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Now that’s one speedy Osmond
Another photo can be seen here
By Molly Farmer
Mormon Times
Published: Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008
Don Osmond’s first trip down a bobsled track was significant, even though he can’t remember all of it.
“I’d like to say it was memorable, but I actually blacked out about two-thirds of the way down the track,” Osmond said.
The 29-year-old son of singer Donny Osmond was accompanying his friend and now teammate Jeremy Holm in a two-man sled at Olympic Park in Park City, Utah, when the speed, pressure and sharp turns began to affect him. The experience was particularly disconcerting for Holm, who was driving at the front of the sled, because Osmond was manning the brakes.
“Jeremy was tapping me on the helmet with his elbow and I wasn’t coming to until finally he jarred me a good one,” Osmond said.
He awoke shortly after crossing the finish line and pulled hard on the brakes, stopping the sled before it reached the end of the track. The experience was more exhilarating than intimidating for Osmond. He is now a member of Team Holm Racing in both two-man — where he’s a “braker” — and four-man — where he’s a “pusher.”
Osmond said his family may not be known for its athletic ability, but when Holm, who has been bobsledding for about 12 years according to the Team Holm Web site, asked whether he wanted to give the sport a shot, he couldn’t say no.
“I don’t think many Osmonds participate in sports,” he said. “I think most of us are musically inclined. So I thought, ‘I’m going to try this.’ ”
Osmond took up cycling about 16 years ago and said his background with that sport has helped him in training for bobsledding.
He and his teammates train in the evenings three or four times a week. During the offseason, which usually begins at the end of March and lasts until mid-November, they practice sprints to increase their start speed and lift weights to increase their strength. During the bobsledding season, they head to the track in Park City — one of only two tracks in the United States (the other is in Lake Placid, N.Y.) — where they can get three trips down the track in a night.
Osmond is registered with the United States Bobsledding and Skeleton Federation and is eligible to compete in USBSF competitions.
He said the team will compete this season in club and national races, and though none of them have experience at the Olympic level, competing in the 2010 Games in Vancouver is fun to think about.
“Of course it’s a goal. It’s a dream. It’s a wish.”
Osmond said the thrill of the sport appeals to him.
“It really is just a roller-coaster to the extreme. … You’re going nearly 80 miles an hour, sometimes a little faster, and pushing anywhere from three to five Gs on some of the turns.
“I like to go fast. That’s why I took up cycling. That’s why I took up mountain biking. That’s why I have a motorcycle. That’s why I have a few speeding tickets,” he said, laughing.
Because there are only two tracks in the United States and four in all of North America, Osmond said Utah residents should take advantage of the track in Park City to experience the thrill themselves. Even if they aren’t interested in competing, they can go for a trial run at the nearby Utah Olympic Park.
He said his family has been very supportive of his participation in the sport, especially his dad.
“My dad loves it; my mother fears for my life.”
Though the sport is considered dangerous, so far he has acquired only scrapes and bruises that come from piling into a narrow bobsled with three other men, all of whom wear spiked shoes.
“Those spikes on the tip of your shoe are pretty sharp,” Osmond said. “They’re about the same as a thumbtack, and you’ve got about 200 to 300 of them on the bottom of your foot. So when the guy behind you jumps in, if he doesn’t do it right, he can actually claw at your calf muscles.”
The only lasting injury Osmond has acquired came from that first run he took last December, and it is more of a bruise on his ego than on his body.
“I’ve been nicknamed ‘Blackout at the Track.’ “
Osmond Items For Sale - Make Offer
Here is a list of Osmond items I have for sale. Make a reasonable offer on an item and it’s probably going to be yours :-) I’m assuming I’ll only get one offer per item but if I receive multiple offers on one certain item, I’ll sell it to the person who makes the highest offer. US Shipping will be by Priority Mail. International Shipping, depends on what the item is. Photos of the items are at the end of this post. Items will be mailed on October 31st. Email me at chillutah@yahoo.com with your offer.
Item 1- I think this is a full set of the early 1970’s Osmond trading cards. Very good condition.
Item 2- Donny & Marie TV Talk Show Key Chain. A New. Never used. 1998.
Item 3- The Best Of Donny & Marie VHS tape Set. Used. Good condition. Look back with Donny and Marie as they share with you some of their favorite moments from their 1970s TV Series. See the goofs that made it to air, enjoy the music that still sounds great today!
Item 4- The Gift of Love VHS tape. New. Marie Osmond stars in this Christmas Classic from 1978. Based on The Gift of the Magi.
Item 5- Donny Osmond Trivia Book Volume 1. This item is from 1988 and is autographed by Donny on the inside cover in fine sharpie, Special Edition # 151. Some yellowing with age and a bend here or there. This item is rare and from the fan club.
Item 6- Donny Joseph doll sized Technicolor Dreamcoat . Made for Donny’s TV series on MTV (?). Condition is very good +. Has some of the color decals coming off, but one of a kind item not to be found ANYWHERE else.
Item 7- The Osmonds. The official story of the family as told to and by Paul H., Dunn. This 1975 book is signed by the author. Has a name and phone number written on inside cover. Very nice condition and complete without tears stains or cutting.
Item # 8- Donny Osmond Greatest Hits CD from Curb Records ©1992. 12 early original recordings. Still sealed. No cut out marks. As new- perfect!
Item 9- Donny Pink Fan Club Sweat Shirt. Washed. Used. Light pilling. Dry cleaning could help. Size L
Item 10- Black Donny Osmond Fan Club Sweat Shirt. Washed Light pilling. Size L
Item 11 - Donny Osmond Joseph Color T Shirt. Size XL
Item 12- Donny Osmond “To You With Love” 1971 LP. Sealed, not a cut out. Sharp corners.
Item 13- Donny Osmond “My Best To You” 1972 LP. Sealed, not a cut out. Sharp corners.
Item 14- Osmonds “The Plan” 1973 LP. Sealed, not a cut out. Sharp corners.
Item 15- Jimmy Osmond LP. 1972’s Killer Joe. Good Condition.
Item 16 - Jimmy Osmond LP. 1975’s Little Arrows. Good Condition.
Marie Osmond and Hoda Kotb Help the American Heart Association Fight Women’s No. 1 Killer
Go Red For Women and NBC Local Media Join to Tell the Untold Stories of Real Women and Heart Disease ;
Marie Osmond and Hoda Kotb Help the American Heart Association Fight Women’s No. 1 Killer; American Heart Association
DALLAS, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — On September 20, the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women is bringing the real faces of women and heart disease into living rooms across the country in a new 30-minute NBC television special, “Go Red For Women presents — Untold Stories of the Heart.” The special will air on NBC’s ten owned-and-operated stations (check your local listings for various times). For every heart, there is a story. Unfortunately, these stories often go untold because women lack awareness of their risk factors and an understanding of the choices they can make to prevent heart disease. This fall, those stories will be told. Read more