The Randy Price Memorial Award

I was just notified that I've been selected as one of the recipients of the 2009 Randy Price Memorial Award!

From the notification email:

"Randy Price was a former skeleton athlete who died in 2003 after

a 7-year battle with thyroid cancer. The Randy Price Memorial Fund

was established by the Price family in order to recognize Randy's

involvement with skeleton and to provide a means of helping

other skeleton athletes achieve their goals. The award is presented

annually to two skeleton athletes who best exemplify

Randy's sportsmanship, commitment to excellence

regardless of circumstance, persistence, and improvement.

For more information regardingRandy and the award, please visit rpmfund.org."

A fellow slider (and past recipient) told me this morning that the previous recipients voted on this year's awards, and looking at the past recipients I'm just really really humbled. And feel so honored. And inspired to have a very successful season next year!

The award presentation will be April 4th, in Lake Placid, but I won't be able to attend which is sad (can't miss any more class!!!). I'll write a letter and see if my teammate (who is also last year's recipient and wasn't able to be there for her presentation, fitting!) can read it for me.
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Epilogue (sponsorships):
People ask me all the time why I don't have more sponsors, and my answer is usually a hemm and haw about how "I'm just too lazy to go out and ask."

Really, the truth behind my not-asking-much is that I feel uncomfortable asking for money to help my sports career when there are so many more lofty goals out there such as illiteracy, hunger, AIDS, war, poverty, cancer, women's rights, children's education, homeless pets, and a bazillion more.

The counter argument that I hear in response is that amateur sports is also a good thing to support, since through sports we represent our countries, we are ambassadors, and we both cross and tear down cultural barriers. Which is all true - on tour we are individual teams but we interact with 20-30 different nations all at once. Where else is that possible?

So, in the end I tentatively ask here and there for support. There's info on my blog, info in our quarterly newsletter, but really no going-out-looking.......

When I receive something, (i.e. such as from the Monsens in the side panel), I feel humbled and grateful and can't help but feel motivated to train harder and perform better. When I'm honored with something like the RPM award without asking, it's even more astonishing and humbling!

Like you've read before, when I'm on the line at a race, I squat down in front of my sled for a moment. What am I doing? In that moment, I'm not thinking of the run ahead - that's done long before the line. I've also admitted to being crazy and talking to my sled, but more so.....

...instead, I think long and hard about all the support people have given me. I think of my family, my job that gives me such flexibility to pursue my goals, the generous donors, the friends that cheer and help out when they can. When the moment passes and I get on my sled, there's no ungainly pressure to do well for them, but I'm a little lighter, loose, and more focused and prepared.

It makes me a better athlete in the end.