What sort of person would rocket across ice, headfirst, at 80 mph with no more protection than a helmet? Mystique Ro knows. And she has some idea of what’s going on in the minds of the three Americans competing in the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games – Katie Uhlaender, Kelly Curtis, and Andrew Blaser.
“I thought it was insane. Why would you do that? People are crazy!,” Charlotte-based athlete Mystique Ro said about her initial reaction to sledding headfirst down a mile of ice. Mystique is currently ranked 39th in the world by the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation.
Photos from Mystique Ro
Competition consists of single athletes who gets a running start, sliding headfirst down tracks of 1,000 to 1,700 meters. The Beijing 2022 Olympic track at Yanqing is one of the longest, at 1,615 meters. Skeleton athletes reach top speeds of up to 81 mph. The sled is the skeletal foundation of a bobsled, which is how the sport was named.
Despite the exposure and speed, Ro said it is ironically one of the safer sledding sports. “For the first time, they really can’t compare it to anything, so you just have to experience it.” Ro said the only fear she felt was during her first slide, but over time, “things start to slow down.”
“It’s so much information processing so fast, you can’t really react. There’s no time for fear. I’m driving but I’m also letting it do what it needs to do. It’s a balance between control and chaos.”
Sports are an incredible commitment, and many athletes have to make sacrifices and put aspects of their lives on hold. “As you get older and family becomes more important, if I’m already going to miss it, let me make it worthwhile and get the experiences I need to chase the dream.”
For Ro, that dream is just beginning. Her goal is to continue training for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. “As long as I’ve got it in my legs and in my mind that I enjoy it and am having fun, there’s plenty of room to grow as an athlete.” Ro graduated from Queens University of Charlotte in 2016, where she competed in hurdles on the track team. She was introduced to sliding sports in her last semester of college when a coach recommended her and a teammate for a training camp.
Ro described the state of flow as her favorite thing about the sport. “It’s difficult to explain to someone who doesn’t understand it or has never felt it, but it’s when everything just feels right and everything lines up perfectly. It’s a constant addiction to try to get that feeling back. You want to feel the flow state again and the natural flow of how sliding should be. You want to feel the speed.”
Skeleton competition for Team USA athletes Katie Uhlaender, Kelly Curtis, and Andrew Blaser is scheduled for Feb. 10-12.
Queens University News Service
