Push your sled down the track with Canada’s bobsleigh athletes
For Training Tuesdays, we’re curating some of the most interesting and creative training moments from athletes. Check out the others here.
The Canadian bobsleigh team is looking forward to what the Olympic season has in store. Slide down to check out the determination and strength these athletes showcase in their diverse training methods.
1. Off-ice training
Brakewoman Kristen Bujnowski may have been training without ice, but it didn’t hold her back this past summer. With her background as a track and field athlete, Bujnowski took advantage of both the outdoors and time at the the gym to work towards her weightlifting goals. During Team Canada’s latest training trip, she took advantage of some warm October weather in Beijing. A two-time world championship medallist, Bujnowski is aiming to compete in her first Olympic Games at Beijing 2022.
2. Ready for round four
The work never stops for Olympic champion Justin Kripps. He has competed at three consecutive Olympic Winter Games in 2010, 2014 and 2018. Preparing for the 2021-22 season, he was eager to return to the ice track after putting in time lifting weights at the gym. Just as important as the training, though, is the strategy and learning the nuances of each track – at least that’s what he’s trying to tell his teammate Ryan Sommer in this Instagram post.
3. Ready for round one
Ryan Sommer is looking to fulfill his dreams with Team Kripps in what would be his first ever Olympic Games. The 28-year-old from White Rock B.C. is a former firefighter, so he knows the importance of staying in shape and had a great summer training in Calgary.
4. Sprint into training
Cynthia Appiah also comes from a background in track and field and now has speed both on and off the ice. She knows that training on the athletics track is just as important as the ice track. Appiah made her World Cup debut as a pilot in January 2020. In addition to the two-woman event, she also aims to compete in the Olympic debut of women’s monobob at Beijing 2022.
READ: Cynthia Appiah: A desire to be not just the best, but also the best representation
Cynthia Appiah
(@thecynapps)5. Push yourself to a new personal best
Dawn Richardson Wilson shows us how to get some real speed! Preparing for her second year on the senior national team, she achieved a new personal best while at the Bobsleigh Canada testing camp. She is pushing herself, defying gravity and is well on her way to chasing her Olympic dreams in bobsleigh.
6. Try new things
From the ice track to training in the gym, there are no off days for PyeongChang 2018 Olympian Alysia Rissling. The former University of Alberta hooper has made the transition from basketball to bobsleigh look like a layup. Just check out the smoothness of this start.
Recently she has been pushing herself to try new activities and exercises in the gym. It’s clear that Rissling puts in a lot of work training off the track.
7. Strong girl? No. She’s a strong woman.
Like many others, Sara Villani spent some time in the gym training for the bobsleigh testing camp. In 2018, Sara attended an RBC Training Ground event where she was recruited to try a number of different sports, including bobsleigh. Now heading into her third year competing the sport, see how Villani is training for the upcoming season.
8. Always on ten speed
Not only can Ben Coakwell claim one of Team Canada’s best Instagram handles (@bentenspeed), but the content he puts out gives a glimpse into the former footballer’s intense training regimen. Beijing 2022 will come upon us quickly but Coakwell and his crew can surely catch up to speed.
Keep an eye out for Canada’s bobsleigh athletes as they prepare for Beijing 2022.