The Owners' Manual Newsletter | Issue 23 | Winter 2022

luge & bobsled

John Carroll, Meriden I would want to win a gold medal in luge. Years ago I had the opportunity to take a run on the Olympic luge track in Lake Placid, NY. This is not a sport for the faint of heart! The first part of the process is signing a waiver that releases the owner/operator of the track from any liability associated with injury (or worse) that occurs on your run. Then you lay down on your back on the luge with your feet in front of you. For beginners there’s a cage over your head that’s supposed to protect you in case of an accident; yeah right! You then get a nice shove off from some smiling people who know better than to try something this crazy. You accelerate uncontrollably to a speed that feels like a hundred miles an hour with your body less than a foot off the ice and you’re subjected to rattling and movement that makes you think your eyeballs are going to fall completely out of your head! Once you start to feel like it’s exciting and fun, you’re at the bottom of the run and there’s another group of smiling people that somehow get a hold of you and your luge and stop you and its over, instantly. You stand up from the luge with a shaky feeling in your legs with a big laugh and smile and ask yourself, when do I get to do that again! You never forget it!

Chelsea Reynolds, KOP I don’t really participate in winter sports, but I would like to win a medal in the bobsleigh because it’s the only true team sport. I’ve never attended the Olympics, but my favorite Olympian is Sydney McLaughlin and my favorite moment was when she crushed the 400 M hurdle record last year.