Eskimos Running Back has shot at Canadian Olympic Bobsled team
Jesse Lumsden may be one of the greatest athletes that most people have never heard of. Not since Herschel Walker or Willie Gault has a pro football player attempted to make an Olympic bobsled team.
Lumsden, a running back for the Edmonton Eskimos, has an excellent chance of making the Canadian team. His name has been turned in to the Canadian Olympic Committee which generally assures him a spot on the team. The official list will not be announced until January 27.
A year ago making the team seemed like an impossible task for the running back and it has not been an easy road. A third shoulder injury, this one in 2009, ended his football season and cast a cloud of doubt over his chances to make the Olympic team. Fortunately, two things worked in his favor.
With the injury effectively ending his football season, he had time to prepare to make the team. He dedicated himself to getting into the best possible shape for the event.
Then there was the shoulder injury. Since sledding requires lower body strength, the injury wasn’t much of a distraction. All things considered, Lumsden made wise use of his time and is on the verge of becoming an Olympic participant.
As the 2010 Vancouver Olympics near, Lumsden remains a long shot to win a medal. Their team did win gold in an European Cup event but that was against lower level competition. Regardless, Vancouver will be a very emotional time for him.
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