TULSA, Okla. — An Oklahoma native, and current state representative, is remembering his time as a member of the USA Bobsled Team.
“Being from a small town in Oklahoma, I never anticipated trying out for the bobsledding team," said State Rep. Mickey Dollens.
Dollens wasn’t always a politician.
He grew up playing football in Bartlesville. He then went on to play at Southern Methodist University in Dallas and had dreams of playing professionally.
“So when I graduated SMU, I tried out for the NFL, and I had a pretty good pro day, but I came up short," Dollens said.
Despite not getting recruited for the NFL, he was noticed by another team: The USA Bobsled Team.
“So, I went to Lake Placid, New York," Dollens said. "I did a combine. I ran. I jumped. Performed all these different tasks. Weightlifting. And ended up getting recruited to be the second pusher on a four-person bobsled.”
Dollens spent three years with the team. He trained at Lake Placid in the fall and winter and in Oklahoma during the off-season. He competed in places from Utah to Canada and overseas in Europe. Giving him the chance to represent his country.
“I actually did at one point get to compete against Jamaica, Russia, and Germany," Dollens said. "All these different countries. But knowing that I had that American flag on my back, on my speed suit, on our sled was incredible.”
Dollens now represents the Oklahoma City area in the State House.
But his bobsledding days are not forgotten. He's eager for it to get underway at the 2022 Beijing Olympics where some of his former teammates and coaches are competing.
“I’m just so excited to see a lot of my former teammates go for the gold," he said. "And I’ll be rooting them on every bit of the way.”
Dollens advice to those aiming for the Olympics is it doesn’t matter where you come from. Join a sport you love and work hard.
“If you’re looking to aspire to Olympic gold, find out what that sport is, train really hard, and give yourself a shot," Dollens said. "You never know where it could take you.”
Dollens' former teammates compete in Olympic bobsledding next week.
You can catch the action on KJRH. You can get all your Olympic information here.
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