Erin Hamlin is a three-time Olympian and the first female American luger to medal at any Winter Olympics, as well as the first American of either gender to medal in singles competition.

Hamlin, a New York state native, came to Sochi to make amends for disappointment in Vancouver in 2010, when she was widely considered a medal favorite but finished 16th overall.  This time, she kept expectations low and went into the Games without a target on her back. In fact,  heading to Russia few Americans had heard of Erin Hamlin.  She hadn’t medaled the entire World Cup season and arrived in Sochi the sixth-ranked slider in the world. But then everything changed.

Now, the Olympic medalist is teaming up with USA Luge Slider Search to introduce kids of all backgrounds to luge and find candidates who have what it takes to become the best in the country.

 Every Step of the Way®  program is Erin’s way of giving back to the sport she loves. Nine U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Nine programs in need and a $500,000 donation from Citi. You help decide where the money goes with just a click. View  all the participating athletes’ inspiring stories and help award Citi’s donation to your favorite program. Pretty Good!

The mechanics of luge are tough.  Hear Erin explain the technical details she has to master while sliding 80-90 mph and find out why she is supporting USA Luge Slider Search as part of Citi’s Every Step of the Way Program.

This post was created in partnership with Citi®. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Sochi 2014: Bobsled, Luge & Skeleton
Bobsled/Luge/Skeleton: Learn the Lingo