Olympic Hopeful Luger

John Davis
Lake Placid, New York (Home of 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics)

Typically the normal luge athlete trains for about 6 months in a year and didn't grow up in New York City. I had a chance meet a unique luge athlete who is trying to pursue his goal of medaling in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. He is also trying to be the first African American to medal in the luge. "I definitely want to do whatever I can to see if I can make it to the Olympics." said Josh Sajous an 18 year old freshman at Morrisville State College studying architecture.

Being the 1st African-American would mean alot to Josh "Im starting something I'm allowing people to see we just don't play basketball we just don't play football were interested in everything". In the last Winter Olympics only six out of the 211 US team members were African Americans. These numbers don't phase Josh anymore, it is something that he's come to relish.

Josh lives a double life forcing him to take off one or two weeks to train during the semester. Every time he takes time off it makes him take a step back from his other major goal in life of designing his mother a dream house. Sometimes Josh sees the luge a something slowing him down from being an architect. "My mom means everything to me, I'll give anything just to make her happy she really deserves it" said Josh Sajous.

Josh's Development Coach, Duncan Kennedy who is a 3-time Olympian sees potential for Josh in the luge. "You know he's a tremendous athlete, he obvious has some sort of natural ability for sliding, said Duncan Kennedy. Josh still struggles with the thought of pursuing Luge full time but he realizes that he is young and that this is a once in a life time opportunity. "My mom was just telling me how I basically need to pursue my own goal and what I've been longing for this whole time since Ive been in luge to really keep trying and trying to be in the Olympics" said Josh Sajous.

Josh says he will take off next year from school and put all of his focus on becoming an Olympic Luger.

(Josh is currently the 13th ranked US Junior Luge Athlete in the Men's Singles Event.)

Watch Josh on a luge run!