(Left to right) Top row: Aly Raisman, Julia Clukey, Susan Francia, Katie Uhlaender; Second row: Marco Sullivan, Tim Morehouse, Steven Holcomb, Steve Langton; Third row: Elana Meyers, Brenda Villa, Ashley Caldwell, Justin Zook; Bottom row: Matt Emmons, Taylor Lipsett, Peter Vanderkaay, Trevor Marsicano
From archery to wrestling, biathlon to speedskating, the athletes of Team USA went above and beyond with their accomplishments both on and off the field of play in 2012. So what does 2013 hold in store?
TeamUSA.org asked 16 of the country’s finest Olympic and Paralympic athletes what resolutions and goals they have set for 2013:
Ashley Caldwell, freestyle aerials skiing, 2010 Olympian: My New Year's resolutions are to finish college, do two new tricks and be the best rehabbed athlete ever.
Julia Clukey, luge, 2010 Olympian: My goals for the remainder of this season are to be consistently in the top-10 and move into the A-seeded athletes. My main focus is on world championships which are the first week of February – there I have set a goal to finish in the top eight. As far as my personal New Year’s resolution, I hope to have a more consistent sleep schedule, and bank more hours.
Matt Emmons, shooting, three-time Olympic medalist: My New Year’s resolution is to commit to making the next four years better than the last four years – consolidate things; make life simpler; take charge of some situations that I have ignored in the past and make a positive difference; liberate myself from these burdens; rehab my body and my mind; start working to get the spark, energy, optimism and motivation back in my life as I had about five years ago.
Susan Francia, rowing, two-time Olympic gold medalist: My New Year’s resolutions are to try to compete in the women’s quadruple sculls this summer at the world championships, stop biting my nails and get my junior rowers at San Diego Rowing Club to nationals!
Steven Holcomb, bobsled, Olympic gold medalist: I'm not sure I have resolutions exactly, but I do a major goal that I'm approaching. I'd like to win a world championship title on foreign soil. I have four titles now, but they were all won on American soil. There's nothing wrong with that by any means, I just want to take the title overseas, in somebody else's "house." After that, my goals are to maintain focus and head into the Olympic season the best that I have ever been. We were good in 2010, but we need to be better in 2014.
Steve Langton, bobsled, 2012 two- and four-man world champion: As always, I will work diligently to be the best athlete, teammate, friend, brother and son that I can humanly be. As for performance goals, claiming both the two- and four-man titles at this year's world championships in St. Moritz is always in the forefront of my mind and at the very top of my list for 2013.
Taylor Lipsett, sled hockey, two-time Paralympic medalist: My 2013 New Year’s resolution is going to be a continuation from the previous year, which is to eliminate soda and fast food from my diet. I did extremely well adhering to my resolution last year, and want to keep it going! Not only does this make me feel better, but I also think it helps me train harder, see better results, and perform better on the ice. I am going to add an all-around healthier diet and more stringent training routine this year, as Sochi 2014 is nearing. With Sochi constantly on my mind, and defending gold as the only option, everything for the next year-and-a-half will be based on that end result in mind!
Trevor Marsicano, speedskating, Olympic silver medalist: My New Year’s resolutions are to not get so lost in my sport that nothing else matters and to play SKILLET on my guitar.
Elana Meyers, bobsled, Olympic bronze medalist: My New Year’s resolutions are to: 1) Improve my nutrition. With the Olympics coming up, I can't leave any stone unturned and good nutrition is key to good performances; 2) Stop wasting time. What I mean by wasting time is spending time with anything that doesn't add value to my life – whether it's watching boring TV or having petty arguments, time is the most valuable thing we have and should not be wasted; 3) Reduce stress. With the Olympics fas approaching, training increases and the competition gets stiffer. I want to reduce my personal stress by laughing at myself and taking time out to re-energize with the people I love; 4) Enjoy the journey. This year is going to have its ups and downs, but I want to enjoy all of it and have fun.
Tim Morehouse, fencing, Olympic silver medalist: My New Year’s resolutions are to work off the bit of post-Olympic weight I gained and to be extremely organized.
Aly Raisman, gymnastics, three-time Olympic medalist: For 2013 my resolution is to stay in the moment and have fun! I've been so lucky to have had so many amazing opportunities since London so I can't wait to make more memories!
Marco Sullivan, alpine skiing, two-time Olympian: I am not a resolution maker but I do have goals for this year. I am shooting to end my season ranked in the top-10 in the world in downhill ski racing. On the home front I have a goal to visit my family more often, have a great summer of training for the upcoming Olympic season and tear into some renovations on my house in Truckee. I am looking forward to a good year!
Katie Uhlaender, skeleton, 2012 world champion: I don’t really have New Year’s resolutions. I never have. I feel it’s due to the way my father raise me – to always push myself to be better. When you already seem to be pushing yourself to the best of your abilities it seems redundant to set another goal. I have daily goals, weekly goals and long-term goals. I want to become the best person I can be as an athlete and a role model, like my father was. He left a memory behind that affected many more people than just himself. It’s not about what I can accomplish but about what message I can leave behind when I’m done. so my goal is to continue my father’s legacy through my actions and hopefully inspire others to do the same with their lives. Life’s too short not to live it up!
Peter Vanderkaay, swimming, four-time Olympic medalist: For 2013, I want to challenge myself to live as healthy as possible. I also want to learn to do something that I previously thought was unattainable.
Brenda Villa, water polo, four-time Olympic medalist: My New Year’s resolutions are to not get complacent with retirement (need to do at least 45 minutes of exercise five-six days a week), minimize my wardrobe, donate old equipment and uniforms, and help grow the sport of water polo in areas that do not have access or do not have resources to try it.
Justin Zook, swimming, four-time Paralympic medalist: In terms of resolutions I plan on becoming a better student of the sport of swimming. Now that I am coaching I want to continue learning and gaining more knowledge in order to better help my swimmers at Miami Country Day Aquatics reach their goals. As far as goals, I have recently decided to continue training. I have found a new coach in Miami – Head Coach of Miami Country Day Aquatics Megan Pittman. She is dedicated towards helping me progress and hopefully become a better all-around swimmer. I am excited for the next year of swimming and after this year I will re-evaluate everything again!
