20 in 10 with John Napier

20 in 10 is  teamusa.org's latest segment in which we are featuring 20 Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls for the upcoming Winter Games in Vancouver in 10-minute interviews.

John Napier, who turned 23 on December 12, is the reigning 2009 national champion in the two-man bobsled. The U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation made its nominations for the team official for the upcoming Games and Napier will be representing the United States in both the two-man event and the four-man. His four-man team (USA II) includes Charles Berkeley, Steve Langton and Chris Foyt. Napier will team with Langton in the two-man. 

Napier began bobsledding in 1994 and following in the footsteps of his late father Bob Napier, a bobsledder from the 1960s to the 1980s.  Napier is also an engineer in the U.S. Army and plans on deploying overseas when the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games are completed.  Napier has done most of his training in Lake Placid, N.Y., and won his first World Cup gold medal on that track along with Berkeley in November. 

 

Loyola University Maryland student Andrew Mount caught up with John recently for this interview. 

 

What will competing in the Olympic Winter Games mean to you after all these years of training?

It will be a dream come true for me. Since the age of 8 (when I started sliding) all I could dream of was sliding for the USA in the Olympics.

What kind of training regimen do you keep up as you prepare for the Olympic Winter Games in 2010?

As well as sliding and competing I am making efforts in the weight room to prepare for the games so that I can be at the top of my physical abilities when the show comes around.

How does this training conflict or work with what you do in the Army?

I am in the World Class Athlete Program and the Army supports me to make the Olympic Games for the USA.

How did you get involved in the Army and what were your reasons for joining?

I joined the Army when I was 19 for a future and a career.

Will this job change after your Olympic training stops and what are your goals after the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver are over?

 

After the Olympics, I would like to and am planning to deploy overseas to serve our country in another battle field.

 

Recently, you stood on the top of the podium in Lake Placid.  How does it feel to accomplish that on the track you have trained on your whole life?  

 

Winning my first world cup medal on my home track was the most amazing feeling of my life. For that weekend I was blessed by God to be able to live my dream.

Your training for the Olympic Winter Games has taken you around the world. What track has stood out most from your travels?

 

I have competed at many of the tracks around the world and enjoy many of them. My favorites are Altenberg (Germany), Whistler (Canada), and St Moritz (Switzerland).

What has your experience been like in the World Class Athlete Program and how have they supported you?

The WCAP program supports me to the full in order to make my dream come true as well as to represent my country in the largest sporting event in the world.

How have the people around you affected your decisions to compete for the Olympics in bobsledding and becoming a member of the U.S. Army?

I have been with many Christian role models who help me on the way to my first Olympic games.

What is the hardest thing about training to become an Olympic athlete?

My largest struggle is being away from friends and families. Because I travel so much it makes it tough to keep relationships with friends.

Are there any veteran, experienced teammates that you lean on as you attempt to qualify for these Games?  

 

I really trust my advice from coach Brian Shimer and USA 1 Driver Steve Holcomb.

How many hours a day do you train?

Between sliding and working out I am currently training around six hours a day.

Is there anything that sets bobsledders apart from other athletes?

 

We have to be strong, fast, have great agility as well as being able to deal with the elements of snow, rain, and – 30 conditions. Being out in the cold for up to six hours a day is the added element that many people do not think of.  

 

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