The Jamaican Bobsled Captain

Ben Stubenberg

• 25 oktober 2024
• 9798350968170

Samenvatting:

It's the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. The Jamaican bobsled team has become a media darling. And the butt of jokes. Who are these Black guys from a tropical island thinking they can compete in a dangerous winter sport like bobsledding? The naysayers could smile smugly when captain Dudley "Tal" Stokes, lost control of the four-man sled he was driving and crashed violently. While millions watched around the world as their skulls slammed the ice for twenty-one perilous seconds before coming to a stop, a clarifying calm came over Tal. Instead of walking away from the sport glad to be alive, Tal internalized the experience and committed himself to becoming a world-class bobsledder--whatever it took. That's the untold story! Disney later released the hit comedy film, Cool Runnings, loosely based on the original team's inspiring effort even if they didn't stand a chance. But the real bobsledders didn't give up. They clawed their way back from a near-death experience in Calgary. They kept at in the face of failure, chronic lack of money, and constant doubt. Then redemption. Against all odds, Tal and the Jamaicans took on the highly experienced European and North American bobsledders at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer and claimed their place among the elite. This is the tale of that journey--from rock bottom "crash dummies" to fearsome contenders that stands as an enduring testament to the human spirit.