Aja Evans Details Her Journey to the 2014 Winter Olympics

Lee Edwards | As of Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Aja Evans
Aja Evans Damian Battinelli

Chicago native and Olympic hopeful Aja Evans’ journey to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia is a testament to her resolve, competitive spirit and longing for meaningful fulfillment.

In 2012, Evans established herself as a formidable contender during her first bobsledding season. She won the Women’s Bobsled National Push Championship title and scored 794 out of a possible 800 points.

In a recent interview with the Chicago Citizen Newspaper, Evans spoke about her path to bobsledding and her Winter Olympic expectations. She is currently in Igls, Austria preparing for the upcoming Olympic Games with her fellow Team USA bobsled teammates.

photo
Aja Evans and her mother Sequocoria Mallory.

Chicago Citizen Newspaper: How did you get involved with bobsledding in the first place?

Evans: Of course, I grew up with the only reference to bobsled being the movie Cool Runnings. My senior year of college at the University of Illinois [Champaign-Urbana] my coach at the time, Michael Erb, introduced me to the sport.

I did track and field at the University of Illinois, specifically shot-put and sprinting but heading into the indoor seasons we always do these combine style testing events. In my senior year, it was the year of the Vancouver Olympic Games and he was telling me about the sport of bobsled and how they look for powerhouse athletes. He told me about the idea, planted the seed a little bit but at the time I was really focused on track and field and wanted to go pro in track.

I made the decision not to, took a year and a half off from sports and I was working full time kind as a personal trainer at EFT Sports Performance in Highland Park, IL. There I was just training kids and working with their sports management department and stuff like that and I felt incomplete, it was killing me not be competing, not to be at an elite level , not to be traveling. It seemed like I’m helping all these little kids and athletes pursue their dreams and goals and I never really gave myself a chance.”

In March 2012, I was up really late thinking about all of the ways I could get back into sports. At the time, it was too late for me to pursue the 2012 London Olympic Games in track and field. I knew I had a chance at the [2016 Rio Olympic Games] but four years felt so far away. I wanted something now; I wanted something to help me get back on that level faster, build a name and a brand for myself, and instantly, bobsled popped into my head. It was like I had that same conversation with my coach all over again.

Chicago Citizen Newspaper: What was it like to compete early on?

Evans: It’s just a different sport, a different atmosphere. A lot of the athletes that have competed in the sport have done it for a few years.

Coming in having the success that I did very early in the season made it harder for me to catch on to everything because I was only bringing the athleticism and power to the table. I still had to learn technique; I had to learn the behind the scenes and everything like that as I went along. Those were the type of challenges I faced coming into the sport.

Chicago Citizen Newspaper: What would you say was your breakout moment?

Evans: I got through the season; it was rough for me that first year, just overwhelming. It’s a lot to take in with the traveling, being gone, being surrounded by a new bunch of girls 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and traveling with them and being away from my family; it was a lot to take in.

It wasn’t until February 2013, when I really realized my potential in this sport and how much I’ve overcome, [and] how bright my future is.

In February, we had the Olympic Test Event which is basically our last World Cup race, it was in Sochi, Russia on the actual Olympic track and there, not only did I place but I won a silver medal and set the start record. I was dealing with the passing with my grandfather so I was kind of torn dealing with leaving or staying so leading into that race I had a lot of tough decisions to make. My family was really supportive and convinced me to stay, that was kind of a break-through moment; I felt unstoppable after that, I felt more determined than ever to come back and really own it this year.

Chicago Citizen Newspaper: What did your family say when you first told them that you were interested in pursuing bobsledding?

Evans: From day one my family has been very supportive everyone has. It’s a little weird because its bobsled, it’s not a sport I grew up doing. Since my freshman year in high school it’s always been about track and field; I never really pursued any other sports. Everybody from family to friends to fans have always been very supportive of me pursuing this opportunity and they know how much of a hard worker I am, how determined I am and they knew that I’d really go after it. They definitely gave me 110% of support.

Chicago Citizen Newspaper: What high school did you attend? What was it like growing up in Chicago for you?

Evans: I went to Morgan Park High School which is a Chicago Public School. Morgan Park is where I began my track and field journey and I got kind of disciplined and developed into an actual athlete there.

Chicago Citizen Newspaper: Have you ever thought about what it would be like to represent your country?

Evans: Yeah, it hit me pretty hard when I was actually on the podium in Sochi. Not only did I overcome so much with dealing with the passing of my grandfather and the season and everything like that but to stand there and look at the flag and look at that as I’m standing at the podium, it was a big realization of how far I’ve come and how much this will represent a year from then which is the Olympic Games and it just kind of hit me. It’s humbling experience; it’s a very motivating experience. It just pushes me even more to strive for everything I want to accomplish this year.

Chicago Citizen Newspaper: What are some the goals you have this year?

Evans: My personal goal as a brakeman I always want to be the best brakeman and teammate to my driver and the rest of my teammates. A big goal for me this year was to work on that because coming from track and field it’s more of an individual sport so I was always focused on myself and making sure I was straight. But now I have a team to worry about.

Chicago Citizen Newspaper: Can you give me an idea of what it is like to be a brakeman and what it is like to learn the speed and the curves of the track?

Evans: The entire run usually takes about 50 total seconds to a minute. As a brakeman in the back of the sled my head is down the entire time and I’m just kind of holding on. My lower body is kind of locked out and my upper body is relaxed and able to take the impact if we hit anything or anything like that. You can’t see where you’re going. It’s loud. It’s noisy at times. You feel the speed, you may tap a wall out of nowhere and you just got to be ready for everything.

Chicago Citizen Newspaper: What are some tips that you would give to an aspiring bobsledder?

Evans: I would definitely say research it some. If you just have a conversation with someone that you’re interested in the sport that is all you need to get your foot in the door. When you get there you can learn and get to the push track and see if it’s something you actually want to do.

Chicago Citizen Newspaper: Reflecting back on your time in Chicago could you have ever seen yourself making it this far?

Evans: Living in Chicago I never perceived myself going this far in a Winter Olympic sport. I’ve always had Olympic aspirations but I always thought that track was going to be my means to achieve that. Being in this Olympic sport, being able to travel to such beautiful parts of the World has broadened my horizon, has opened my mind to the endless possibilities. It’s made me more humble, more of a fighter and determined to go through with my goals. Chicago gave me a good baseline and a good background.

Latest Stories

Latest Podcast

A.L. Smith - Harold Washington Legacy Committee