BIOGRAPHY

  
I am Zach MichelsI am a 25 year old United States Airman, and an Olympic hopeful for the
2014 Olympic Games is Sochi, Russia, and beyond. 

Bobsled is a winding, high speed sport.  Speeds reach 95 MPH and
4G’s of gravity within this steel sled.  There are no cushions, seats, or airbags.  The sport of bobsled evolves daily.
In 2010 the U.S. team won its first Olympic gold medal since 1948.

Growing up, everyone wanted to be a professional athlete. Not me, I
wanted to be an Olympian.  I have always wanted that feeling; the feeling where your stomach is in your throat as
you walk into the opening ceremonies, dressed in red, white, and blue, holding an American flag.  I stand atop a
podium with a gold medal draped around my neck as I want to fight hold back tears, the National Anthem playing in the background.

I am training to be a brakeman/push athlete. 
In bobsled, there are 2 sleds: the 2 man; and the 4 man. 
In both, the initial push is critical, not only does it get you off to a fast start, but it sets up your speed for the bottom of the track as well. Push athletes must not only be strong, but they must be fast and nimble as well.  Drivers must have years of practice, as it is extremely crucial they know the ins and outs of every track.  

When you first see a bobsled event, it looks easy and simple. 
Athletes are wearing fancy speed suits and going down a track in a shiny
sled.  This is very misleading; bobsled is definitely a blue collar sport.  Our bodies take a beating as they slide
down the hill. When the race is finished, the athletes themselves pick up the sled and put it in the truck to be
transported to the top, to be unloaded for the next run. The sled is even maintained by the athletes. 
The athletes are required to buy and maintain our own equipment as well
and pay for our travel expenses and training fees.  

Born in 1986 on Vandenberg AFB in California, I guess it was predetermined that I would join the Air Force. 
I grew up in many places, including: California, Iowa, Minnesota, and  Nebraska.  I was a 4 yr letter
winner in track and field. 
Like I previously said, I’ve always wanted to be an Olympian. 
My sophomore year of high school, I moved from the small town of Weeping
Water, Nebraska to attend Millard North High School in Omaha, NE, in order to
give myself a better chance of exposure to colleges in athletics. 
That is also the year that I gave up all sports, in order to put my full focus on track and field, and to try to earn a scholarship to college. 
After high school, I attended the University of Northern Iowa, and was a decathlete.  After 2 years of
college, I decided that that was not the way for me and joined the Air Force, and to become an Air Traffic Controller. 

In the Air Force I met my beautiful wife, Ashley.  We have an energetic and charming 1 year old daughter, named Talia. 
While in the air force I continued running, in hopes of trying out for the Air Force Track and Field team. 
I’ve always talked to Ashley about bobsledding.  One day, I guess she got tired of all the talk.  She told me that instead of talking
about it, why not just do it?  I attribute all my future bobsled success to her. 

After some research I had been invited to the Lake Placid Olympic training center for an Olympic tryout.
I’m sure you can imagine what was said, and the looks I got from people at work and from friends.  A lot of
eye-rolling and jokes were made at my expense.  If I had a dime for every Cool Runnings joke or quote, I"d be a very rich man.

Before I knew it I stood in front of the Olympic training center with my heart racing;
staring and thinking that I didn’t want that to be the last time I looked at
those letters spelling out “UNITED STATES OLYMPIC TRAINING CENTER”. 
I couldn’t help but think about all the great athletes who stood there
before me with the same blank stare.

After checking in, I remember seeing all of these really big, strong-looking guys at the tryout.  But I knew it wasn’t how you look, its
how you perform, and perform is what I did.
 
In my first season in the sport I was selected to represent the U.S.A. at the Jr. World Championships in both the 2 and 4-man events, finishing 14th and 7th respectively. 

I still get many jokes and looks. But when you achieve a goal like I did, it really doesn’t matter. When I do 
 my workout each day, those are the people that get me to get that extra lift, in; and the extra sprint finished. 
I have a goal, a dream, and a future doing something incredible; something that very few people will ever try.