Having the speed to set five school track records wasn’t enough for Chris Fogt, so he chose to speed up to 85 mph. The UVU track star is taking his efforts from the rubber to the ice, and is going to be one of the youngest members to join the U.S. Olympic bobsled team.
Fogt was initially approached at a track meet by men wearing Olympic jackets. When asked if he had ever tried bobsledding before, Fogt said, "What kind of question is that? Of course I’d never been." The team bobsled driver also called, leaving him nearly 20 messages, but Fogt was still resistant to the idea. Despite his summer work and ROTC training plans, he eventually decided to join, and last season was the brakeman for the USA second team.
"The first time I went sledding, I was pretty frightened," he said. "But you get used to it after a while. It’s pretty entertaining." He described the experience as being like a roller coaster — but with the potential for whiplash and hitting hard ice at 85 mph. Chris has been lucky to be in only one crash, which caused no major injuries.
UVU track and field coach Scott Houle said that Fogt gave everything you could ask for out of an athlete. U.S. Bobsled Coach Brian Shimer shared similar sentiments, explaining, "Chris is a rookie, but what I see is potential for him. He came out this year and made an impact right away."
The team roster isn’t made official until closer to the Olympic Games, but Fogt said that, if possible, he would love to also try for the 2014 Winter Olympics.
In June, Fogt plans to graduate with a degree in business management. He is part of the Army ROTC program at UVU and is planning to participate in the Army’s World Class Athlete Program that helps sponsor athletes as they prepare for competitions like the Olympics.
