DHL: Olympic spirit - Vonetta Flowers

Career Highlights:

2002 Olympic gold medalist
2002 USOC Team of the Year
2002 U.S. Olympic Spirit Award winner
2003 National champion
2004 World Rank - 2
2006 U.S. Olympic Team hopeful

Biography:

Vonetta Flowers is known for her skill, strength and beauty. She is the first person of African descent to win an Olympic Winter Games gold medal, and she was named one of People Magazine's 2002 "Most Beautiful People." Her 2002 U.S. Olympic Team mates selected Vonetta to be the American flag bearer at the Closing Ceremony of Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. She has also received the U.S. Olympic Spirit Award and the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance Award.

Vonetta was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. As early as 1982 Vonetta showed remarkable athletic ability, out-running all of her classmates, boys included. Her speed carried her through high school and on to the University of Alabama, Birmingham on a track and field scholarship. Vonetta was the first in her family to attend college. By the time she graduated she was one of the university's all-time most decorated athletes with 35 conference titles and victories in the Penn Relays and The Olympic Festival and she was the school's first Seven-Time All-American.

After college, Vonetta set her sights on the Olympic Games (summer), competing in both the 1996 and 2000 U.S. Olympic Team Trials but coming up short. It wasn't until Vonetta's husband came upon a 'help wanted' ad put out by the US Bobsled Federation looking for promising track athletes to convert to bobsled that her dream of becoming an Olympian was rekindled – this time as a winter Olympian.

With the disappointment of the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team Trials still lingering, Vonetta showed up to an open call bobsled tryout and impressed the team with her remarkable speed and power. Less than two months later, she was representing the USA in international competitions around the world and by the end of her rookie season she was, and remains, the #1 brakewoman in the country. The following year, at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Vonetta and teammate Jill Bakken entered the competition in virtual anonymity. Unexpected to contend for a medal and all but disappearing into the shadows of their heavily favored American teammates, Flowers and Bakken shocked the world by grabbing the lead with one final run left for gold. In one of the biggest upsets in Olympic history, they delivered under pressure and captured the first ever gold medal in women's bobsled history. In doing so, Vonetta became the first person of African descent to win an Olympic winter gold medal.

Currently, Vonetta is preparing for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy with 2002 U.S. Olympian (bobsled) and two-time world champion driver Jean Racine.

DHL Delivers U.S. Olympic Spirit DHL USOC Spirit Awards Paralympic Speaker Series DHL USOC Spirit Cards Contest Team DHL Vonetta Flowers Scott Hamilton Dan Jansen Chris Klug Sarah Will DHL and the U.S. Olympic Team News Sponsorships & promotions Return to DHL-USA		Vonetta Flowers – 2002 Olympic Gold Medalist (Bobsled) Career Highlights: 2002 Olympic gold medalist 2002 USOC Team of the Year 2002 U.S. Olympic Spirit Award winner 2003 National champion 2004 World Rank - 2 2006 U.S. Olympic Team hopeful Biography: Vonetta Flowers is known for her skill, strength and beauty. She is the first person of African descent to win an Olympic Winter Games gold medal, and she was named one of People Magazine's 2002 "Most Beautiful People." Her 2002 U.S. Olympic Team mates selected Vonetta to be the American flag bearer at the Closing Ceremony of Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. She has also received the U.S. Olympic Spirit Award and the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance Award. Vonetta was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. As early as 1982 Vonetta showed remarkable athletic ability, out-running all of her classmates, boys included. Her speed carried her through high school and on to the University of Alabama, Birmingham on a track and field scholarship. Vonetta was the first in her family to attend college. By the time she graduated she was one of the university's all-time most decorated athletes with 35 conference titles and victories in the Penn Relays and The Olympic Festival and she was the school's first Seven-Time All-American. After college, Vonetta set her sights on the Olympic Games (summer), competing in both the 1996 and 2000 U.S. Olympic Team Trials but coming up short. It wasn't until Vonetta's husband came upon a 'help wanted' ad put out by the US Bobsled Federation looking for promising track athletes to convert to bobsled that her dream of becoming an Olympian was rekindled – this time as a winter Olympian. With the disappointment of the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team Trials still lingering, Vonetta showed up to an open call bobsled tryout and impressed the team with her remarkable speed and power. Less than two months later, she was representing the USA in international competitions around the world and by the end of her rookie season she was, and remains, the #1 brakewoman in the country. The following year, at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Vonetta and teammate Jill Bakken entered the competition in virtual anonymity. Unexpected to contend for a medal and all but disappearing into the shadows of their heavily favored American teammates, Flowers and Bakken shocked the world by grabbing the lead with one final run left for gold. In one of the biggest upsets in Olympic history, they delivered under pressure and captured the first ever gold medal in women's bobsled history. In doing so, Vonetta became the first person of African descent to win an Olympic winter gold medal. Currently, Vonetta is preparing for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy with 2002 U.S. Olympian (bobsled) and two-time world champion driver Jean Racine. © 2007 DHL Express (USA), Inc. All Rights Reserved.