Dual sports-playing athletes have been becoming more and more commonplace these days. Many athletes don’t just play another sport for fun but actively compete in multiple sports as well. But, very rarely do we see an athlete enter the realm of sports with one discipline, then hop onto another discipline as their new primary. Interestingly, a track and field athlete saw herself descending down the same path.
Emily Renna is a former track and field athlete who currently finds herself enveloped with her love for bobsledding. Embracing a new means to speed through the snow tracks, Renna has now become an international-class bobsledder. In fact, the Team USA member has also qualified for the upcoming World Cup.
From track and field hurdles to steep slopes and fast turns
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Emily Renna was a staunch track and field athlete who specialized in the hurdles. She even competed for the University of Rhode Island and became a two-time New England Champion and an outdoor Atlantic 10 champ. But, 2019 saw Renna change her path to bobsledding when she was in Utah.
According to GMTM, Renna first appeared for a tryout at the Bobsled Combine. Interestingly, this was also the time when America started a new rookie camp at Lake Placid. This marked the perfect moment for the track and field athlete to enter a completely new sport. But, with a new discipline, came a new challenge.
Emily Renna fell prey to motion sickness with the high speeds and sudden turns of bobsled racing, Moreover, the new discipline also required her to zoom through the tracks horizontally instead of running and jumping vertically. But, the track and field athlete received a much-needed dose of camaraderie and found a method to counter her predicament.
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When motion sickness was replaced by World Cup-caliber
Heeding the advice of her fellow athletes, Renna started taking a dose of Dramamine before every run. The over-the-counter medication helped her tackle motion sickness, and to this date, is her trusted partner before every race. The former track and field athlete became unstoppable after that, making it to the national team in November 2020. This was soon followed by a triumph just a day before Christmas.
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Renna got selected to America’s Bobsledding World Cup team. She has been a staple member of Team USA ever since and recently got selected for 2023’s World Cup team as well. She now has a new purpose and role as the women’s team’s reliable brakeman. Will she be able to continue her journey and scale even greater heights in bobsledding?
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