A View Royal woman is gearing up for her second full season on the international bobsled circuit, but she isnB次元官网网址檛 representing the country you may think.

Riley Matthews has been a part of Team USA in the sport since 2021, and moving to Canada with her husband as he joined the Canada MenB次元官网网址檚 Rugby 7s squad as a coach hasnB次元官网网址檛 put a damper on that. In fact, she said the friendly rivalry between the two countries has led to some fun experiences.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 a bit isolated as a bobsledder in (Greater) Victoria, with the Canadians sticking around Calgary, and in the United States Lake Placid, N.Y. and Park City, Utah,B次元官网网址� said Matthews. B次元官网网址淏ut itB次元官网网址檚 also been kind of cool being an American athlete in Canada and getting a ton of support from Canadians finding out I do bobsled.B次元官网网址�

Matthews, an American, first got into the sport while she was working at a college in the U.S. An athlete all her life B次元官网网址� competing in everything from softball to soccer and volleyball, but a track and field athlete first and foremost B次元官网网址� she was feeling like her competition career wasnB次元官网网址檛 yet over, despite javelin injuries taking her out of that sport.

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A colleague who was once on the U.S. bobsled team told her about the sport and encouraged her to attend some development camps, and soon she had a new sporting passion.

B次元官网网址淚 finally got a call from the coaches B次元官网网址� and kind of dropped everything and went to Park City and decided to become a bobsledder.B次元官网网址�

In her role as a brakeman B次元官网网址� the sled crew member responsible for pushing the sled off the start and slowing it down after crossing the finish line B次元官网网址� Matthews has competed mainly in the North American Cup circuit, earning several podium finishes in her first full season. One of three divisions the organization competes in, her goal for the upcoming season is to make it onto either the Europa Cup or World Cup circuit teams.

B次元官网网址淭he goal for this year is to get to go overseas and really get to learn some new tracks and see what they are like,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭he big goal is to one day make it to the Olympics, but itB次元官网网址檚 also hard enough to make it onto the world cup team, so after this season I think that will be the goal. To consistently be on world cup teams.B次元官网网址�

Matthews wonB次元官网网址檛 know what specific team she will be on within the organization until October, and until then, the focus is on summer and fall training down in the U.S.

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