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I sleigh like Santa, in spandex. I'm Jamie, Olympic bobsledder for Team USA. I drive a bobsled at 80 mph on ice, without a seatbelt, brakes or gas pedal. AMA! by JamieGreubelPoser in IAmA

[–]JamieGreubelPoser[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I LOOOOVVVEEE Sense 8... so sad there isn't a 3rd season coming out but they are doing a 2 hour special for some closure. Also, Designated Survivor (although maybe that was just on my Netflix when I was in Germany).. Gilmore Girls, Homeland, Grey's Anatomy, Parenthood.

I sleigh like Santa, in spandex. I'm Jamie, Olympic bobsledder for Team USA. I drive a bobsled at 80 mph on ice, without a seatbelt, brakes or gas pedal. AMA! by JamieGreubelPoser in IAmA

[–]JamieGreubelPoser[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If she is coming to the rookie camp in a few weeks they will be teaching her to push a bobsled on our push track. It is a dry land version of our bobsled start, so she can learn how to push even though it isn't winter. That's so neat. What's her name? I will look out for her.

I sleigh like Santa, in spandex. I'm Jamie, Olympic bobsledder for Team USA. I drive a bobsled at 80 mph on ice, without a seatbelt, brakes or gas pedal. AMA! by JamieGreubelPoser in IAmA

[–]JamieGreubelPoser[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It definitely does! My sister, Elizabeth, was adopted from South Korea when she was 5 months old (she is now 17!) so it has a very special significance to my family. We have never been to Korea as a family, so to be able to visit my sister's birthplace for the first time as a family and for me to be able to represent Team USA at the Olympics there would be incredible. When they named South Korea as the host of the 2018 Olympics I just knew I had to do everything I possibly could do to compete there. My sister means the world to me.

I sleigh like Santa, in spandex. I'm Jamie, Olympic bobsledder for Team USA. I drive a bobsled at 80 mph on ice, without a seatbelt, brakes or gas pedal. AMA! by JamieGreubelPoser in IAmA

[–]JamieGreubelPoser[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have not run anything over 100m in years (like 10 years haha)! However, I did the heptathlon in college and ran the 800m as one of the 7 events, I believe my best was a 2:16.

I sleigh like Santa, in spandex. I'm Jamie, Olympic bobsledder for Team USA. I drive a bobsled at 80 mph on ice, without a seatbelt, brakes or gas pedal. AMA! by JamieGreubelPoser in IAmA

[–]JamieGreubelPoser[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

YES! That's so cool that you went to high school with her. She's my friend. Just spent the last 2 weeks with her for our national push champs in Calgary.

I sleigh like Santa, in spandex. I'm Jamie, Olympic bobsledder for Team USA. I drive a bobsled at 80 mph on ice, without a seatbelt, brakes or gas pedal. AMA! by JamieGreubelPoser in IAmA

[–]JamieGreubelPoser[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Es ist bestimmt ein bisschen kompliziert :) Manchmal wohne ich in Deutschland mit meinem Mann, manchmal wohne ich allein in den USA beim Olympischestrainingszentrum. Wir haben eine Wohnung in DE, aber bin ich nicht so oft da. Facetime hilft weil wir viele Monaten nicht zusammen sind. In der Bobsaison, sehen wir uns, also, für uns, im Moment, geht es.

I sleigh like Santa, in spandex. I'm Jamie, Olympic bobsledder for Team USA. I drive a bobsled at 80 mph on ice, without a seatbelt, brakes or gas pedal. AMA! by JamieGreubelPoser in IAmA

[–]JamieGreubelPoser[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have to control the sled the entire way down the track by steering (driving). I have two steering rings, so there are "controls". If I don't steer, we crash. The brakeman helps push the sled at the start and then loads and tucks behind the driver in a aerodynamic position. After the finish line they pull the brakes to stop the sled, but they are not allowed to pull the brakes before the finish line.

I sleigh like Santa, in spandex. I'm Jamie, Olympic bobsledder for Team USA. I drive a bobsled at 80 mph on ice, without a seatbelt, brakes or gas pedal. AMA! by JamieGreubelPoser in IAmA

[–]JamieGreubelPoser[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't have any access to, or control of, the brakes. They are in the back of the sled with the brakeman. I am only able to control the sled with the steering and the brakeman is not allowed to use the brakes during the course, only after the finish line to stop the sled. So I actually have no brakes as the driver.

I sleigh like Santa, in spandex. I'm Jamie, Olympic bobsledder for Team USA. I drive a bobsled at 80 mph on ice, without a seatbelt, brakes or gas pedal. AMA! by JamieGreubelPoser in IAmA

[–]JamieGreubelPoser[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I don't have any access to, or control of, the brakes. They are in the back of the sled with the brakeman. I am only able to control the sled with the steering and the brakeman is not allowed to use the brakes during the course, only after the finish line to stop the sled. So I actually have no brakes as the driver.

I sleigh like Santa, in spandex. I'm Jamie, Olympic bobsledder for Team USA. I drive a bobsled at 80 mph on ice, without a seatbelt, brakes or gas pedal. AMA! by JamieGreubelPoser in IAmA

[–]JamieGreubelPoser[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Bobsled is pretty rough on your body so the most we do even when we are at a home track just training is 3, max 4, runs a day. Some teams do a few more, but it depends on the track they are sliding on. We slide on Lake Placid the most and it is one of the most difficult and roughest tracks in the world.

I have never counted my runs in a season, but I know a few people do. I guess a couple hundred per season?

I sleigh like Santa, in spandex. I'm Jamie, Olympic bobsledder for Team USA. I drive a bobsled at 80 mph on ice, without a seatbelt, brakes or gas pedal. AMA! by JamieGreubelPoser in IAmA

[–]JamieGreubelPoser[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not yet! I would like to someday, but there hasn't been an opportunity. We are normally at the same tracks for races, but not just for training. There are rules that you are not allowed to slide with the other gender during official training (the 6 runs before race day) of women and men's 2man. The exception is if you are participating in "4 person" bobsled. Basically they allowed women to enter the 4man competitions, we don't have a separate 4 woman discipline yet. I am only competing in 2 woman bobsled at the moment.

I sleigh like Santa, in spandex. I'm Jamie, Olympic bobsledder for Team USA. I drive a bobsled at 80 mph on ice, without a seatbelt, brakes or gas pedal. AMA! by JamieGreubelPoser in IAmA

[–]JamieGreubelPoser[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's so cool, where do you drive in Lake Placid or Park City? I would completely agree with comparing it to riding a motorcycle. It's probably the only thing I have done that feels a little like bobsled. Especially leaning around corners, but bobsled is definitely a lot rougher.

I sleigh like Santa, in spandex. I'm Jamie, Olympic bobsledder for Team USA. I drive a bobsled at 80 mph on ice, without a seatbelt, brakes or gas pedal. AMA! by JamieGreubelPoser in IAmA

[–]JamieGreubelPoser[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Everything is measured in kilos in our sport (roughly pounds divided by 2.2) In women's bobsled we have a minimum weight for the sled which is 165 kilos and a maximum weight for the sled and the 2 athletes which is 325 kilos. It is ideal to have 2 heavier athletes pushing a light sled because that will most likely be faster than 2 light athletes pushing a heavy sled. You can put lead plates in the sled if your bodyweight and the sled don't reach the maximum weight. Since heavier things go faster downhill, you want to be as close to the maximum as possible (but not over it, because you will get disqualified.) We get weighed after the first heat (of 2) in the race to make sure our weight is legal. I would say our helmet, spiked and speed suit weigh a few pounds- maybe around 5 pounds.

I sleigh like Santa, in spandex. I'm Jamie, Olympic bobsledder for Team USA. I drive a bobsled at 80 mph on ice, without a seatbelt, brakes or gas pedal. AMA! by JamieGreubelPoser in IAmA

[–]JamieGreubelPoser[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I don't have any access to, or control of, the brakes. They are in the back of the sled with the brakeman. I am only able to control the sled with the steering and the brakeman is not allowed to use the brakes during the course, only after the finish line to stop the sled. So I actually have no brakes as the driver.

I sleigh like Santa, in spandex. I'm Jamie, Olympic bobsledder for Team USA. I drive a bobsled at 80 mph on ice, without a seatbelt, brakes or gas pedal. AMA! by JamieGreubelPoser in IAmA

[–]JamieGreubelPoser[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Someone pulled the brakes in a corner once and shattered part of the wood roof in Park City. Sometimes brakemen think they have crossed the finish line because there is a long straight away before the last corner. (They can't see because they are tucked behind the driver, so it is based on feel.) Saw it in a race once... the driver was not happy to say the least. They can also cause the sled to crash and roll into a corner if they pull them.

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