Turbulent Off-season Reaching its Conclusion

The summer of 2020 has of course been very difficult to predict, and hard to navigate. What most thought couldn’t possibly affect the winter season has now run through until October and is now set to create an entirely new look for the season ahead. However, the team have been making the best of a bad situation and continue to train safely and effectively within the current guidelines.

New athletes

With the loss of Ryan Letts to Lamin Deen’s squad, and the need to learn 4-man, it was clear that some recruiting needed to be done, as well as developing the existing athletes as much as possible. Though the team for the ice is yet to be selected, there are several athletes committed to the broader team, ready for selection in the coming weeks. Two military athletes have joined the team, Tom Harris, and Johan Van-Heerden. Tom, a Rifleman in the British Army has competed for the Army bobsleigh team and is looking to make the leap to the next level. He has shown considerable ability behind the sled so far in training and preliminary testing. Johan has gained experience with the Navy and too is looking to progress into international competition. An incredibly strong athlete, he is hoping to work on his speed and be able to put his considerable strength to good use behind the sled. Brand new to the team, and sport, are Kamal Fuller, and Marc Harrys. Kamal is a long-jumper from Jamaica who competed in the Youth Games, and went on to compete for Alabama college in the NCAA division 1 in the USA. Now studying at Leeds Beckett for a masters in Civil engineering, he is also looking for an outlet for his athletic ability. Marc is a national champion American Football player, and he too is looking for direction after suffering a knee injury in the previous season. Both athletes being novices to the sport are trying to learn the nuances of what can be an incredibly technical skill – pushing a sled. However, their enthusiasm and natural ability are great building blocks.

2020/2021 selection

With the season now fast approaching, the team will enter a selection phase. Whereby all the athletes will have the opportunity to show how far they have progressed, and their current form. In this phase veterans can be dethroned, or indeed re-establish their prowess, and novices can look to take the sport by storm. However, what is for certain is that the team will exit the pre-season, and enter the competitive season with a group of highly motivated and talented athletes.

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