New Mini Convertible training wheels for the Jamaican Bobsleigh team - interview 30.06.2020: Two members of the Jamaican national bobsleigh team have got creative in lockdown together, continuing their rigorous exercise regime by using a MINI 3-Door Hatch as an integral part of their training.

Two members of the Jamaican national bobsleigh team have got creative in lockdown together, continuing their rigorous exercise regime by using a MINI 3-Door Hatch as an integral part of their training.

 

Sled pilot Shanwayne Stephens, 29, and brakeman Nimroy Turgott, 27, have been keeping up their fitness by building their own weight-lifting equipment in the garden and, in place of the prowler they’d be using at the gym, have instead been pushing their MINI up and down a private road in Peterborough for resistance training.



Recognising the dedication of the duo and with summer just beginning, MINI UK have upgraded their training wheels to a MINI Convertible Cooper, wrapped with the unmistakeable colours of the Jamaican flag so they can continue to drum up support wherever they go.  



Shanwayne said “MINI have always been a part of my life - I currently own a 1992 Austin Mini and my fiancé owns the MINI 3-Door Hatch we’ve been using to train with, so we are extremely excited to have the new convertible training wheels. It gives us even more motivation to achieve our goals and we’re grateful that MINI UK has recognised the hard work and focus we have put into our training over the lockdown period. ”




Currently training to qualify for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games, as well as various competitions across North America and Europe this season, the team’s next major event will be the World Championships in Lake Placid NY in February 2021.





Shanwayne Stephens, pilot for the Jamaican national bobsleigh team and teammate Nimroy Turgott, a brakeman for the Jamaican national bobsleigh team:




How did you get into bobsledding?



Shanwayne: I got into bobsledding through the Royal Air Force, where we use ice sports as a form of character building and compete in the inter-services against the Army and Navy.



Nimroy: I got into bobsledding after becoming injured from athletics, initially as a form of rehab for the injury, and have now fallen in love with the sport.





What are you training for?


We are currently training to make the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, as well as competing in various competitions across North America and Europe this season. Our next major event will be the World Championships in Lake Placid NY in February 2021.





What do you have to do to become the best in your sport?


To become the best in bobsleigh you must be determined, patient and very robust as the sport can be very physically and mentally demanding. Unfortunately, equipment plays a major part in our sport and those with the best equipment and funding tend to do the best. Being a small team and not government funded, we rely on organisations to support us to keep in the fight.





How would you normally be training?


Our normal training regime would consist of a lot of hours in the gym lifting, pushing prowlers and sprint work - but with Covid-19 things had to change dramatically.




How have you adapted during lockdown?


Lockdown has been difficult for everyone, but fortunately for myself and Nimroy we were in lockdown together, which meant we could still get lots of quality training in together. We have had to build our own mini gym in the garden out of timber and have used a MINI Cooper to push up and down in an industrial estate for out resistance training.





Why MINI?


MINI have always been a part of my life. I currently own a 1992 Austin Mini and my fiancée owns the MINI Cooper we have been using to train with.




What do you make of your upgraded training wheels?


We are extremely excited to have some new training wheels! It gives us even more motivation to achieve our goals and we’re grateful that MINI has recognised the hard work and focus we have put into our training over the lockdown period.
 



What’s next for you?


We start competing again in November in the North America Cup, starting in Whistler through to the World Championships in Lake Placid in February. The goal is to compete in both 2-man and 4-man races, however we currently don’t own a 4-man sled. It’s the next item on our list to grow our team and bring Jamaica 4-man back into competition.




Helen Wilson- photos MINI