Carlo Valdes
USA Bobsled Team
Tustin, CA USA
"If you’re not putting in the time and effort to get better each day, each year, you are just wasting your time and doing everyone a disservice by not becoming the best you can be...Put in the hard work day in and day out, and everything will take care of itself."
Career Roadmap
Carlo's work combines: Sports, Action Sports, and Being Physically Active
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
I had no idea what I wanted to do when I was in college. My whole life had revolved around sports and with college coming to an end there was definitely an element of uncertainty. I also had friends and family around me trying to tell me what to do. At the end of the day, I realized that my athletic career didn't have to end, that there may be something more I could do. I took the opportunities given to me and followed that path.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
History, General
University of California-Los Angeles
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
Born and raised in Newport Beach, California.
2.
Has been passionate about sports ever since childhood—for most of his life, he was focused on playing football and doing track.
3.
Received football scholarships to Arizona State University and Washington State University, but turned them down due to unfavorable coaching changes.
4.
Attended UCLA and received a degree in history.
5.
While at UCLA, he played football his first year, then switched over to track, where he started doing the decathlon and later the javelin throw.
6.
After graduation, he was introduced to the sport of bobsled by a track teammate and was encouraged to try out for the U.S. men's bobsled team by his former coach, Mike Maynard.
7.
Made the team and has gone on to win multiple gold, silver, and bronze medals in the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation World Cup.
8.
Competed in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games held in PyeongChang, South Korea.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
What am I going to do? Track is almost over, I keep getting hurt throwing javelin...what's next?
How I responded:
I had no idea what I wanted to do when I was in college. My whole life had revolved around sports and with college coming to an end there was definitely an element of uncertainty. I also had friends and family around me trying to tell me what to do. At the end of the day, I realized that my athletic career didn't have to end, that there may be something more I could do. I took the opportunities given to me and followed that path.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I started in bobsled kind of late. I didn't pick up the sport until after college, so I was at a disadvantage skill-wise. I had to learn a lot of new things and rely on my teammates to get me up to speed.
We can go upwards of 90mph in a bobsled on some tracks and after doing runs all day, it takes a toll on your body. You can get headaches, nausea, exhaustion, etc.
When I joined the USA National Team, I had to move to New York to go to the training center there. I put a lot of my life on hold in order to dedicate all of my time to training. I sacrificed relationships with friends, etc.
We don't make a lot of money on average, so a lot of people still have to maintain side jobs. You rely on stipends, sponsorships, and prize money.