Editor:
The boys are back home safe and sound after three weeks of sports every day — sometimes two sports in one day. They all took to skeleton nicely, I am happy to say, and I may have a few new members on my team.
The city of Innsbruck really welcomed the athletes and the program to their city. They opened the sports university to us, as well as all their doctors and scientists to help make us stronger and faster. Considering the success of this trip, it is necessary to bring the next group of athletes — four to six female all stars from the same school — to do the exact same thing as the boys during the month of February. We will keep this pattern of six athletes for the first half of winter and six the second half going continuously, and will do the same in the summer for the summer Olympic sports with six athletes in June and six in August. The summer athletes will be the male and female Athlete of the Year from each of the high schools in the Virgin Islands. In the end, that’s 24 of our best athletes in Europe each year at the Olympic training facilities in the sports center of Europe, Innsbruck, Austria.
Right now, I am searching for an apartment in Innsbruck so we have a permanent place to stay and a place to keep our sleds, snowboards, skis, mountain bikes, skates and all the other equipment we all use each trip. Plus as these athletes become their own people, they will no longer need to travel with me but will visit Europe on their own to make their own races like Alexa.
Because we are breeding athletes in so many other sports than just skeleton, I feel the apartment will get used constantly — and not just by athletes but for sponsors and parents if they choose to visit Europe as well. So, having a Virgin Islands house and our own equipment in Europe is necessary. After that, our own team van. Lots of work to do, will keep you posted.
Peace and love,
Troy Billington