Plays Well With Others

Bobsledding in the City…

Bobsledding and San Francisco just don’t really go together. The thing is, one of the silver medalist bobsledders is actually from the town we live in—a small community on the San Francisco peninsula.

Likely pairing with roommate/driver Shauna Rohbock , California’s Valerie Fleming will make her Olympic debut in Torino. The pair has gotten off to a hot start this Olympic season, winning silver in the first World Cup event at Calgary, and taking bronze at the second in Lake Placid. The duo also claimed bronze at the 2005 Worlds after winning two medals together during the 2004-05 season, including a silver on the Olympic track at Cesana Pariol, where she and Rohbock actually set the track record. Fleming pushed in all but two of Rohbock’s races last season.

bobsled results

Valerie Flemming‘s mom came into the store where Wifey™ works, and handed them all buttons to support her daughter, who would be making her debut at this Olympics. The town is certainly behind them, and had hoped for a good showing—silver definitely qualifies. So how does someone from any area with hardly any show, last week there were a couple of inches of snow, become a bobsledder…

Fleming was a track athlete at UC Santa Barbara, where she started as a sprinter, but picked up javelin her senior year. She won a conference title in 1998, and kept throwing beyond college, but tore a ligament in her elbow that required three surgeries over three years. While in rehab she finished up a graduate program in Health, Physical Education and Recreation at St. Mary’s College. Afterward, she felt it was time to get out into the “real world,” but Fleming wasn’t ready to give up sports, which is when her friend Ben Fogel, a member of the U.S. men’s team, suggested she try bobsled. She did well on her initial physical testing and was invited to Park City to try out for the team. Fleming took her first trip down the track with experienced driver Jean Prahm , yet still felt nauseous and thought to herself, “What did I sign up for?” But Fleming made the U.S. team for the 2003-04 World Cup season and slid mainly with Rohbock during her first season.

Olympics Bobsledding - Fleming & Rohbock

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2 Responses to 'Bobsledding in the City…'

  1. personal avatar
    Leatitia | 22 February 2006

    I can’t imagine how nauseous I’d feel riding second in these things. I remember I attempt to close my eyes while riding a water slide. OMG. NEVER AGAIN!


  2. personal avatar
    Greg | 22 February 2006

    Yeah. That just looks insane to be sideways on a vertical slab of ice. Yikes. No way. Just to stay on the wall you need to be going some insane speed so gravity can do it’s magic.


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