Valerie Fleming (born December 18, 1976) is an American bobsledder who has competed since 2003. At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, she won a silver in the two-woman event with teammate and future wife Shauna Rohbock. (wikipedia)
I wouldn't jeopardize Shauna, my closest friend. I knew what it's meant to her to get to the games and as much as I wanted to be here, if I didn't think I could do it, I would have taken myself out of the sled. I didn't want to have on my conscience us not doing well because of me.
I had been sliding all year with Shauna, and we had done so well. Then I thought, this was what we had been working so hard for and then ... we got to the Games and I'm not even going to slide. It was a little unnerving.
My preference would be to start as early as possible. I get extremely nervous. I can't eat all day long. I just want to get up there and get it over with.
I was a little nervous that I wasn't going to be able to race. But it all worked out and I got to the podium.
I have all the confidence in the world of Shauna.
Track and field is always where I wanted to make the Games. Bobsled wasn't even a thought in my mind.
You run, you push, you get in and you have no control.
This is all new for me, but I'm nervous like it's just a race-off. Which is good, because I'm not freaking out over it being the Olympics.
It's so close. We're not just fighting for third place. First place is right there.
I push for the best driver in the world. I have all the confidence in the world in Shauna.
