When Chardon Hilltoppers’ sophomore Haidyn Bunker saw a luge commercial during the 2018 Winter Olympics, she thought it looked interesting. Six years later, Bunker is preparing for the opportunity of a lifetime as she will compete in double luge for Team USA at the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, South Korea beginning on Saturday.
“This is a one-time kind of a deal,” Bunker told The Weekly Villager. “I am personally thrilled to be going. When I found out I qualified, I was jumping off of the walls. It is such a wonderful and meaningful thing to be a part of and to be able to represent Team USA. I could not be more excited.”
Bunker, a West Farmington resident, will compete with teammate Sadie Martin in the women’s double luge. Bunker and her teammate qualified for the Team USA women’s double luge event when they competed for a berth in December.
When Bunker first saw a commercial promoting a luge training camp in Columbus, it piqued her curiosity. According to her, being an athlete her entire life, she was always interested in trying new things.
Bunker traveled to Columbus to participate in a two-hour training camp as part of the USA Luge Slider Search. She impressed so much she was then invited to come to Lake Placid, NY to train for three-and-half days. A few months later, she returned to Lake Placid to train with Team USA for a test trial and passed the test.
“I was speechless when it happened,” Bunker said. “I did not, honestly, expect it. “It was not until I got here and was able to train with the team that saw the family aspect to it. It is such a wonderful sport with a wonderful environment here too.”
Bunker originally competed in women’s singles luge for Team USA but said her coaches encouraged her to find a partner and switch to double luge. She heeded her coaches’ advice and began competing in doubles luge but needed to find a new partner last year when her previous partner decided to leave the team.
Having already known Martin because she had been a member of Team USA for several years, Bunker and Martin became partners and things really took off from there.
“We have been pretty good friends,” acknowledged Bunker. “We are very close. We really get each other so it really helps because one of the biggest aspect of doubles luge is that connection between the two partners.”
In doubles luge, one partner rides the top of the sled while the other one is on the bottom and has to rely on their partner to steer the sled accordingly. Bunker said because she had a smaller frame than Martin, she became the bottom person.
According to Bunker, one major adjustment she had to make when she became the bottom person was learning to trust Martin’s vision because the bottom person has no sight of the course in front of them.
“I roll with the curves and sometimes when you roll you have to come back out,” Bunker noted. “The bottom person is always focused on the body movement on the sled. We have to think that we are one with the sled if you know what I mean. I have all of the shoulders to push back so the sled always stay stable so I am the stability.”
Although it was a matter of trust, Bunker’s partnership with Martin has paid dividends. When they traveled to Europe in December, they competed in four races to try and accumulate enough points to qualify them to represent Team USA in South Korea.
After only three races, the double luge partners achieved the required amount of points needed.
“It was definitely an interesting process,” Bunker said. “We were determined and motivated and knew what we wanted and, thankfully, we got it, but it definitely took some hard work and determination.”
Unlike the previous trial, Bunker and Martin will only compete in one race at the Team USA Youth Olympics.
“The pressure is definitely high, but I know the both of us are super excited and the opportunity to be there is absolutely insane to us,” Bunker said. “We trust ourselves and know we can do it. So as long as put our best out there, we will be happy and proud of ourselves. That is what really matters to us.”
After the conclusion of the women’s double luge race, Bunker will continue training with the Team USA youth team and try and earn a spot on junior national team next season.
