Name: Will Golder
Age: 25
Sport: GB Bobsleigh
What do you do: I am a full time athlete with GBR Bobsleigh. I am the driver of the 2man and 4man sleds. I push on the front handle and jump in first to get hold of the steering to drive the sled down the track. It’s my job to drive the sled down as fast as possible at speeds of around 145kmph and hitting 5Gs.
School attended: St Martins Primary and Victoria College secondary.
Favourite ice cream flavour: Mint Choc Chip with a flake.
Favourite Animal: I would love an Alaskan husky but being away all the time it just wouldn’t be practical. Gorillas are pretty cool too.
Favourite food: Big sunday roast with all the trimmings and lots of gravy.
What would you wear to a fancy dress party? I’ve been known to go dressed as anything from a tube of Refreshers sweets, to a sheep. It doesn’t happen so much these days when training full time but I think a transformer would be pretty funny.
Favourite Bob Sleighing expression? Erm, there isn’t really one, apart from ‘I’m cold’ or ‘why is it snowing?’. This is because it slows down the track!
Favourite song? With so many different situations I have a few influential songs. I have a habit of listening to the Chariots of Fire theme song when I get to a track on race day. It gives me goose bumps and massively focusses my mind when walking up the track. I also find myself listening to Numb and Encore by Jay/Linkin Park to get me fired up before racing.
When did you start Bob Sleighing? I was first selected for GB in my first year at Uni in 2008. I first tried Bobsleigh in my final year at Victoria College when Sir Andrew Ridgway asked if I would like to join the recently formed Jersey Bobsleigh Club.
What is your worst Bob Sleighing accident? Crashing a 4man at 135kmph and being dragged to the finish line upside down at that speed.
Where do you think is the best place to Bob Sleigh in the world? St Moritz in Switzerland is a beautiful place but so is Calgary and Salt Lake City. The new track for the Olympics in Sochi, Russia, is also meant to be spectacular.
Where and when was your favourite Bob Sleighing moment? Winning Gold at the British Champs in the 2011/12 season and also gaining my best international result of 4th in Park City, Utah last year.
How can people get into Bob Sleighing in Jersey? The Jersey Bobsleigh Club is always looking for new members who have an interest in the sport. Anyone who would like to know more about getting involved in Jersey please feel free to email me at william@bobteamgolder.com and I will respond and forward on your emails to the Jersey club.
What competition have you taken part in most recently? I am currently trying to gain enough points for qualification to the Sochi Olympic Games 2014. I have been in Calgary, Canada and am now in Park City Utah. I had a tricky start with a crash in the 4man race but this week has been very positive and I finished 18th yesterday in very tricky blizzard conditions. I am training all week here and so hoping to get into the top 10 in the next few races.
