More Big Dumb Jock Mayhem

For those of you that have bumped along the road of life with me for the past couple of years, you know I own a Big Dumb Jock (aka BDJ).  You also know that the term is one of endearment and is readily embraced by the BDJ.

 What you may not know is that he is a murderer.  That's right.....he hasn't managed to complete the job but he is definitely trying to kill me.  I would have never guessed years ago that he had a maniacal plan to worry me to death little by little, but I now know that I severally underestimated his ability to pursue this goal.

It all started out well, I managed to convince him to not get his clothes dirty (which by the way stuck because he always looks perfect, even leaving the gym), to be neat and organized and we stressed education first sports after that.  Somewhere along with way the wheels came off that bus and he became a big risk taking jock.

As a mother you worry about your child getting hurt all the time but that ratchets up with sports and can worsen with career choices.  We managed to get through baseball and basketball injury free and  11 seasons of football with only 2 surgeries.  BDJ would have me to believe that none of that was part of a larger plan to do me in.

When he graduated college, he moved across the country and went to work for one of the ABC agencies.  None of that should bother me either right?  The profession he has chosen will take him into some sketchy situations (if all goes the way he wants it too) and he never lets me forget he will choose to do the most risky of things.  He is an adrenaline junkie after all. 

The latest (and I wonder if final part of his maniacal plan) is yet another high risk adventure.  For months if he wasn't at work he has been training.  Training to go to Park City, Utah to the Olympic training facility for a combine to take a shot at making the US Bobsled and Skeleton Team.  These are the guys that ultimately are working to make the US Olympic Team.   My first question was "can you do that?" 

Our second question was "what is Skeleton?"  We have been quite relieved that we were not the only people that were not sure what it was.  Apparently it has been around in the winter Olympics but we were only familiar with Luge and Bobsled.  For those of you that do not know, Skeleton is the sport of hurling ones self face first down an ice track at speeds of 85 mph on a sled.  Yep, that's right only you on a little bitty sled with your face an inch off the ice at high speed!  Sounds fun huh? 

I suppose if you are inclined to risk life and limb for fun it is.....but let me assure you for a mother, Skeleton does NOT spell fun.

 What it means for me is that the few hairs that I had left that were only beginning to turn grey have now turned white along with the rest of my hair. 

It means being in the strange position of wanting your child to realize their goals and cheering them on while fighting the guilt you feel in wanting this insanity to not work out.  I know I am probably way to honest. None of this is news to BDJ, I tell him daily (or when he finally relents and answers his phone).

Two weeks ago today was day one of the combine.  After months of training he was more than ready to get started.

  Day one included sprints and shot put.  BDJ ended up being the only person to complete the combine for both skeleton and bobsled.

Getting ready for sprints.

Day two was in the weight room/ BDJ's favorite spot.  Who looks this happy about working out or lifting?

I hate to watch him lift....I can just see his knees blowing out!

Not to mention he makes really strange noises.

The second half of day two was instruction on pushing the sled and/or bobsled.  Day three it was off to actually push on the practice track.

I was most impressed with pushing the nearly 500 lb bobsled back up the hill :)

On the skeleton practice track.

He ended up with the best numbers at the combine and that was overall including being the only one that did both bobsled and skeleton and is classified as an Elite Athlete.

So now do you see why I say he is out to kill me?  If not, check out a You Tube video of doing this on the actual ice, it will make a believer out of you! lol

In all seriousness, I joke about him being a BDJ (and he is) but he is a very smart and very determined and very competitive.   I know the months of hard work it took to reach this day and I am very proud of him. 

 To be an athlete of that caliber is quite an accomplishment.  So now we wait and see.  His numbers will be sent to Lake Placid, NY and then we wait to see if he gets the invitation to compete in the push championships there in the fall.  After that, who knows?  Thanks for stopping by tolerating my bragging and sharing his accomplishment. Stay tuned for updates.