Meet the skeleton racer who embraces danger, ignores the competition and loves ‘Jersey Shore.’ By James Montgomery Katie Uhlaender Photo: MTV News VANCOUVER — The Olympic sport of skeleton takes its rather ominous name from the stripped-to-the-bone sleds that athletes use to rocket down ice tracks, and not from the fact that you can totally die doing it. But still, when you’re throwing yourself face-first downhill at 90 miles an hour, your chin hovering inches above the ice, with no brakes and no way to steer, well, you tend to think about stuff like death (or at least serious bodily harm) on a fairly regular basis. The key — at least to U.S. Olympic team member Katie Uhlaender — is not just to be OK with that fact, but to revel in it. “You’re going really, really fast. Head first. And, to be honest, that’s what drew me to it,” Uhlaender laughed. “I was 19 and anything that looked scary and challenging, I was like, ‘I wonder if I can take it?’ So I tried it, and eight weeks later, I was National Champion. It just came naturally to me; the relaxed chaos of it. The intensity of going so fast, and inside you’re just really calm and taking it all in.” And that attitude, which extends to her off-the-track life as well (in addition to hurtling down ice at terrifying speeds, Uhlaender spent time working behind the scenes on CBS’ “Survivor,” where she tested immunity challenges to make sure no contestants croaked) has made her great, and a favorite to medal at the Vancouver games. She’s already won two Skeleton World Cup championships and appeared well on her way to a third before a pair of nasty knee injuries — one of which involved a snow mobile — slowed her down. And yes, she’ll show you the scars. “I shattered my kneecap twice. I have a really great scar on my left knee,” she said, lifting up her pant leg. “Please excuse the hair. I have no lover, so, in the winter, excuse the hair. Anyway, it’s getting better now. Driving the sled actually hurts, because we use our knees and our shoulders, so putting pressure on my knee to steer the sled, it’s pretty painful.” Part Pink, part punk, Uhlaender is driven, determined and definitely unafraid to speak her mind. It’s a confidence she’s carrying into Vancouver, which means that her competition has officially been put on notice. You know, if she ever actually noticed them in the first place. “I don’t really care about them, to be honest. That’s how I’ve always rolled in, you know, when I first started this sport, took one run and I was like, ‘I’m going to the Olympics.’ And everyone was like, ‘Who’s this chick?’ ” she smiled. “And I was like, ‘I’m Katie Uhlaender.’ That’s kind of the attitude I’m taking here too. That’s what got me here, so why would I try to focus on someone else? If I’m on my game, eat my ice.” And while that swagger motivates her, she’s also come to these Olympic games for another reason: to represent her country. After all, she’s just another proud patriot, not to mention a pretty huge Snooki fan. “Being here, with this flag on your sleeve, it’s something that gives me a lot of pride,” she said. “There’s no better country in the world than the U.S. of A. I mean, where else can you have ‘Jersey Shore’ on TV?” Which is your favorite Winter Olympics sport? Let us know in the comments below! MTV News is on the ground in Vancouver all week, so stay tuned for more coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
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U.S. Olympic Team Member Katie Uhlaender Does It All For The Snooki
