go down the street and try it. The
only way you can learn the sport is by getting
your butt in that sled and going down the track
and seeing if you can handle it. Wild wild stuff.
So let me ask you this. You are now, your
life is now permanently here in Lake Placid. You're married
to Bethany, who obviously is an Adirondack stud. What is
(38:16):
a what is it like? How is the town in
terms of like being in the Olympic thing, you know,
that whole like bubble, Like, what is it like being
in this town? Because obviously most of the athletes don't
actually live here. Have you found like, like, is there
a special quality to Lake Placid for people like yourself
(38:36):
that are a part of that world, right, Like I
was never a part of that world, but like you
actually are. So does Lake Placid bring a unique quality
to that for you?
Speaker 6 (38:45):
And that in terms of the experience, like I said, uh,
I just adapted to my surrounding and uh, you know
being married to Bethany now, you know, even before I
met Bethany, always like being in the woods.
Speaker 4 (39:04):
And there's plenty of that around here as we do,
and so like getting out on the trails and such.
It's always been a big part of me and what
I like to do. We were actually up on Mount
van Ho yesterday and I've just like I said, I like,
I like to go hiking and such, and and the people,
(39:25):
the friends and folks that I've you know, made friends
with around town I know, like almost everybody now and
it's just a great surrounding. It's just like I just
like a family, like and then like for me in
the off seasons, you know, I just have to like
focus on continuing to train and such, and uh, yes,
(39:46):
summer's here in Lake Placids are great too, Like I
know have like some people don't they come up, you know,
they get into the sport and they're like, oh, you know,
like I don't know if I could.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
Live here this and that, and I'm like, man, that's interesting.
Speaker 4 (39:58):
Like when I first started the sport, like it was
a fight to like try to be to try to
get a part of the off season resident housing. You
had a lot of great athletes that are vying for
bed space in there.
Speaker 2 (40:16):
Yeah, okay, so.
Speaker 4 (40:19):
It wasn't many people that you know, we're going to
get that spot. And man, when I got that opportunity
the next.
Speaker 3 (40:24):
Day I was here, they were left like, man, he
couldn't wait to get here.
Speaker 4 (40:28):
And like you said, I got here then, and the
experiences I had, like I said, I made friends pretty
quickly and whatnot, and I love to get out on
the water and such like again, I just adapted to
my surroundings and the summers here have been great, The
people and such have been great and become family.
Speaker 2 (40:48):
So it's yeah, it's cool that you are a part
of that again, that bubble, that actually Olympic bubble. And
I you know, I graduated high school with probably three
or four different people that went to the Olympics, and
so it's like it's just a part of what's a
part of the culture here. So it's neat to hear
hear that how that has played out for you coming
into this place and again you adapted to it, so
(41:10):
it's great now at the training center. I'm just curious.
So all those all the residents, the lodging they have there,
those are for athletes who come up here to try
out slash train. You just stay there. I assume you
probably rent the rooms. I'm guessing if I'm a betting man,
is that how it works?
Speaker 4 (41:30):
Yeah, Like they allow you, like again you come to
the camps or whatever like to like so people like
trying to become a part of the sport and such
like it's lodging places for.
Speaker 3 (41:44):
You to stay cool, like they're not charging you.
Speaker 4 (41:49):
But and then so like us that people are like
the off season residents were able to stay there as well,
of course, but like say you got Bob Slid, you
got Skeleton, you got Louge athletes, and you got you know,
some buy Applaune. So even that in itself is a
(42:09):
community of you know, athletes that you're going to be
in and around in training with as well.
Speaker 2 (42:15):
Cool. Yeah, I've always just been curious, you know, I've
my my parents' house is literally across the street from
the training center, so I grew up riding my bike
past it anytime I went anywhere. So very good good stuff, dude,
also good stuff. So let me ask you this as
we start to wrap things up here. I always like
to ask people, you know, the same kind of questions
about the Adirondacks and this sort of thing. So I
(42:38):
always I'm going to mold it to you because that's
what I always do. So the first question I always
ask people is what's something unique that you carry in
your backpack? So I want to ask you a slightly
different question is what is what is something unique that
you have found about the sport of Bob Slid that
keeps you coming back for more?
Speaker 4 (42:59):
I would say, for sure, like I come from you know,
team sports and such, and like I said, I tell
you a little bit about my football background. It's pretty
successful even back in you know, high school and such.
And I love the team, the team camaraderie aspect of it.
And I'm I very much well consider myself a team
(43:19):
player and and I've been successful in that regard as well.
And just again about the sport in general, like it's
I've never lost that far And to compete, and I
just love, like obviously, I'm I'm still chasing, you know,
the dream of being able to represent at the Olympics
(43:42):
with my teammates.
Speaker 3 (43:43):
So, you know, just a combination of all man.
Speaker 4 (43:47):
Like again, I love I've sports have played a major
part of my life in my life.
Speaker 3 (43:53):
And yeah, man, like.
Speaker 4 (43:57):
We're getting we're not old per se, say we was
talking about joking about our age, like we're thirty eight,
thirty nine, Like, dude, I still feel like I'm like
ten years younger.
Speaker 3 (44:07):
And that's told to be in totally honest.
Speaker 2 (44:09):
Yeah, I don't. I don't have anything that hurts either,
So I feel good about that.
Speaker 3 (44:14):
Dude.
Speaker 2 (44:15):
You look you've been you like you like a weightlifter
for real, very intentional. That I do the things so
that I can keep doing the things that I like
to do right, takes intentionality for sure. Cool man. So
let me ask you this my next question. In your opinion,
what makes the Adirondacks such a unique place?
Speaker 3 (44:35):
What makes the Adirondacks to union? Please, I don't know, man.
Speaker 4 (44:40):
Part of it again, it's the it's the uh, it's
the touristy cool part of the of it being like
a TOURISTI town the Olympic atmosphere and feel of it.
Speaker 3 (44:51):
Yeah, just it has an indescribable feel.
Speaker 4 (44:55):
That's That's one thing I tell a lot of people
like you know that aren't you know here with me?
Or they always ask me, like what you like about
it up here? I'm like, man, it's like an indescribable feel,
like a.
Speaker 7 (45:08):
Comfort, Like like I said, it's an indescribable feel of comfort,
family and yeah, man, see it has that Olympic dream
feel when fire still with.
Speaker 2 (45:21):
Yeah, absolutely, that's great. And you know, having obviously for
you being married to Bethany who's always out in the mountains,
you have an additional element to the Adirondacks because you're
getting like Bethany obviously obsessed with the Adirondacks too, Like
you're getting that influence as well and living through her
(45:42):
adventures too, which helps to you know, showcase what this
park actually has to offer and what it is and
that unique indescribable element that you talked about that I
bet you a lot of the other athletes that you
train with, that you compete with, like, they probably don't
get into the woods or get the adventures that obvious
to like your wife has, and that you go out
and do so you're really taking full advantage of what
(46:04):
the place has to offer. And I think if you don't,
you miss the and I do. That was my story
growing up, right, Like, I didn't take advantage of what
the place has. So you missed the you missed the beauty,
and you miss the magic of what it actually can
give to you. So I think that's really cool. So
what's next for you? It's let's see April twenty twenty five,
(46:25):
you're on Team USA. What is next for you?
Speaker 4 (46:30):
What's next for me? So, like you know, I've had
what roughly a few weeks to a month about a
month to kind of like you know, take a break
and such. And now I'm like easing back into training
as I stated, and as you've you know stated about
my wife, you know, being a very avid hiker and such.
(46:52):
And I think what's helped me, not to get off topic,
but what's helped me a lot, I think in the
past with what I'm realizing now too, is really getting
back into my training doing hikes because it hits different muscles,
It hits muscles, it strengthens your body in a different way,
(47:14):
just not physically but from here from a mental standpoint,
and yeah, so getting back into training. I'm working a
little bit. I'm actually working a bit. I'm a part
of order, so working with them and doing some things
over at the track. And but yeah, specifically getting back
(47:34):
into training, man, and getting getting locked in and ready
for this Olympic season because this this probably will be my.
Speaker 3 (47:42):
Last go.
Speaker 4 (47:45):
Yeah, so like just training and really enjoying like marriage,
life and family and and like you said, they're at
a rondecks man, like I just love I love it
around here again, it's a it's a great feeling and wake.
Speaker 3 (48:00):
Up every day around here.
Speaker 4 (48:01):
I am getting I am a winter athlete, but I
am getting tired of the cooles.
Speaker 3 (48:05):
I need a break from it.
Speaker 2 (48:06):
Coming, dude, those summers are coming where people forget how
long and tough the winters are when they have the
absolutely flawless summers that we that we usually have up here.
Good stuff. Well, rooting for you, dude. So this next
So this next season, which as you mentioned, was I
kind of like October September, October November into the winter.
(48:27):
So this is an Olympic season. So Olympics are next year?
Where are they?
Speaker 3 (48:33):
It'll bem excuse me, Milan Courtina, Italy.
Speaker 2 (48:38):
All right, So actually, as we wrap this up, what
does that process look like?
Speaker 3 (48:43):
Like?
Speaker 2 (48:43):
How do you make the actual Olympic team? Obviously they're
not taking your fourteen guys, they're only taking I'm assuming
one sled right, four people probably make.
Speaker 3 (48:52):
Maybe, Like I said, it various from different season to season.
Speaker 4 (48:58):
I would assume the plan right now, and it's interesting,
like I'll start off by saying, like, you know, round
September early September, we'll have the Push Championships and such
again all the testing that goes into it again to
test the athletes and then form teams, and then from
(49:21):
there it's I guess they're planning to try I spoke
to the coach and the staff and such, and they're
planning to try to get all three teams to go
to Europe. How that's gonna pan out, I'm not sure yet,
(49:43):
but the way the scheduling is set up this season,
the only way, the only way where we can qualify
three slants is send them all to Europe. But aside
from d it said, how however many quota spots if
it's you know, eleven or whether it's uh it's eight
(50:09):
guys that will you know, initially make the team and
go over to Europe. I don't know how that's going
to pan out, but me specifically planning to be one
of those guys.
Speaker 2 (50:23):
So you got to make the team first, you got
to make you got to remake the team for the
what thirteenth year for you, and then you have to
then once you make the team, then you have to
make the Olympic team within the team ultimately, Okay, got it?
Speaker 4 (50:38):
Yes, So like the season, like we have like different
you know, it's like we have a criteria ridden and
it states like you know it usually like the mid
season they have mid season reviews and different things that nature.
But you know, aside from when you initially make the team,
you have to still go out and like compete and
(51:00):
and things happen to like you know, people get hurt
or what have you, and or people get replaced, and
so just because you start a certain way, like you
got to keep that up like from week to week
to you know, it's always an evaluation like type thing.
(51:20):
But yeah, you have to remake the team and then
you have to go about the season compete and then
even like I said, it's quota quota spot, so like
the points in such that are that are achieved throughout
the season then forms how like how many nations, like
(51:43):
two nations get three slaves for the Olympics. And so yeah,
it's just kind of where you find where you fall out,
fall into that category type thing. So my, like I said,
my my personal goals would be to like you. So
I need to be the best version of Adrian that
I can possibly be. And I think as long as
(52:05):
I'm the best version of Adrian, I'm gonna fall into
that tier of the guys that should be going out
and leading Team USA to Vova Medals.
Speaker 2 (52:14):
I love the attitude and I love the drive that
you have. Very good, dude. Where can people find you online?
If they want to say hello?
Speaker 3 (52:22):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (52:22):
You can follow me on Instagram at Adrianadams USA and
Facebook the same thing.
Speaker 2 (52:29):
Adrian Adams KS, very good, Well, thanks for coming on
the forty six to forty six podcast. That's going to
wrap up our episode that was like a masterclass in
what it's like to be a Team USA bobsledder and
to actually be a part of this Olympic bubble, this
Olympic world that happens here in Lake Placid, New York,
in the heart of the Adirondack Park. But that's going
(52:49):
to wrap up this summit sessions. Head over to forty
six outdoors dot com if you're about to hike the
forty six high peaks. My brand new book, The Adirondack
forty six and eighteen Hikes is available now. It'll give
you all the information you need to know to have
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(53:12):
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Great Rangethathlete dot com and that'll do it. Check back
on Fridays for new mountains, new stories, new guests, and
new episodes right here on the forty six to forty
six Podcast. Remember it to always leave no trace, do
(53:33):
the rock walk and if you carry it in, carry
it out. See you on the trails. Everybody
This is the forty six of forty six podcast Summit Session,
where we'll talk all things Adirondack back country and beyond.
From high peaks stories and adventures to trail tips and tricks.
We'll dive deep into the heart of these mountains and
the people who passionately climb them. Adirondack maps and spruce
traps to bushwacks and backpacks. It's all here, the forty
(00:22):
six of forty six Summit Sessions.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Hello everyone, and welcome back to the forty six of
forty six podcast. It's April. That means mud season is
just around the corner. Although it's April, so winter really
doesn't want to let go of us up here in
the Adirondack Park. But it's coming. The hiking season is coming,
the grass is coming. I can't wait to see it.
Winter is still here though, But anyways, this week on
(00:59):
the Summit Session, I have an Olympic hopeful with us.
His name is Adrian Adams. He is the husband of
the Bethany Garrettson, one of the most famous guests here
on the podcast, now known as Bethany Adams. Her husband
is a team USA bobsledder and he is with me
this week on the Summer Sessions to talk about what
(01:20):
it's like being a winter athlete up here in the Adirondacks.
I'm pretty sure most of you who have listening to
this podcast have heighted Mount van Hovenberg. You've probably seen
the Bob Sled run. So we're going to find out
this week what it's like to actually be a winter
sports athlete up here in the Adirondack Park. So Adrian Adams,
(01:41):
nine time national team member of Team USA Bob Sled. Adrian,
Welcome to the forty six to forty six podcast.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Hello, Hello, Hello, glad to have you here.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
It's going to be exciting to talk to you. I
have always wondered about this myself, so to have you
on the podcast to chat about it will be exciting.
So quick BackStar before we even before we even dive
into it. I remember being in. I think I told
Bethany this actually on one of the podcast episodes that
she was on. I remember being in. I had had
to be sixth grade, maybe fifth grade, going to a
(02:15):
store on Main Street and Lake Placid called Farm Moor's Kids.
It's like where they sold toys in town, and there
was this big playobile Bob Sled pack. It was like
thirty thirty dollars. I remember, like as a kid, you're
in fifth grade, Like, I don't have that type of money.
I remember like just doing stuff around the house, doing
chore anything I could to make some money because I
(02:38):
wanted to go buy the Bob Sled pack of the
play the Bob Sled playmobile toys. Anyways, good stuff. The
sport has always been fascinating to me. So I'm looking
forward to talking to you about this. But before we
get into that, give us a little background on yourself.
And obviously your tie to the Adirondacks is Bob sledding,
so we're going to get into that. But like, how
did you first come up to the Adirondack Park and
(03:00):
what was your initial reaction when you first came up
to this place. Let's start right there.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
All right. Yeah, So.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
My initial introduction to you know, coming up here to
the Arondecks and such so was because of Bob sled
of course. And you know, my father used to be
a Bob sletter you know, he did it a few
years here or there, and uh, you know, dabbled into
sport and and and such and and so I you know,
(03:31):
after you know, following the dream of playing football and such,
you know, started to come to a halt.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
I was like, man, you know, I still want to
be an athlete.
Speaker 4 (03:39):
So my father was like, hey, man, you wyonn't you
go try out for the bob sledger team. You know,
he was like, you're still in great shake, you know
you I know, You're not done being an athlete. So
you know, so you know, I decided to like really
like take heat to that and just like, Okay, I'm
gonna give this a try. So like I did, you know,
(04:00):
some combines and camps and then out in Park City
and then I ended up coming up to Lake Placid,
and man, my first initial reaction was like wow, like
this is so cool, Like it's like a place of
his own like I've been, you know, being able to
travel a few little places before becoming a bobsler, that
(04:22):
being world travel. But yeah, coming up to the Adirondacks
in itself was you know a great energy and feeling
and a lot of newness and you know, obviously trying
to learn the sport and such, but the surrounding just
really I really liked initially, and uh yeah, I ended
(04:46):
up getting to the sport and really sticking in. And
you know, I lived you know, some summers up here
in the Adirondacks and off season, and yeah, I just
fell in love with it.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Man, mountains and such. Is it is cool. It's a
different like kind of set up for me.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
Like we have mountains in North Carolina and such, but
you know, I don't live I wasn't like from the
mountain area, and I hadn't really had too much experience
with the mountains. But yeah, coming to the Adirondacks was
a new a newness and and like you said, I
fell in love with it. And you know, the people
(05:25):
and the you know, it's a it's a touristy town
of course, sure, and yeah, man, it's it's been great.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Now it's home sweet home for you. You are a
Lake Placid local. Now, welcome, welcome, thank you, thank you.
Let's get let's get a little background on you then.
So obviously now you're a member of Team USA Bob Sled.
But uh, let's rewind like what you know you told
us kind of your origin story. You said you played football, correct,
where'd you play? How'd that go?
Speaker 3 (05:52):
So?
Speaker 4 (05:53):
It was okay, back in high school, I was a
two time state champion and defensive player of the game
my senior year. I pretty much played varsity all four years.
So I was pretty good in football, pretty good, uh
baseball player as well. I pretty well pretty much excelled
in that as well. And I went to college and
(06:13):
went to North Carolina and Tea was there for a
little bit, and then I went to a junior college
program for like a year, and then I went back
to a t I had some other opportunities, but I
decided to go back to school there.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
Then I just kind of did school.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
And after that, I ended up getting into some arinal
football and played that, dabbled with that a little bit.
Then I had some opportunities. I did some combines and such,
and you know with the CFL and was doing well
and had some you know, some opportunities with that, but
(06:50):
they kind of fizzled out, and you know, nothing major
really came up of it, honestly, And uh yeah, I
was kind of at a crossroads, as I said, and
I was like, man, like, I still want to do something.
I still had that fire and energy and itch to
like do something, like you know, I was working a
few jobs here and there, and I was just like,
this is not what I feel I should be doing
(07:12):
right this second, okay, and something just kept not nudging
me to like, no, your purpose is something different, and
so yeah, and it was just funny. Like one day
my dad mentioned like, hey, like, why don't you like
go off of the Bob's Lad Team?
Speaker 2 (07:28):
And I was like, were you familiar with the sport
beyond the movie Cool Runnings at that point? And I
guess you said your dad was a Bob's Letter, so
you didn't know something about it more than probably most
people I would have to assume when they get introduced
to the sport.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
Well, yeah, Like, and it's funny because like, you know,
growing up, you know, my father was doing the sport,
you know, like I said here or there a little bit,
and like most of my people, most of my friends,
I would say, and people I never really talked about it,
you know, wildly, and it was almost like a known secret.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
It's funny and uh yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
So like he was doing the sport, and like when
I was younger, I have three brothers and a sister,
and so growing up, you know, in the video games
and such like we had like I think it was
on the Sega dreamcast or something we had like the Olympic.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Sports Game or whatever.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Olympics game for Yeah, I remember N sixty four had
it when that came out. I remember that being a
big deal. I feel like it was.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
I feel like it was something.
Speaker 4 (08:33):
It was Nagano because like it was leading up because
Nagano was the when my dad first got into the sport.
That was what it was leading up to, like Nagano,
and then he went back out towards like Salt Lake time. Okay,
but yeah, that makes sense because we had like the
dreamcast N sixty four things, but like.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Yeah, time frame. Let me let me ask you. So
you said your dad like dabbled in bob sledding? What
how how tell me how a person can do that
when there's what fourteen tracks on planet Earth I think,
and then obviously there's one here, there's one out west,
But like, how do you dabble in the sport of
(09:12):
bob sled Like this is fascinating? You said, growing up,
he was doing that, So what is that so?
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Growing growing up?
Speaker 4 (09:18):
Like so like his childhood friend, I'll revert back to this,
So his childhood friend buddy that played in the NFL.
NFL coach College coach John Settle was that like a
retreat meeting types thing or something. Yeah, and he met
some guys within a part of the Bob sled team,
(09:39):
coaches and such, and you know, they were talking and
he was like, yeah, you know, I got a buddy
that might you know, fit the mold.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
He might be interested in coming out for the team.
And they were like, oh yeah, real.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
Like he was giving him some backstory on my dad
and such, and like they're like, okay, Like he gave
him information to say, hey, like tell him like go
to this combine or these combines and see what he
got and stuff. And so long story short, like he
was doing okay, and he got into the sport and
was doing it, like I said, dabbling like he would
come out like you know, a year before the games
(10:14):
or a year, a year or two prior to leading
up to the Olympic Games, Olympic year, I should say.
But the difference is like my father opposed to myself,
I stuck into the sport longer, like steadily. My father
(10:36):
had you know, me and my siblings, and it was
kind of tough for him to you know, you know,
manage like trying to you know, take care of a
family and trying to pursue the sport in the dream. Okay,
so that's what I mean by like dabbling, Like I've
done the sport. What now I started in twenty twelve,
(10:57):
I've been a bobs letter steadily.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
I didn't I didn't, you know, create a.
Speaker 4 (11:01):
Family earlier on, because you know, had I created a
family and had some children, I probably would not have
been able to sustain my career this long.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Sure, so let's dive into that. What does And this
is fascinating for me having again grown up here, Like
my next door neighbor is an Olympic silver medalist losure,
Like Olympics, the Olympics are just part of society here.
What is it like being a member of Team USA
bob sled? And especially for as long as you have,
(11:32):
So why don't you just take us through like a
year obviously, like Olympic years are going to be different.
And I know you're trying to get into the Olympics
for the next the next Olympics here and like that's
the that's the dream, that's what everyone's going for. But
you've done all these world championships, You've been a member
of team USA bob sled since twenty twelve. You said,
So take us through, like what does a typical year
look like for I guess we'll call it someone trying
(11:54):
to make the Olympic bob sled team, And like take
us through like January to December, Like what does it?
What does it look like you in this regard?
Speaker 3 (12:02):
All right? So, like the season.
Speaker 4 (12:05):
Usually begins around you know, late September, October, Novembers, just
depends on the year. It kind of varies, and your
season is going to go up until like March April
late you know, late March basically.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
And what is like what are what are we doing
during this season? What is the season?
Speaker 4 (12:27):
Oh, during the season is just competition, Like you have
a variance of like different tours and depending on your
team and your goals that season. And you know, money
has a in an effect of how your season goes
to depending on what level you fall into the tier
(12:47):
you fall into that season. So like you could be
doing like a North America's Cup where you're you know,
just basically between here Park City, Utah, and then out
like Canada, and then like World Cup. If you're on
World Cup, you know you're on the tour. Then you
may come back for Christmas, but then you're going right
(13:08):
back to Europe and you're competing.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
How often are you competing on the World Cup for example?
Speaker 4 (13:18):
So for me, I've I've been on the World Cup,
you know, many many times in different years of different quads.
The first in the second year of the quad. This
this time I was on doing mostly World Cup. This
past season I did mostly n A C and then
I did some Europa Cup. So that's still going over
(13:40):
to year. Of course we did a couple of races
over there and then so yeah, that's how that pretty
much looks.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
So you said a couple of races, So help me understand,
like are you doing a race every week, every month,
every other day? Like how how how does that? How
does that shake out a little bit?
Speaker 4 (13:59):
So it's shape out. It shakes out pretty much from
week to week. Like you you go to a different venue,
So like one week we might be in and say Austria,
we're competing. You know, throughout the week training you have
training days and then leading up to the race, so
(14:21):
then you have the races, the two and the four,
and then once the racers are done, you're packing up.
Either that night and going to the next you know,
competing spot, or the next morning you're getting up early,
you know the next morning and you're taking off to
say same ritz or wherever. So that's that's how it
(14:43):
kind of plays out. And again it's a schedule set
each you know, leading up to each season, and so
that's you just a bide by that schedule, right.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Sure, So now who's paying for all of this stuff?
You said? There's different teams, different cups, different things, Like
how does that all work?
Speaker 4 (15:00):
So it just falls into like say, like so like
in the beginning of the year, we have like testing
and so it's different testing mechanisms and such, and so
teams are formed after that and just kind of where
you fall into the tier you'll either. And also what
makes a huge difference as well as you know, like
(15:22):
with us in the US, like we're not government funded
like most other nations. Sure, so money can play an
issue apart in other words, a big part in things.
So like whether or not we have the qualified sleds
to send over, like I said about a month's past
this past year, normally we will at least send.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Over two teams, but we'll sent over one team.
Speaker 4 (15:45):
So you know, that's going to limit the amount of
guys obviously they can go. And no one's got the
money to really fund their whole team to go to
Europe by themselves.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
It's not going to happen. This is very costly.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Okay. Are most of the Olympic sports, the Winter Olympic
sports in general, are they? Do they all kind of
fall in that sort of category or that sort of
vibe I should say? Or is everything completely different between
different sports.
Speaker 4 (16:14):
I can't speak from from for any other sports, but
like specifically Bob Saide the skeleton is again is it
could like things are just kind of different and in
such in that regard, and it can vary from year
to year, like say, this is Olympic year coming up.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
So when people see like, you know, like an Olympic athlete,
they they may be thinking that it's this like cool,
glamorous thing. But I'm sure for the ninety nine percent
of people, it is a grind like no other grind.
Beyond just the physical the physical portion of like training
and being an elite athlete and all of that stuff,
(16:49):
you have to actually fund yourself to get where you're
trying to go.
Speaker 4 (16:52):
From what it sounds like, exactly, Like like I said,
so this from say again this past season, like a
lot of the fund and fit all all myself and
you know the different teams that were competing with and
amongst each other on the North America's Cup. So yeah,
like it's a grind as you said, and it's you know,
(17:13):
from a not just physical mental and it can be stressful.
You know, it's a lot of sacrifice from in that
regard as well.
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(18:47):
your season is in the late fall into winter, and
then you're maybe going to Europe. You're competing basically weekly.
It sounds like constantly on tour, going around all the
different places. And then let's say March is when you
said it end, So I know the World Championships were
here in Lake Placid in March, so a few weeks ago,
(19:09):
how did those go and how did how did that
all play out.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
As a team, I would say it was some. It
was a pretty good showing as a team USA as
a whole. So but speaking for my team, it's itself.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
The part I ended up.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
Sliding with was doing very well in the two man
he had. He was in like eighth place after day one,
which is pretty good because you're going against nations and
guys has you know, been competing on the World Cup
circuit all year and they've been crushing it, and some
of those teams he actually beat out. But like I said,
(19:52):
the second day, he ended up sustaining the injury, and
so going to four man, we were pretty excited. You know,
I thought we would fall into the tier of like,
you know, top ten to twelve or possibly a little
bit better than that. But him sustaining the injury kind
of like threw us off and then Bob's laid. These days,
(20:16):
it takes to push everyone being a part of the
push to be successful.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
So four man we didn't do as well as I
would have liked.
Speaker 4 (20:26):
But it was a great experience, great experience to you know,
I was like basically, I mean I'm pretty much the
veteran leader of the team and most experienced guy overall
at this point, sure, I would say, but I was
it was good to just be able to lead some
of those newer guys whom I was pushing with and
(20:48):
you know, kind of teaching some of them some of
the you know, the things and such.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
Now with the World Championships being at Mount van Hovenburg
right here in the air deck park, kind of your
home court in a sense, do you feel that there
was a was there a advantage to being at your
I guess home track we'll call it, because quite literally
you live in La Plastic. But do you feel there
was an advantage there or not so much?
Speaker 4 (21:15):
I would say yeah, and not so much because in
this sport, I mean when you've when you have a
pilot or team or teams that have just competed and
had enough you know, experience on the different tracks and
you get to know the you know, knowledgeable the different tracks,
it's no like, sure advantage if you're on this track
(21:38):
or that track, whether it's your home track or not,
like it can be. But also you know, unfortunately like
Germany's swept everybody, they beat us.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
You know, and so there you go, and you said,
these European teams are competing all year long, because this
sport is much larger in European countries than it is
here in America. Correct, Okay, it's hard to compete against
that for sure.
Speaker 4 (22:07):
So now yeah, because again because again, like you said,
like when it comes to tour, they're already in Europe,
so they're going to be on those.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
Tracks no matter what.
Speaker 4 (22:16):
Whereas you have like some of our newer apolots that
are just you know, getting getting their feet under them
within driving and such, they don't have a ton of experience.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Over there on those tracks.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Yeah, no, it makes sense and not steadily Okay.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
Not making excuses, but that's just it is what it is.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
It's part of it. You know, different different different countries
doing things differently. Like you have your own hurdles that
you have to jump through and you're jumping in them.
So your dad, you were raised in North Carolina, your
dad Bob's led, So people might be like, well, how
are you bob sliding in North Carolina. So basically, from
(22:58):
what I'm understanding is you you go live your life
and then you come back for the season, have to
make the team I'm guessing year after year after year,
and keep yourself in shape when you're not on the team.
Is that how it works?
Speaker 3 (23:15):
Yah?
Speaker 4 (23:16):
Yeah, it definitely works that way, my Like I said,
most athletes, you know, some of us live here and
have made our lives here and now when I say something,
but most of the other athletes live wherever else they're
from or living at the time, and you know, they
(23:36):
train and we have camps throughout the summer now where
people will come in and you know, train with the team.
We'll do like little team trainings and such, and then
they'll leave and come back or what have you.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
But so it's up to you year after year two
make the team. So if you were on the team
last year, let's say even you were a pilot, do
you have other than how I think the experience obviously,
but like do you have any sort of what's the word.
(24:08):
I can't think of the word right now, but like,
is it it's still not a shoe in that you're
going to make the team year after year. You have
to compete against everybody else and rEFInd your spot, reclaim
your spot. Is it I'm hearing that correctly?
Speaker 3 (24:23):
Absolutely? Yeah.
Speaker 4 (24:25):
Like I came into this, like I said, I came
into this squad pretty strong.
Speaker 3 (24:30):
I was.
Speaker 4 (24:31):
You know, after the Olympic year, I came came back
and I was like super hungry again and I crushed
it and then in the testing, and then I crushed
it the year after that pretty well. But then this
season I wasn't. I didn't get off to a good start,
I would say, but I still was I did enough.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
To make the team.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
How many people?
Speaker 4 (24:54):
Well, yeah, it depends on the quota spots that are
said in places where so we had three quota spots
set up for this season, and so it's usually like, uh,
you got nine breakmen, nine breakmen that will make it
for the men's side as a part of the team,
(25:15):
and then you have two alternates that are still a
part of the team, so and whole you know, that's
what eleven eleven guys and then the three poets.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
So not many. So the team is fift you know, fourteen,
fifteen people. So how many And.
Speaker 4 (25:33):
You think like it's a it's a it's a ton
of people that come out and out like when we
have ports champs and such like, it's a lot of
great athletes. And that's another thing I want to point
out too, like you know, you got a lot of
great athletes that's coming out, that's vying for spots, and
and and again, you know, it's it's tough, man, it's
you know, it's a lot of it's a lot of
(25:57):
people to choose from, and then comes down to you know,
you have to break things down to like experience and
you know, if you a newer guy coming out, you
can come out and crush it, but you still got
to learn the sport itself, and you have to learn.
Speaker 3 (26:12):
It's a lot to learn.
Speaker 4 (26:13):
Like that's what I try to I try to pass
on knowledge to some of these newer guys because me
and myself, I was one of those guys at one
time when I first came out. I'm like, oh, yeah, man,
I'm about to make the national team.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
And my father's like, no, you not. I'm not.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
I'm not discrediting your talents. I know you are super talenting,
you my son, but I'm not going to tell you
that you're just gonna walk out there and walk onto
the team because it ain't that easy and it's not
that simple.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
You have to learn the sport, my man, and.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
You know to you know, in all fairness, like everyone
has to because it's not a sport you can do,
like play like Little League baseball, which is a shame
because it's actually one of my biggest regrets growing up
in Lake Placid is not partaking in any like you
could have. We could have losed. I don't feel like
we could have done bob sled growing up, but you
(27:02):
could have done like Little League baseball. You could have
done lose skeleton or ski jumping here in Lake Placid.
Didn't do any of them. I played. I snowboarded, so
that's what I did in the winter time. But big
regret not actually taking advantage of the fact that, oh,
these are some interesting sports that you actually can do
growing up here that nobody else can. So you know,
all these elite athletes that are coming in, like, they
(27:22):
all have to learn the sports. So it does kind
of level the playing field. But I see how someone
like yourself, like, once you do make that team and
learn the learn the sport, you do have a leg
up as the years go, which you have proven. You've
been on the team since twenty twelve, which is impressive.
It's quite the career you've had here.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
Yeah, man, you sure.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
Take me through it, all right, Adrian, So what do
I have to do to become a bobsledder. I'm a
pretty strong guy. I have a six hundred pound deadlift.
I can climb up mountains, I can run. What do
I what type of numbers do I need to do
to become a bob slayer to make the team, keep
get me on the team. What do I need to do?
Give me my training program?
Speaker 4 (28:06):
Well, like you said, you can, It's it's great. You know,
you gotta be strong. You gotta be definitely got to
be strong. You gotta be explosive, and you gotta be fast.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
Like how strong, how explosive? How fast are we talking here?
Speaker 4 (28:21):
I mean you gotta at least be cleaning like two
seventy five and.
Speaker 3 (28:25):
Other words, and far at speed?
Speaker 4 (28:29):
You need to be running and we run thirty meters
and you need to be in the three sixties.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
Got better or better?
Speaker 4 (28:36):
You need to be able to run a thirty meter
and three sixes or better? And yeah, man, it's again
it comes down to like we were saying about, like learning.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
The sport like you can.
Speaker 4 (28:47):
We've I've seen guys be it's crazy great in those
different measurables, but then when it comes to getting on
it's a whole nother You know, beast getting out on
the ice and pushing the actual big.
Speaker 3 (29:01):
Bob slid and pushing with a team and such like.
Speaker 4 (29:05):
I've seen guys be great by themselves, and you know
when it comes to pushing with the team, they're not.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Sure in the box sled you're going down that ice track,
you have to also be able to handle a the
speed of how fast you're moving and the fear factor
that is going to be happening when you're inside of
a inside of a sled like that going down to
track like that, you know, going how fast are they
actually are the are the sleds going?
Speaker 4 (29:33):
That's a great point too, But yeah, depending on the tracks,
like you got like Whistler and like.
Speaker 3 (29:43):
Switzerland Saint Rich. Yeah, it's like.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
You're going like ninety plus easy with no seatbelt, and
like Whistler is even worse because like out of the
first corner you're dropping like three stories and like it
it is intense, like and.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
Like you say, you got no seatbew no seatbelt going
ninety miles per hour down an ice track. Obviously it's
not a smooth ride. And it's inster interesting too. What
you talked about with the athletes with running you know,
like moving on ice. There's a line from the movie
Cool Runnings where the coach is talking about wanting to
(30:20):
get runners to become Bob's letters, and the Team USA's
coach says, but can they're like John Candy says, these
guys are lightning, and then the Team USA coach says,
but can lightning run on ice? And it's like, oh dude,
that's like a big moment in the film. But anyways, Yeah,
you bring up a very good point that being an
a leade athlete over here doesn't necessarily translate to, you know,
(30:43):
learning the sport, because obviously that not everything translates to
that sports. Imagine if I did our Adrian. Imagine if
I started training right now, specifically to try to make
Team USA at thirty eight, I'll be thirty nine in
like a month and a half from now. Would that?
I mean, that might that might weren't me my own
Disney movie at one point, you know, like what a
(31:03):
what a Cinderella story? The local who was a playmobile
at thirty nine years old makes Team Usay, Bob's side
sounds anything thirty written all over it.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
Yeah, oh for sure, And like I said, anything's possible.
You know.
Speaker 4 (31:23):
I'm I'm I just turned thirty nine myself, and obviously
I've been doing a sport and I have the experience
as such.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
But but again, like.
Speaker 4 (31:33):
Anything's possible, man, And this this sport has many folks
that do it on up into.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
Their really a little over there, like forty before, I
actually was making a complete joke. I actually figured you
were probably much younger than I. But uh, is it
weird that now you've got me thinking my brain is like,
oh man, that would be a funny story, that would
be amazing hilarious though, But that's incredible that you are
(32:00):
still at the age you are on Team USA and
like competing and making the team and yeah, dude, good
for you, Good for you. Holy crap. And the fact
that people are into their forties doing this sport is
actually really fascinating. Why do you think that is?
Speaker 3 (32:16):
Because?
Speaker 4 (32:17):
Man, this sport, man, you fought, like I'm speaking for
myself again, you fall in love with it and it's addicting.
I was joking with one of my past teammates a
while ago, Dallas Robinson, and he was like, man, it's addictive,
ain't And uh he too, he's a guy. He was
(32:38):
doing the sport right right when I started. And he's
an Olympian and he came back out a year before last.
And he's a guy that's what or two or three
years older than us, so he's in his forties.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
And he came out and he finished in the top.
Wowew and like.
Speaker 4 (32:57):
The faster pushing combo was with me and him, me,
him and many old Mitchell and yeah, man, it was funny. Again,
Like I said talking to Dallas, he was like, yeah,
I just wanted to come out, man and just see
if I could still, you know, do hood and this
and then and I'm like, Dallas, me knowing you, I
never never doubted it.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
That's amazing. That's that's actually, that's really that's fascinating. Something
I never knew about this sport. That's cool though. I
love to hear that. Now, let me ask you this.
The very first time you got on into a bob sled?
Was it in Mount van or was it on Mount
van Hovenburg the first time he went down the track
or was it okay? It was okay? So what was
it like the very first time you got in a
sled and went down the track at Mount van Hovenburg?
(33:39):
What were what was going through your head? What was
it feeling like? What was it? Clearly had to be
different from what you imagined it would be like no
one can truly describe most things in life, let alone that.
So give us a rundown of that.
Speaker 4 (33:53):
Like you said, there was no way I could prepare
my mind or really take advice from me anybody to
experience what I was about to experience.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
And uh, it was funny. I was.
Speaker 4 (34:06):
It was like a I remember it was like a
evening nighttime. It was dark, and yeah, we were up
there on the hill taking runs and such, and I'm like, man,
I'm excited.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
I get to the line, you know, hit the sled.
Speaker 4 (34:23):
I'm trying to mimic everything I learned, you know, in
the process on dry land, on hitting the sled, because
that's what that's part of the technic technical excuse me, the.
Speaker 3 (34:32):
Technic technical part of the learning curve. And so yeah,
I get up there, I hit the sled. I'm going.
Speaker 4 (34:41):
I'm like, okay, then I hop in. Okay, we go
through Curve one, We're going, and so we're navigating the
course and man, we get down to the finish.
Speaker 3 (34:58):
Excuse me, bro drown parched and.
Speaker 4 (35:04):
Yeah, I get down to the bottom and get out
the sled and I'm like, man, that was.
Speaker 3 (35:11):
That was a rush. Man, that was such an experience.
That was cool. Like I was excited because it was
like it was.
Speaker 4 (35:17):
Like a roller coaster ride, but not a roller coaster
ride because it's nothing that I can see, you know,
And when I'm in a slave, I'm crunched down and
so we're just going down the course and whatnot. And yeah, man,
I got out super excited and I was like, man,
(35:37):
like that was fun, like super fun.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
Scary, a little scary, but super fun.
Speaker 4 (35:44):
One of the guys I was I was able to
ride with, was very like knowledgeable the track and was
a pretty good driver, So that was nothing that made
it a lot easier.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
And you know, do.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
People ever, you know, like, do people actually that first question?
Were you on the team at that point when you
did your first trip down the track? Were you officially
a team at a team member or no at that point?
So do people come up here to try to make
the team go down the track one time and say, Nope,
(36:15):
this is not I'm not going down there again. Does that?
Does that ever like kill people's aspirations? After the first
time down.
Speaker 3 (36:24):
I've seen that happen. I've seen again, That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (36:26):
We've seen people be very talented, have a you know
upside to a great outlook of possibly being a good bobster.
Are they getting a slig And I've seen people overnight leave.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
Sure.
Speaker 4 (36:41):
You know it again, it's not for its sport is
not for everybody. And that's how it is. Like, you know,
they take a trip. Some people take a trip and
they're like, man, that makes me feel like nauseus, are
sick or I just can't handle the type stuff, and
they're like, yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
That would be the case I could imagine.
Speaker 3 (37:00):
But but myself, I was super excited.
Speaker 4 (37:04):
And it was funny because like, you know, some of
my coaches, you know, my dad competed around the time
and with some of those guys, and uh, you know,
they were chuckling try you know, watching my expression when
I got back to the top to see like what
how I was going to react, and they were like, oh, man,
like you seemed like you like it. You know, I
was like excited. I'm like, man, I'm trying to go again,
(37:25):
you know. So I took like two or three runs.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
That day and yeah, man, very cool, just stuff, right.
Speaker 2 (37:32):
I'm sure, I'm sure. I'm sure the coaches too. They
probably watched the people going down their first their first run,
and the people that they're probably hoping are going to stay,
they're really eyeballing them to see, like how did they
react to that ride down, because it seems like it
would make sense that plenty of people would say immediately Nope,
the sport's not for me, because again, you can't you
(37:54):
can't like go down the street and try it. The
only way you can learn the sport is by getting
your butt in that sled and going down the track
and seeing if you can handle it. Wild wild stuff.
So let me ask you this. You are now, your
life is now permanently here in Lake Placid. You're married
to Bethany, who obviously is an Adirondack stud. What is
(38:16):
a what is it like? How is the town in
terms of like being in the Olympic thing, you know,
that whole like bubble, Like, what is it like being
in this town? Because obviously most of the athletes don't
actually live here. Have you found like, like, is there
a special quality to Lake Placid for people like yourself
(38:36):
that are a part of that world, right, Like I
was never a part of that world, but like you
actually are. So does Lake Placid bring a unique quality
to that for you?
Speaker 6 (38:45):
And that in terms of the experience, like I said, uh,
I just adapted to my surrounding and uh, you know
being married to Bethany now, you know, even before I
met Bethany, always like being in the woods.
Speaker 4 (39:04):
And there's plenty of that around here as we do,
and so like getting out on the trails and such.
It's always been a big part of me and what
I like to do. We were actually up on Mount
van Ho yesterday and I've just like I said, I like,
I like to go hiking and such, and and the people,
(39:25):
the friends and folks that I've you know, made friends
with around town I know, like almost everybody now and
it's just a great surrounding. It's just like I just
like a family, like and then like for me in
the off seasons, you know, I just have to like
focus on continuing to train and such, and uh, yes,
(39:46):
summer's here in Lake Placids are great too, Like I
know have like some people don't they come up, you know,
they get into the sport and they're like, oh, you know,
like I don't know if I could.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
Live here this and that, and I'm like, man, that's interesting.
Speaker 4 (39:58):
Like when I first started the sport, like it was
a fight to like try to be to try to
get a part of the off season resident housing. You
had a lot of great athletes that are vying for
bed space in there.
Speaker 2 (40:16):
Yeah, okay, so.
Speaker 4 (40:19):
It wasn't many people that you know, we're going to
get that spot. And man, when I got that opportunity
the next.
Speaker 3 (40:24):
Day I was here, they were left like, man, he
couldn't wait to get here.
Speaker 4 (40:28):
And like you said, I got here then, and the
experiences I had, like I said, I made friends pretty
quickly and whatnot, and I love to get out on
the water and such like again, I just adapted to
my surroundings and the summers here have been great, The
people and such have been great and become family.
Speaker 2 (40:48):
So it's yeah, it's cool that you are a part
of that again, that bubble, that actually Olympic bubble. And
I you know, I graduated high school with probably three
or four different people that went to the Olympics, and
so it's like it's just a part of what's a
part of the culture here. So it's neat to hear
hear that how that has played out for you coming
into this place and again you adapted to it, so
(41:10):
it's great now at the training center. I'm just curious.
So all those all the residents, the lodging they have there,
those are for athletes who come up here to try
out slash train. You just stay there. I assume you
probably rent the rooms. I'm guessing if I'm a betting man,
is that how it works?
Speaker 4 (41:30):
Yeah, Like they allow you, like again you come to
the camps or whatever like to like so people like
trying to become a part of the sport and such
like it's lodging places for.
Speaker 3 (41:44):
You to stay cool, like they're not charging you.
Speaker 4 (41:49):
But and then so like us that people are like
the off season residents were able to stay there as well,
of course, but like say you got Bob Slid, you
got Skeleton, you got Louge athletes, and you got you know,
some buy Applaune. So even that in itself is a
(42:09):
community of you know, athletes that you're going to be
in and around in training with as well.
Speaker 2 (42:15):
Cool. Yeah, I've always just been curious, you know, I've
my my parents' house is literally across the street from
the training center, so I grew up riding my bike
past it anytime I went anywhere. So very good good stuff, dude,
also good stuff. So let me ask you this as
we start to wrap things up here. I always like
to ask people, you know, the same kind of questions
about the Adirondacks and this sort of thing. So I
(42:38):
always I'm going to mold it to you because that's
what I always do. So the first question I always
ask people is what's something unique that you carry in
your backpack? So I want to ask you a slightly
different question is what is what is something unique that
you have found about the sport of Bob Slid that
keeps you coming back for more?
Speaker 4 (42:59):
I would say, for sure, like I come from you know,
team sports and such, and like I said, I tell
you a little bit about my football background. It's pretty
successful even back in you know, high school and such.
And I love the team, the team camaraderie aspect of it.
And I'm I very much well consider myself a team
(43:19):
player and and I've been successful in that regard as well.
And just again about the sport in general, like it's
I've never lost that far And to compete, and I
just love, like obviously, I'm I'm still chasing, you know,
the dream of being able to represent at the Olympics
(43:42):
with my teammates.
Speaker 3 (43:43):
So, you know, just a combination of all man.
Speaker 4 (43:47):
Like again, I love I've sports have played a major
part of my life in my life.
Speaker 3 (43:53):
And yeah, man, like.
Speaker 4 (43:57):
We're getting we're not old per se, say we was
talking about joking about our age, like we're thirty eight,
thirty nine, Like, dude, I still feel like I'm like
ten years younger.
Speaker 3 (44:07):
And that's told to be in totally honest.
Speaker 2 (44:09):
Yeah, I don't. I don't have anything that hurts either,
So I feel good about that.
Speaker 3 (44:14):
Dude.
Speaker 2 (44:15):
You look you've been you like you like a weightlifter
for real, very intentional. That I do the things so
that I can keep doing the things that I like
to do right, takes intentionality for sure. Cool man. So
let me ask you this my next question. In your opinion,
what makes the Adirondacks such a unique place?
Speaker 3 (44:35):
What makes the Adirondacks to union? Please, I don't know, man.
Speaker 4 (44:40):
Part of it again, it's the it's the uh, it's
the touristy cool part of the of it being like
a TOURISTI town the Olympic atmosphere and feel of it.
Speaker 3 (44:51):
Yeah, just it has an indescribable feel.
Speaker 4 (44:55):
That's That's one thing I tell a lot of people
like you know that aren't you know here with me?
Or they always ask me, like what you like about
it up here? I'm like, man, it's like an indescribable feel,
like a.
Speaker 7 (45:08):
Comfort, Like like I said, it's an indescribable feel of comfort,
family and yeah, man, see it has that Olympic dream
feel when fire still with.
Speaker 2 (45:21):
Yeah, absolutely, that's great. And you know, having obviously for
you being married to Bethany who's always out in the mountains,
you have an additional element to the Adirondacks because you're
getting like Bethany obviously obsessed with the Adirondacks too, Like
you're getting that influence as well and living through her
(45:42):
adventures too, which helps to you know, showcase what this
park actually has to offer and what it is and
that unique indescribable element that you talked about that I
bet you a lot of the other athletes that you
train with, that you compete with, like, they probably don't
get into the woods or get the adventures that obvious
to like your wife has, and that you go out
and do so you're really taking full advantage of what
(46:04):
the place has to offer. And I think if you don't,
you miss the and I do. That was my story
growing up, right, Like, I didn't take advantage of what
the place has. So you missed the you missed the beauty,
and you miss the magic of what it actually can
give to you. So I think that's really cool. So
what's next for you? It's let's see April twenty twenty five,
(46:25):
you're on Team USA. What is next for you?
Speaker 4 (46:30):
What's next for me? So, like you know, I've had
what roughly a few weeks to a month about a
month to kind of like you know, take a break
and such. And now I'm like easing back into training
as I stated, and as you've you know stated about
my wife, you know, being a very avid hiker and such.
(46:52):
And I think what's helped me, not to get off topic,
but what's helped me a lot, I think in the
past with what I'm realizing now too, is really getting
back into my training doing hikes because it hits different muscles,
It hits muscles, it strengthens your body in a different way,
(47:14):
just not physically but from here from a mental standpoint,
and yeah, so getting back into training. I'm working a
little bit. I'm actually working a bit. I'm a part
of order, so working with them and doing some things
over at the track. And but yeah, specifically getting back
(47:34):
into training, man, and getting getting locked in and ready
for this Olympic season because this this probably will be my.
Speaker 3 (47:42):
Last go.
Speaker 4 (47:45):
Yeah, so like just training and really enjoying like marriage,
life and family and and like you said, they're at
a rondecks man, like I just love I love it
around here again, it's a it's a great feeling and wake.
Speaker 3 (48:00):
Up every day around here.
Speaker 4 (48:01):
I am getting I am a winter athlete, but I
am getting tired of the cooles.
Speaker 3 (48:05):
I need a break from it.
Speaker 2 (48:06):
Coming, dude, those summers are coming where people forget how
long and tough the winters are when they have the
absolutely flawless summers that we that we usually have up here.
Good stuff. Well, rooting for you, dude. So this next
So this next season, which as you mentioned, was I
kind of like October September, October November into the winter.
(48:27):
So this is an Olympic season. So Olympics are next year?
Where are they?
Speaker 3 (48:33):
It'll bem excuse me, Milan Courtina, Italy.
Speaker 2 (48:38):
All right, So actually, as we wrap this up, what
does that process look like?
Speaker 3 (48:43):
Like?
Speaker 2 (48:43):
How do you make the actual Olympic team? Obviously they're
not taking your fourteen guys, they're only taking I'm assuming
one sled right, four people probably make.
Speaker 3 (48:52):
Maybe, Like I said, it various from different season to season.
Speaker 4 (48:58):
I would assume the plan right now, and it's interesting,
like I'll start off by saying, like, you know, round
September early September, we'll have the Push Championships and such
again all the testing that goes into it again to
test the athletes and then form teams, and then from
(49:21):
there it's I guess they're planning to try I spoke
to the coach and the staff and such, and they're
planning to try to get all three teams to go
to Europe. How that's gonna pan out, I'm not sure yet,
(49:43):
but the way the scheduling is set up this season,
the only way, the only way where we can qualify
three slants is send them all to Europe. But aside
from d it said, how however many quota spots if
it's you know, eleven or whether it's uh it's eight
(50:09):
guys that will you know, initially make the team and
go over to Europe. I don't know how that's going
to pan out, but me specifically planning to be one
of those guys.
Speaker 2 (50:23):
So you got to make the team first, you got
to make you got to remake the team for the
what thirteenth year for you, and then you have to
then once you make the team, then you have to
make the Olympic team within the team ultimately, Okay, got it?
Speaker 4 (50:38):
Yes, So like the season, like we have like different
you know, it's like we have a criteria ridden and
it states like you know it usually like the mid
season they have mid season reviews and different things that nature.
But you know, aside from when you initially make the team,
you have to still go out and like compete and
(51:00):
and things happen to like you know, people get hurt
or what have you, and or people get replaced, and
so just because you start a certain way, like you
got to keep that up like from week to week
to you know, it's always an evaluation like type thing.
(51:20):
But yeah, you have to remake the team and then
you have to go about the season compete and then
even like I said, it's quota quota spot, so like
the points in such that are that are achieved throughout
the season then forms how like how many nations, like
(51:43):
two nations get three slaves for the Olympics. And so yeah,
it's just kind of where you find where you fall out,
fall into that category type thing. So my, like I said,
my my personal goals would be to like you. So
I need to be the best version of Adrian that
I can possibly be. And I think as long as
(52:05):
I'm the best version of Adrian, I'm gonna fall into
that tier of the guys that should be going out
and leading Team USA to Vova Medals.
Speaker 2 (52:14):
I love the attitude and I love the drive that
you have. Very good, dude. Where can people find you online?
If they want to say hello?
Speaker 3 (52:22):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (52:22):
You can follow me on Instagram at Adrianadams USA and
Facebook the same thing.
Speaker 2 (52:29):
Adrian Adams KS, very good, Well, thanks for coming on
the forty six to forty six podcast. That's going to
wrap up our episode that was like a masterclass in
what it's like to be a Team USA bobsledder and
to actually be a part of this Olympic bubble, this
Olympic world that happens here in Lake Placid, New York,
in the heart of the Adirondack Park. But that's going
(52:49):
to wrap up this summit sessions. Head over to forty
six outdoors dot com if you're about to hike the
forty six high peaks. My brand new book, The Adirondack
forty six and eighteen Hikes is available now. It'll give
you all the information you need to know to have
a safe and successful Adirondack forty six er journey. If
you are trying to get into better shape to climb
some mountains this summer, the next Great Range Athlete six
(53:12):
week program begins June first. Yep, we're going to get
you trail ready right in time for the summer, so
check that out. You can sign up for that at
Great Rangethathlete dot com and that'll do it. Check back
on Fridays for new mountains, new stories, new guests, and
new episodes right here on the forty six to forty
six Podcast. Remember it to always leave no trace, do
(53:33):
the rock walk and if you carry it in, carry
it out. See you on the trails. Everybody
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