Winter Is Coming!!!

Winter is coming! Though it sounds like the recurring line in "Game Of Thrones", what I'm talking about is our looming season of snow and ice and how it relates to the young men pictured below, specifically the fine young athlete on the top of this two man team atop their luge.

photo credit CBC

Tristan Walker is a Canadian Olympic athlete who has the strength and skill, not to mention nerve, to blast down an icy tube on nothing more than a tiny sled, reaching speed of 120 kmph+, all in an effort to reach the bottom of the track in the fastest time possible.

Of course, fitness and training are the key to success and the challenges of being a full time athlete, with the ability to focus totally on your regime, can be daunting.

Consider these facts about luge before reading any further...

• track length between 1.0 to 1.5 km, depending on track
• number of turns between 10 -15, depending on track
• average speed of 130 kmph 
• record speed of 154 kmph ( Whistler 2010)
• approx 4.5 - 5.0 g force on the athlete's body in a turn
• approx .576 second separating Gold medal winner from Silver at 2014 Olympics

Considering successes are decided by fractions of a second, there's a fair bit of finesse involved in luge. Knowing the curves, corners and straightaways of the track of each individual venue on the World Cup circuit, plus those of each Olympic host, and setting yourself up to get in and out of those features without losing precious momentum accounts for the shaving of hundredths of seconds, and a possible trip to the podium.

Add in the physical requirements of steering a sled with the legs and shoulders and withstanding massive g force while hurtling feet first down the track at high speeds and you will easily see how demanding this sport is and what is required to achieve success.

As for the athlete mentioned, I first met Tristan when he learned of BlueCircle's unique motorcycle insurance coverage and became a client. 

Tristan even joined us on the CJAY 92 Kids Foundation Motorcycle Rally and didn't just ride, he stopped and helped us at the BlueCircle sponsored pit stop by selling 50-50 tickets. Of course, this time and opportunity allowed us to talk about how difficult it is to train for your sport while working a regular job, especially if an athlete wants to be competitive at the Olympic level.

BlueCircle, and our president Gerry Baert, believes in philanthropy and when presented with the idea of helping Tristan achieve his personal goals while representing our country ( Go Canada!!) the match was made and we became part of Tristan's team and he became part of ours!

We hope this has helped lift a bit of weight off Tristan's shoulders, or at least a little stress, as Tristan jokes about his coach actually wanting him to gain a few more kilos to help with some gravity as he slides down that icy track on his luge!!

photo courtesy of Cochrane Times

photo courtesy of Island Sport News

photo courtesy of Team Canada