I can't believe I'm at the halfway point of my internship. Where did all the time go? It seemed like yesterday was my first day on the job struggling to learn all the facets of bobsled and skeleton as well as learning my way around a town I have never been in before. 

Now I know it's been a while since I have updated the blog. I wrote the bobsled ride entry in late September, so a lot of things happened in those six weeks. I even received hate mail from my #1 fan Jake Patton, who threatened me to never go on the website again unless I updated the blog, so this is a recap of what happened during my hiatus: 

All the athletes arrived at the OTC in October to start sliding for the first time this season. I had a good icebreaker moment with one of our athletes. Before the start of the season, we held a combine test for the athletes. Instead of actually participating in the combine like our past intern Nick, I went there to help set up the events as well cheer for the athletes. As the athletes were warming up, I started making my way across the track. Just as I took that first step, a blur almost decked me to the ground. I looked to see whom this blur was, and it turned out to be Bree Schaaf, one of our drivers. I guess since I used to play football, and her hometown is near Seattle, Bree wanted to show me her impression of Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu blindsiding the quarterback.

While the team was at Park City, Utah for the second half of the team trials, a few the international teams were here to train on our track for the week. It's cool seeing the teams from Britain and Belgium, but the highlight during international training week was the Jamaican bobsled team staying here. Now before I go on with this story, the team is not the 1988 "Cool Runnings" team, so sorry for getting your hopes up. With that aside, the best moment working here as of right now is when I heard these words:  "Hey, Bob. Could you help Tim find a member of the Jamaican bobsled team?" Those ten minutes searching were ten minutes of pure, unadulterated joy. I was like a little boy on Christmas day, and plus, how many people can put that down as one of their job duties?

The media also came up during team trials to do some pieces on the athletes as they trained for Olympic year. From Time Magazine and ESPN to Men's Health Magazine to name a few, it's unique how they wanted to get to know more about the athletes and the sports. If you were wondering, the people from Men's Health Magazine didn't travel all the way up to Lake Placid to learn about my workout routines. Shucks! :( Reading how the athletes got their start in bobsled and skeleton on their profiles is one thing, but hearing them explaining their stories in person is different thing. I would love to tell you what else I learn from hearing these athletes . . . I don't want to ruin it for you, so you'll have to wait.

As October turns into November, it is hard to imagine I'm halfway done. It's less than three weeks away until Lake Placid hosts the World Cup. From how time passed to get to this point, it won't take that much longer to get here.

Until next time . . .