Anja's sliding

Here is my slide that I did while in Lake Placid. 

The time is now…..

The change is subtle at first.  You notice the leaves begin to fall and darkness comes a bit earlier.  You then begin to notice the air is much cooler and crispier where you might reach for a light sweater. This is the time and the time is NOW.

This is when I am at the gym working the hardest to surpass all previous records I have set and push myself beyond the limits that I know of.  This is the time I need to push the sled the further as the sweat falls from my brow.  I am now more focus then I have ever been because this is a journey of self-discovery.  Do I have what it takes to put in the long hours and give up personal time with family and friends?

Sometimes I sit back and cannot believe how far I have come.  I mean really I have accomplished so much and now my next goal is to go to Lake Placid and shine.  It is really a lot on someone to undertake so much responsibility. However no matter how far I have come, I know that I have accomplished so much and will cherish all these experiences. 

At lake Placid I am leaving it all on the table.  I am going to show up, preform and leave it all on the track. Come what may, but I have definitely put forth my best efforts.   I look forward to the challenge as well as all the continued support. 

May the track be my stage and I just the actress. 

Dreams and Goals

Lately I have been so busy working out that I have not had time to write in my blog.  I been so busy trying to improve my speed, increase my strength and learn new techniques.   Sometimes you just need to STOP, look around and enjoy the ride.  We are so busy just focusing on one goal that we tend to not enjoy the ride.  It’s all about the journey not the destination.  

When the Sprint crew came to film my story I was able to reflect on what I had accomplished.  To me anyone can do this, but when speaking to my peers and seeing how other view me I get astonished.  I always tell people that the three things you need to succeed are dedication, determination and motivation and I believe that.

During the Sprint video shoot Christen Rogers made a comment in her interview that made me think…huh…I guess she is right.  Kristen said,” When we are little we dream and we dream what we want to be.  We want to be a doctor we want to be a lawyer and at some point we get old enough where we deal with reality instead of dreaming.  At 36 Anja decided to dream and she has shown everyone that dreams can come true and that you should never stop dreaming.”

I have taken her words to heart and now work even harder to prove to myself that I can do it.  Regardless of what happens if I go to the US team or I make it to the Olympics I have accomplished something.  I am allowed to shoot for a goal that many cannot even think of shooting for.  I was able to come to this country with very little and come back with so many memories and friends.  That to me is an accomplishment in itself. 

Goals are not something you just say I will start on Monday.  A real goal is something you actively pursue and hit highs and lows with.  As for me, I do my work out, but I work out just as hard as I worked out the day before and I try to do the best of my ability.  I do not just go through the motions because that will not accomplish anything.  Leave your laziness at the door and pour your blood sweat and tears in the game.

Along the ride don’t forget to take time to thank your loved ones and spend time with them so you all can just enjoy the ride.  Your dreams are what you want to them to be.  If you can think, you can build it

Day two of Lake Placid- Push Training and “the talk”

 After all the adrenaline rush I had yesterday, I was thankful that they allowed us to sleep in just a little bit.  I am not a morning person by any means and was very grateful for the extra sleep time I was allowed.  Although I was allowed to sleep longer I had to get a move on and look to working out in the morning before going to the push training.  After all I did not want to just stop now that I have made it this far. 

When I entered the training I looked for my other rookies and could not see anyone I knew.  I did see the US national team training in on the other side the gym and decided to press my luck.  I walked over and said hey do you guys mind if I just workout with you guys.  The trainer looked puzzled and said, “Sure why not.  No one has ever asked to join us before.”   That is was when I knew I was in trouble. 

Here I was someone who decided to join the US National team just a year ago working out alongside elite athletes.  I could not believe how far I had come.  I was working out next to people who medaled in the last Olympics.  I did not have time to think about all that until after the workout because I had to prove to these people that I belonged.  Now I thought my workout was tough this stuff was like a warm up to them.  I can see now why they are at the top of their class. That will be one experience I will always remember. 

After my training I went to grab some lunch and get ready for the push training.  This was where they teach you to push your sled with one hand and jump in.  The start is where it makes you or breaks you in this sport.  From my understanding you have to do 1000 practice runs before you can master it.  After this training I have 994 more times to go.  (:

During the time that they are teaching you the correct techniques the main skeleton coach was speaking to everyone about their results from the day before.  I was anxiously waiting for him to call my name to speak with him.  I was apparently the last one to be spoken to.  I also mentioned to the coach  that I knew he was saving the best for last.   His response was a nice big smile, which helped me calm my fears. 

My previous encounter with him was the visit before where he said saw a great bit of potential; however that he feared my age would get in the way and that I had a lot more strength and speed I had to build on.  When someone puts up road block I just bust on through them.  Immediately when I came home I found an article about a 42 year old woman who was competing in skeleton and emailed it to him with the email saying, “You’re never too old to shoot for your dream.”

This time around he was very impressed at how far I had come and the strength that I had built since the last time we had met.  He we so astonished that he made mention there has not been stronger woman athlete come to the training center in a VERY long time.  I of course was smiling from ear to ear.  This only fueled my fire inside me to train harder and faster.  He did say that I had to drop 300^th of second on my time in order start competing.  That is something he said that is doable, but I needed to focus on my sprints, which I knew.  His last comment to me was, “by the way I did read the email you sent me on that older woman competing in the Skeleton.” That of course had me smiling because I knew he knew I meant business.  That I wasn’t taking this sport lightly and I was going to do what it takes to compete. 

My next step is to get faster like the coach has mentioned and get back with him on my progress in October.  I did get a chance to video some of my push training which you can see below. 

RDV Article Aug 2011

I was in the process of writing my second day of camp on my blog when I had a request for the next blog to be the article from the RDV.  I have scanned it for all you non-RDV members.  This gym has not only helped me trained but has become my next family.  I have to say without the smiles from the staff and the cheers of the other members, this journey could not be possible. 

I am hoping to have some new videos of me training at camp.  Thanks everyone for helping to keep my dream alive.  (:


(click on the picture to make it bigger)

My return trip to Lake Placid

My trip back to Lake Placid was less stressful than the first one I did.  This time I knew what to expect and I was returning to see a few friends of mine.  This helped to calm my fear because this is the time I had to test to see if I advanced to the next round.   I had to improve drastically from my last visit to Lake Placid with a monster scale. 

Arriving at the center I was greeted by the front desk lady who actually remembered me.  I was sure that she had seen many athletes come and go but for to know my name helped to ease into the transition.  I unpacked and waited for our evening meeting.  In this meeting they would outline our schedule for the week and what group I would be participating.  I was selected into group two which allowed me to have enough time to warm up and get my mind frame set. 

The following day was testing.  We started at 10:30 on the track for our speed testing which isn’t my best event.  I had tremendous amount of strength but the speed always got the better of me.  This has been my one down fall throughout the training and the one thing I been working on the hardest.  One it came to my time I did the best run of my life. In fact I had a personal record at the track that day, but that was not enough to help me on my journey to being on the US skeleton team.  I was at loss at first but decided to tell myself I can do this….What do I have to lose nothing…and picked it up for the next event. 

This event was the broad jump which shows how far you can jump from the line.  I actually scored rather high and knew I was well on my way.  I just had to keep this motivation going for my best event which was the weight lifting and finish with style. I wanted to show these coaches who Anja really is!!!

Moving into the weight room I started to practice my clean lifts.  I was tossing that weight around as if I was throwing a coat over my shoulder. There was nothing to it.  Many at the gym were shocked and telling me I needed to add more weight so that I can maximize my points.  The moment they said testing begins is when my nerves got the best of me.  I wasn’t able to add more weight like I wanted but know for the future that I just need to focus more and not worry what’s going on around me.   

Despite not adding weights to the clean lifts I was able to KILL IT on my squats.  I am more confident in this portion of the testing and I said..what the heck what is another couple Kilos.  Before I knew it I was squatting 120 Kilos which is 264 pounds which gives you the most points available for that event.  I had guys whooping and hollering all over the gym floor.  The coach was shocked that I was so strong. In fact I had no idea either. I was so happy to have been able to show them what I can do despite being new to the sport. 

Thanks again for all the support from the people at Sprint to the people from the youtube video. If you have haven't seen it. See the link below.  Everyone has been so kind and it helps me realize that I can really accomplish whatever I put my mind to. 

I-Connect article from Sprint

I made it home today from the training camp to find such a wonderful article on my Sprint web portal.  A lot of non-Sprint friends wanted to see what was written.  Well here is the best I could do with short notice.  Thanks again for all the support everyone has given me.  It gives me more of a drive to MAKE THIS THING HAPPEN.  I will be updating this blog later next week on my trip up there.  ((:  (if you click on the picture you can enlarge the font so you can read it better)

Last week of training before testing

After such an eventful week last week(see pervious blog) I think I have checked in and I feel that I am ready for whatever is going to be thrown at me.  As Kanye West has said "Work it, make it, do it, Makes us harder, better, faster, stronger!" I have all my chips in my hand and I am laying it down on the table.  I believe this is the first time in my life that feel that I am at my peak. 

Regardless of what happens after this camp I know that I did my absolute best and that is all I can ask myself.  It's been quite a journey so far and I know that I can continue this ride as long as my heart and mind are in the same place. 

This will be a short stay because they are only testing us to see how we have improved.  The scale that they will be using is the big girl scale and not the developmental team.  This is where I show them I am serious about the team and show them I can do this.  As long as I score the 600 point needed, I will return for the push competition in September which test the start of the skeleton. 

Here's to dreams, goals and aspiration.  Let’s let this Skeleton fly. 

My friends and family

Thank you to everyone who was in my video to cheer me on.  Words can not exspress how I feel.  Thank you so much!!

Final stretch

This is the last month before I am back at the US training camp to test for the US Skeleton team. Since my last trip there I have gained more strength, more speed and different techniques. I even have my ticket purchased and brand new workout gear to match.

I have been asked by several people where do I go from here. Well……. Once I test I can see if I am going to be gearing up for the push competition or if I need to focus more on the basics. My goal is to compete in the push competition later this year to see how fast I am to compared to everyone else.

The push competition is where you practice the start of the skeleton. This is you sprinting with a board at your side as fast as you can and hopping on. This may seem easy but it is REALLY REALLY hard. I have been working on my sprints as most of you know and that EXPLOSIVE start. This is something you learn and I am still learning.

August 2^nd is around the corner but with all this dedication that I have and the heart, I know it will only be successful.

Stop and smell the roses

When you are fully involved in working toward a goal sometimes you don't stop and smells the roses. I was reminded of this lesson this past week by a few good friends of mine; friends I call my family. I have been greatful as you all know about all the support that I have recieved during this past year with trying to get on the US team. Its been tiring at times, emotional at others, but I forgot what it was to reconnect with friends and spend "quality" time just talking to them. I mean....REALLY talking to them. That was something I didn't do before with friends. We all were just out having a good time and seeing what crazy thing we can get ourseleves into.

Now in this time in my life, I have different things that are important to me such as my family and friends. Sometimes you tend to lose sight of that. So take this from me someone who goes to the gym about 3 hours a day and works 40 hour work week, call that friend of yours or family member and let them know that you are thinking of them. Thanks Gina, Corey, Mel ,Grace and Michelle for reminding me of this lesson.

Love you girls. (:

 

 

Personal Best

I would like to say I give my personal best each and everytime I step into the gym.  On Monday I demonstrated that by killing my number numbers and even shocking myself.  It has to be a mental game I play with myself.  Don't look at the weights that I am about to lift and just DO IT.  And that is just what I did....I plowed through my work out and you know....I am pretty proud of myself. 

I did notice that I had some areas I had to work on such as my sprinting and my broad jumps. I need to find a way to explode out of the start and keep that momentum.  I am dedicating this month to "SPRINT SPEED."  Do I take my work with me to the gym???? Well I guess I do. 

Let's hear it for Aug 3rd.....my next adventure at the Olympic training camp. 

Happy Fathers Day!

Since Father Day is coming up I wanted to dedicate a this blog to my father Berislav Dimitrijevic.  My dad has been my number one supporter in everything I dedicated my time to; from being the number one tennis player in my age group to driving to Romania to deliver food in a war ridden country.  He was the motivator of the group and had a personality that would light up a room. 

He was a very well-known doctor and professor in Serbian who would be on TV almost every week discussing nutrition and exercise.  He would be considered the Dr. Oz of today for Serbia during that time.  He was often found traveling to many different countries to share his medical findings and speak to conferences. 

I remember as a child always asking for presents upon his return.  One particular time I asked him for a frog.  I am not sure why I asked him for something like that but I know that he made it happen.  On that trip he called my mother several times in panic saying he didn’t know where to get a frog in German and had no idea what he was going to do.  My mother response was “you told that child you were going to get her a frog and that is what you need to do.”  Little to my disappointment he returned from that trip with a toy frog. I guess I forgot the small detail that I wanted a live one.

When my brother moved to the United States he was able to visit and see how the American lived.  He was entertained with the fact that you could get refills of soda and that the Americans have a concept of the all you can eat buffet.  I believe that both my brother and father were eventually thrown out of a couple of those restaurants for eating way too much. 

My father was a master of speaking and had a magnetic personality that you would instantly become friends with.  Sadly he passed away in 1997, but I will always have some great memories of him taking coins out of peoples ears or just cheering me on at my tennis matches.  To this day, I have a feeling he is still with me, watching and cheering louder then before.  I know he would be extremely proud of my accomplishments here in the US and even prouder that I am following my dream.   

Working day in and day out

For some people the dread of the gym is huge.  The thought of getting up and working out is just a difficult feat.  For me it's something I look forward to.  I welcome the challenge of the day of lifting heavier weights or pushing my speed at sprints.  It's this feeling I get when I am ready to explode and catapult me into the next level.  I sometimes don’t realize how strong I have become until I sit down and review the tapes.  I see the effort I am putting and the muscles that have come out of nowhere.  I cannot believe I have come this far but yet I have so much more to go.  Below is the next installment of my workout since many of you have asked. 

As I mentioned in many of my post I really appreciate all the support everyone has given me.  Although I am working out at the gym every day, I really need that extra support from of all you.  Every person who writes on my Facebook page, every comment on the blog just propels me forward and shows me that I can do this.  I can accomplish this!!! If you have not done so please pass on my link to my blog or my facebook page so that I can pushed to the outer limits of accomplishments. 

Labor Day Weekend 2011

Labor day weekend is time for you to reflect on your family, Friends and the military that have laid their life down for us.  I am grateful to all the men and woman that makes the United States what I am able experience it today.  If it wasn't for them I could not be spending these beautiful sunny weekends with my family. 

This past weekend I was very fortunate to have my family in town.  My brother came down with my mother and his daughter, Almendra.  It was so nice to escape the gym a little bit and reflect on the wonderful family that I have. It is so nice to just enjoy their company and not have a care in the world.  It was also nice to have my niece who is now walking everywhere and anywhere. 

Even though everyone took Monday off, I sure was not allowed. I did my typical 2 and half hours of sprinting, lifting and cooling off.  After a full workout I was exhausted and ready to just relax with the family. 

A day in the life of Anja's workout

As promise I have some pictures and video of my work out that I have been doing for the US Skeleton team. Every day is a constant battle which I have to do but as I tell anyone who ask, "you can do anything you put your mind to....you have to reach inside and dig deep."  That is the one thing I want everyone to know is that you need to shoot for the stars and if you fail you will land on the moon.  

There is a first time for everything....

I have been extremely lucky to be doing what I am doing.  I sometimes think that I am not doing anything that no other person would do. 

After a week of training I think, WOW...Did I really do all that.  I actually worked out about 2 hours a day and worked at the office for a full 40 hour work week. That is a total of 50 hours of my week.  I get exhausted just thinking about it. 

Well recently I have been contacted with some really good news.  My training center the RDV would like to feature me in their quarterly magazine.  I was shocked that they actually wanted to write about me! I mean really who wants to know about me?  Well since the blog has become a huge success, I guess a lot of people do. 

Couple of weeks ago I went to the photo shoot and had my first interview ever.  I was able to share my story and tell them how I came upon this crazy journey, I call my life.  After my interview, I realize I did have a interesting way of living.  I have never thought of it that way before. I have always worked out but never really had a goal to shot for.  This is my chance to prove that I can compete with the best of them.

Last week I received an email from Sprint asking me for yet another interview.  This time for our company website and their ad "All together now."  I am not sure what that all means but I now that I will find out soon enough.  From the sounds of it I will be featured on our company website and have people cheering me on.  :)  This just motivates me to get further in this process.  US SKELETON TEAM WATCH OUT......ANJA D is READY TO SHOW THEM THE BEAST!!!!!

Skeleton Testing

This past week I had to see how far I have come since the training camp.  As I have said in my other blogs every person the US team is tested in something called the combine test.  This testing is combination of lifting weights, running and tossing a ball as far as you can throw.

Most people think that I do all the testing every time I train but I actually been working on my form.  The running form was the one I have been concentrating on the most since that is my weakness.

If you haven't seen a runner get ready for their sprints it pretty much looks like a horse that is stumping on the ground in an exaggerated way.   This has help me shave off a couple of seconds off my sprints which I really needed. 

Just yesterday Josh put me through the testing.  I was a bit nervous because here is where I find out how far I have come.  To my surprise I had broken my personal record in all the events.  I was now squatting 195 and clean lifting 115 pounds. 

Josh my trainer is not that concerned about the lifting part but working on how to even walk straight.  I apparently favor my right leg because I had an ACL surgery on my left knee.  Outside of the gym I am now working on walking straight.  :) When you put everything together I am hoping to be the next girl called to represent the USA.

I am well on my way but I have a ways to go.  It has been very encouraging to see everyone following the blog and also my facebook page.  Going to the gym is the easy part staying motivated is the hardest part. 

My welcome home after my training camp debut

Aside from being exhausted and worn out from training nearly 6 hours a day, I was excited to come home and just sit on the couch.  That is after all where I started right?  I think at one point your body says okay it’s time to shut down for just a second so that we can start again from scratch. 

I decided that I would give my body a two day rest period and would start on Monday.  That Monday I packed my gym bag along with my work stuff and headed off to the office.  To me it was a normal work day but to my Sprint office it was a day that the athlete with good news.  I was shocked to see my desk covered in RED WHITE AND BLUE.  I was the real American hero I have always dreamed of being. 

Above my desk was the Olympic rings framed by American flags and patriotic balloons.  Right next to my keyboard was a box of Wheaties with a make shift picture of me doing the skeleton.  One of my favorite things was the poster size picture of me holding my helmet surrounded by all the pictures I took on my trip up to Lake Placid.  To add to thoughtfulness they bought an assortment of fruits and vegetables knowing that I am a health fanatic.   They did this all to celebrate my accomplishments at the training camp.

I have to say I am not as creative as the people in my office to have come up with such a things.  It definitely brought a tear to my eye.  To see my Sprint Team get together and do something for me was beyond words. 

Me finally on a Wheaties box

High Altitude training in Colombia

Sorry for the long pause everyone. I was out there training in Bogota Colombia. Now if you do not know about this capital city, it is about 8,500 feet above sea level. That makes for some kind of training!!!! I was able to train in a gym where I almost made Matthew Fasel, Michelle's cousin throw up. This puts in to perspective what is needed to be a true athlete.

Being so high just walking a flight of stairs makes you out of breath. We did go up the mountain as well to breath in the clean air and realize how alive you are. Looking down it made me reflect what goals I needed to accomplished and what lies ahead of me. This is the time to take the bull by the horns and show them what Anja is really made of. BACK TO THE REAL TRAINING!!!

Again thanks for all the support everyone. I couldn't do this without every one of you!!! THAKNS AGAIN!!!

Day 4 of Training camp

Day four was D day. This was the day that I was going to be tested to see if I advance to the next level and join the US skeleton team. I had been practicing all week for this pinnacle day and my nervous were shot.

My usually routine was to grab some breakfast and prepare for meetings, but this day was different from most. I could barely eat my banana and clear my mind. All I could think about was the testing that was going to be happening earlier in the morning. I had to be prepared for the worst just in case I do not pass.

The testing came and I felt pretty comfortable at where I stood. I had to squat three set max, Clean lift and shot toss a certain length. The coaches would assess a certain point system to each of the events. In my case I needed to score 600. When all was said and done I had made the cut. I could not believe I had passed the threshold and I was going to be invited to continue. I was now on the US Skeleton developmental team and had a brand new tee-shirt and hoodie to show for it.

I was on cloud nine. I could not believe I had just made the next level and would continue my dream. I knew that later on that night I was going to be sliding with a huge smile because it would not be my last.

That night we were sliding from stop 1 which is the very top of the track. This would be the first time we would be sliding the whole mile on this curvy course. We had plenty of battle wounds to show from our pervious runs, such as nice large bruises and some nicks here and there, which we displayed to anyone who asked. They were a bit painful when you did brush up on a curve navigating through the course.

THIS WAS THE DAY WE FOUND OUT WHAT THE DUCT TAPE WAS FOR. Since we are quite beginners and we did not have the suits the other athletes had, we would take the yoga mat and duct tape it as bumpers. This helped form a layer of protection from the ice. We were the redneck version of a slider.

I do have to say that the duct tape worked like a charm. Who would have known that a yoga mat and duct tape would be something you would be wishing for in a time like this? I know that I would never have thought of it.

By the end of the night I had completed my 2 slides and was heading to the after party. It was our last night together as a training class and we headed down to the local pub. They were a wonderful group of people that I had grown really close with in such a short amount of time. We had a fun time remembering every bump in the ice and every weight we lifted.

Day 3 of training camp

On day 3, I felt like a truck had run me over.  I think exhaustion hit and my body had finally caught up to me.  It was Wednesday and I knew, I didn’t have to borrow anyone’s shorts today because today was the day my package would arrive.  I felt bad I had to borrow my teammates shorts, but you do what you have to do to make the US National team right?

The day started out with a nice healthy breakfast and my daily routine at the gym.  I continued to work very hard at all the different combine events such as the flying sprints, the shot toss and clean lifts.  I was making progress and noticed that the coaches were in the corner watching from a distance.  I tried not to be nervous, but you just can’t help feeling their eyes burning on your back as you start your routine.   Eventually they ventured over to me.  They hadn’t pulled me aside before, but I am assuming it’s because I had pants and now I was wearing the borrowed shorts and they saw the massive calves I had. 

The Coaches said I had a lot of potential for the skeleton and that I should start focusing on that because I did not have the height for the bobsled.  They said that I could continue with the bobsled routine however it would take me much longer to get to the point the other girls were at because they had 2-3 inches of muscle to push the 600 pound sled. 

Since I had done the skeleton and felt as if I was in control, I had to agree with them.  This was my way to get on the national team and do it all on my own.  At the back of my mind I still wanted to try the bobsled to see if perhaps it would inspire me to stay with the program

After Lunch I had some time to run by to see if my package had arrived.  I desperately needed my shorts because my testing was to begin tomorrow and I wanted to feel like a whole person again.  Sure enough there was my package from FED-EX waiting for me to open.  To my surprise a card fell out of the bag along with my shorts.  I anxiously peeled the card apart and there in the letter was a big picture of Michelle and Piper (my dog) with the lettering “Anja’s #1 Fan.”  That wasn’t the end of it…… As I open the card Tina Turner belted out “You are simply the best.”

 I turned several shades of red since I had no idea what was happening.  The group I was with could not contain themselves.  Michelle had done it again.  She always has a way to find the right way to calm me down in stressful situation and this one hit a straight to my heart.  With my new found motivation I changed and readied myself for the skeleton

Once we arrived at the track I was ready to slide.  I had finally memorized the track and felt much more comfortable then the two previous days.  They had also moved us back two more stops so I would be sliding for a much longer time period.  Since I was further back I had the need for speed and I sure did.  I was at a cursing speed of 60 miles an hour.  A couple of curves, I barely nudged the lip of the track and came out wearing some neat bruises but it show that I had a good time. 

Anja's need for Speed

Day 2 of Lake Placid Training camp

The morning started out as a daze. I had woken up a few times and not known where I was. It was probably from all the nervousness of the day before or my lovely roommate who kept eating throughout the night all the food I stocked in the fridge. Needless to say I was up and ready to find the cafeteria and grab a quick bite before I headed to the gym.

The routine was something I was used to. I did some Olympic Squats (it’s different than normal squat and much harder to do) lots of running drills and some clean lifts. This is all the routine stuff you have to do off the ice in order to perfect the art of Skeleton. I decided to train with a guy because the Amazon girls were very intimidating and I knew that he could push me further to just make the team. After of 3 hours of training, I headed to lunch where I had A LOT of fruit to pick from. If you know me well enough I love my fruits and could not live without them.

After some quick safety meetings and paper work to fill out, we were off to slide. The sheer thrill of having them hand you a sled along with the awesome tunnel of ice was very exhilarating. I was ready to see what all the fuss was about and find out if I really could hang with the big kids. For safety reason they made us walk the track so we can see first-hand where we were sliding. This will also help when I am planning the best route to take when I am flying down the track at 60 miles an hour.

That night was my new awakening. The first slide was not pretty but I had such a rush that I had to do it again. My second run I felt like a pro. After all was said and done I had the fast time in the group. This was including all the guys. I couldn’t help having a smile on my face that night as I went to bed. I found my new passion.

DAY 1 of US training Camp

The faithful day arrived in March where I was packing my stuff to go to US training center to see if I could be one of the few and the proud to make it to the team.  The ticket was bought and I had a list of supplies that they gave to me that I happily ran to my local Sports Authority to buy.  A couple pairs of slider pants, some elbow pads, knee pads, some extra shorts, a yoga mat and duct tape.  Now everything on the list sounded like something you would need BUT the yoga mat and duct tape.  I was very curious to find out what I was going to use that for, but I thought perhaps I misunderstood them.  Oh well at least I would have it just in case

It took me the whole evening to pack all my stuff. I had piles of things lying around me and I kept trying to stay organize.  I could only bring one bag because these airlines are charging an arm and a leg to bring a second bag and besides I was only going to be gone a week right?  After packing and repacking I was satisfied with what I had and was ready to go for the next day. 

Upon my arrival to the Albany airport, I realized that after packing all day I did not pack ANY of my shorts.  I was panicking and the one person I knew would be up would be Michelle.  She said she would overnight my shorts and I should have them really soon.  Thank god for having someone at home ready to ship things when I need them.

Once I had my nerves settled I sat and waited for the other people who were trying out to arrive.  The airport was quite small however, I knew immediately who they were; Large Amazon looking woman walking toward me with a huge grin. These people without a doubt were going to be on the one way stop to Lake Placid.  They all seemed super tall compared to my 5’4 statured. 

Out of nowhere a voice on the intercom was announcing where we needed to go.  “Will the athletes waiting for the Olympic Training please meet in the baggage claim.”  You could hear a pin drop at the airport as everyone turned to stare at our athletic group of people.  I could tell you I felt like I was one of the famous people that people didn’t know their name.  All I could do was follow my group to the next location.

Once we arrived at the center they processed us and gave us our credentials.  You needed to have a badge at all times while at the center.  I was on my way to seeing if this was what I really wanted to do. 

The Layout was like a school dorm where there three people to a room. It was equipped with a private bathroom some closet space and a twin size bed.  It was connected to a living room which sported a flat screen TV and several couches.  They of course had a large gym adorned with Olympic rings and varies gym equipment for the athletes staying there.  Cardio room was open 24 hours just in case you cannot sleep and wanted to keep working on your Olympic dream in the middle of the night.

The night ended with a few meetings with the Bobsled and Skeleton Coach speaking about the training program.  They also and setup the expectation of our training for the next several days.  Today was ours to relax and PREPARE for what was next.  

Behind every Athlete is a great team

It was like any ordinary day in January when I received a call that would change my immediate life.  It was the US Training camp and I was selected among the nation to try out for the US team.  I was told, I was one of ten ladies trying out and that I needed to start getting prepared for the adventure of my life. 

That was the day I turned up the heat in my training and motivation.  This was my chance to do what I had only dreamed of a few, months before.  I imminently looked to see if I can get a team together to help me through this endeavor.  I had already been working out for several years at the Orlando RDV where the Orlando Magic practiced and trained. This became my new stomping grounds under the direction of Josh Hemann.

He trained me and motivated me to become a force to be reckoned with.  His previous training as weightlifting instructor came quite handy, since I had to start squatting over 200 pounds.  In fact there is a technique to accomplish quite a feat.  I was a beast and I roared as I lifted the weights. I could feel the change shifting in my body. 

With this change however I had to find someone who could help me stretch and keep me injury free.  That is when I solicited help from a dear friend of mine named Heather Curtis.  Her fifteen years of experiences working on athletes, massaging and stretching was worth its weight in gold.   She recently opened up a practice called Pain Relief Restoration that had become immensely popular.  I am sure it was because of her caring nature with each of her clients.   Despite how hectic her schedule, she always seem to fit me in.

At home I had my moral support. This was the person who will put you in your place when you really need it.  Her name was Michelle Wells and she not only my best friend but my number one fan.  She is the one who got me started and the one who continues to move me forward.  People do not realize how much time and dedication you need to devote in order to even be considered for the team.  You sometimes lose sight of the end result and you need that ONE person to bring it back to reality.  That’s what she did. 

You know the saying that you only have one family; well my brother Milivoje is the one person I can definitely depend on to listen to my crazy ideas and say “I guess you can do it.”  Now it doesn’t sound so motivating to you, but it actually gives me the extra push I need because he is my younger brother.  He is the one that you call with good news and visualize him as the  crazy man in the supermarket screaming up and down.

The other big building block is all the friends and family out there always cheering me on and saying that I can do it.  I cannot thank everyone one enough.  It is so wonderful knowing that I can always count on everyone to be there.  A smile here; a nice comment there keeps me going in the right direction. 

Cheers to quite an adventure and hope you can fly along with me.

The beginning of sports for me

Training to be on the US Skeleton team has made me reflect on many of the sports I tried as a child or my young adult life.  Each sport I attempted was a new challenge I had to conquer.  As I mentioned before my father was a huge inspiration for me when I was younger when it came to sports.  He instead that the calves I had been made fun of would help me excel.  At an early age I started doing shotokan karate.  I went on to win several championships and medals.  I actually made it to the black belt as my father beamed in approval. 

I was also quite involved as a tennis player where I too not only participated in many tournaments won many of them as well. It was perhaps my determination to be successful that made me work even harder. I could not let my dad down.

Perhaps for me the hardest sport I ever participated was Woman’s rugby.  It was not because of the physical aspect of the sport but it was because my success depended not only from myself but from the rest of the team.  I started playing Rugby 2001 when I went Kansas University for the Jayhawks.  Best way to describe this sport was football without the pads.

My position was a prop which was the person who took the brunt of the game.  Each time a penalty whistle was blown I had to do a formation called a scrum and push against the other team.  After several games my body was torn apart but at least I was lying in bed with a smile.  It’s the best sport to take out all my aggressions.

Now as I work toward my new goal, I am bringing everyone along for the ride.  The common question I am getting is “but Anja, isn’t dangerous.  Won’t you get hurt?”  All I can do is smile because this would not be the first time I have been hurt.  While I was playing I not only tore my ACL but also destroyed my wrist into 50 different pieces.  I had several surgeries for each of those incidents and carry the scares proudly for both. 

I know I started out trying to be a bobsledder but sometimes one door closes and another one opens.  I did not have the height the other girls had for bobsled but my body was a perfect for Skeleton.  I cannot describe to you the feeling it is to slide down at 65 miles an hour over a nine foot wall.  It’s a freedom I have never felt while testing my own physical strength.  My visit to the Olympic Training center awakened my senses and gave me a taste of something I really wanted more of.  Hence is why I am starting to train five days a week with my trainer Josh Hemann at the Orlando RDV.  His expertise with lifting and explosive running has gotten me to where I am now.   

Childhood Dreams

Now some people will think okay where in the world would a person like I get the courage or the guts to try out for the US team. I have always been a little on the wild side. That is probably why I have

earned the nickname the crazy yugo.

I grew up in Belgrade Serbia, formally known as Yugoslavia. I am

the oldest of two and my parents Berislav and Miroslava always taught me to use my imagination.;Especially my father. Every night my father would tuck us into bed creating a bedtime story that he

made up which kept us entertained till we fell asleep. He encouraged us to reach pass the stars and focus on the heavens. The Sky was the limits and we can create our own dreams.

The thing was I really did have big dreams. At one point in my life I wanted to be a war journalist and be down in the trenches and report amidst the chaos. That is when I told my father I wanted to go to Romania and report on what’s happening. The Year was 1989 and their president Nicolae Ceausescu was punishing their people for defying his order. The people were starving as the war was happing outside their window. I told my father that I wanted to go there and report back myexperience of what was going on to my classmates. His response was if you find a way we will go.

That was an open invitation to my imagination to run wild. The very next day I spoke to the principle

and told him I was collecting food for the people of Romania and that I needed the school’s assistance. I

was allowed to go to each class room and speak to them about donating to the starving nation. To my

surprise the food started rolling in. I was able to pack my bedroom with food piled high for my cause.

My father who traveled quite a bit was away and did not have the slight idea of what was happening at home. When he did return my mother politely asked him to peek in my bedroom to see what I had

done. The man was shocked and astonished and did not remember our discussion. This was my way to

get to Romania and follow my dream.

The following day we packed up our red Renault 4 with all the donations and made our way to

the boarder. My father thought that getting to the boarder would complete his task but he was very

mistaken. I wanted to get into Romania and personally deliver my accomplishments. So at the boarder

we received a personal guide who allowed us to get to the Red Cross in Romania. We drove past several

bullet ridden homes with people begging for food. We were also able to experience a candle light vigil

placed in the middle of the street. We were very fortunate not to get shot at during this awe inspiring

moment. We did however see how our donation assisted this poor nation.

Upon our return I was hailed as a true hero for doing what I did. Both my father and I were
interviewed by several news originations and newspapers. I was even chosen as hero of the month
which we called “grand prix.”