Akenke Oliver, a pupil from Regina, Saskatchewan, is about to make historical past as the primary girl to symbolize Trinidad and Tobago within the sport of bobsledding on the upcoming Bobsleigh and Skeleton European Championship.
This 26-year-old athlete has a wealthy background in worldwide sports activities, having beforehand competed in gymnastics, observe, and netball. Nonetheless, her enterprise into bobsled racing marks her first foray into winter sports activities, and she or he will likely be hurtling down the icy observe at speeds of roughly 120 kilometers per hour.
Oliver is taking part within the feminine monobob occasion, which requires her to pilot the bobsled alone. Regardless of her restricted expertise with bobsledding, she approaches this problem with enthusiasm and willpower. She departs for Igls, Austria, the place she’s going to endure an intensive one-week crash course in bobsled racing earlier than the competitors commences in Sigulda, Latvia, on February 2.
Her pleasure
Expressing her pleasure, Oliver emphasised her want to make her dwelling nation proud and supply a platform for showcasing the skills of Trinidad and Tobago. She talked about her love for adrenaline and the way she thrives on challenges, making her assured about tackling the demanding sport of bobsledding.
Oliver’s journey to this historic second started when she was chosen for the Trinidad and Tobago bobsled workforce in June of the earlier 12 months. Her participation on this competitors carries the load of duty, as she aspires to encourage and encourage extra ladies from warm-weather international locations to take part in winter sports activities, following the trail blazed by Jamaica’s well-known bobsled workforce, which gained worldwide recognition after competing within the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.
Trinidad and Tobago’s entry into winter sports activities is a part of a rising pattern amongst international locations with hotter climates, demonstrating that success in winter sports activities will not be restricted to areas with chilly climate. Akenke Oliver’s journey is a testomony to the increasing alternatives for athletes from numerous backgrounds to excel in sports activities historically related to colder climates.
Seeks out adrenaline
“I’m simply actually nervous about making my nation proud and placing us on the map and giving us that chance to essentially showcase all of the unimaginable abilities we now have in Trinidad and Tobago,” Oliver mentioned.
“I’m actually an individual who seeks out adrenaline and actually strives on it, so I’m not nervous in any respect to essentially head down the observe.
“It’s additionally an incredible duty as effectively to essentially pave the way in which for future feminine athletes in winter sports activities,” she added.
