On first glance, Aiden Kelly of West Islip is your typical 15-year old. However, most 15-year olds are not competitive lugers, who slide down icy tracks on their back, reaching speeds of up to 95 mph.
The USA National Luge Team Selection Committee recently named Kelly to the USA Junior National "C" Team for the Fall 2010 season. The "C" team, also known as the USA Luge Junior National Competitive team, is the last stop for young athletes before moving up to the Senior National Team. Being named to the "C" team is an honor only granted to a select few young athletes.
Kelly became involved with the sport after seeing an ad for the Slider Search luge recruitment program during the Winter Olympics in Torino in 2008. He went through the tryouts at Bald Hill in Farmingville, which included a physical test and sliding down a steep hill on a training cart. He then attended the street camp upstate, where he learned to luge on ice. After successfully completing the street camp, Kelly was named to the Junior National "D" Team, or development team, and began training in Lake Placid.
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"During the Torino Winter Olympics, they ran a side ad for the Slider Search, and my mom looked it up online," said Kelly. "She found out they were doing one in Farmingville, at Bald Hill, on Long Island. So I went out there one weekend and tried it out and then a few months later I got the call to come up and try it out, and here I am."
Since he began luging two years ago, Kelly has put his heart and soul into the sport, frequently making the trek to Lake Placid to train. He has worked with Coach Pat Anderson over the past two years and will begin working with former Olympian luger Duncan Kennedy this summer. During his first year, Kelly traveled to Salt Lake City and participated in the Junior National Championships. Since then, he has participated in numerous races across the country and has raced with Olympians Tony Benshoof, Chris Mazder, and Bengt Walden. When he is not in Lake Placid, Kelly lifts weights three times a week and plays baseball in order to stay in shape.
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"Last year I raced in five different races," said Kelly. "The races are based on age and team ranking, so at first I just expected to race in U Nationals, which is normally 14, 15 year olds, like people who go from Olympic double start. But then I was training really good, and I was keeping up with the higher team, so they let me stay for the Junior National Championships, which is at Junior Men's Start, and after that they still thought I was good even though I crashed in my race."
Kelly will be going into his junior year at West Islip High School in September, but he is applying to boarding schools upstate as well as online schools that will be a better fit with his rigorous training and travel schedule. He likes to stay active by mountain biking and longboarding in his spare time. He credits his family for their support of his pursuit for Olympic glory.
"My family's the best," said Kelly. "My mom has got to have the most patience in the world. She helps me pack every time I leave and she drives me up here for the 6 hour drive every time."
As Kelly looks ahead to the fall, he is focusing on one goal: to make it to the Senior National team and eventually compete in the Olympics.
"I mean, of course the Olympics is the ultimate goal," said Kelly. "I'm just trying to stay on the right track, keep moving up the ranks and hopefully I'll get to travel soon. I'm hoping to take gold in Nationals because this is my last year."
