Megan Hill used to push herself to be a better gymnast, but now she is pushing herself and her sled to Olympic gold.
Hill, a gymnast all her life, walked on Auburn's gymnastics team and participated for two years before making the switch to pole vaulting.
"I was cut after my second year," Hill said. "I guess I just wasn't what they were looking for. I wanted to continue my athletic career, so I went out for track and field."
Hill said her track and field coach, Jerry Clayton, has a few of his athletes go on to bobsled and was curious about the sport.
Hill found out about a bobsled combine in Orlando, Fla., last summer and decided to try out.
"I went to the combine and did well and was then invited to the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, N.Y. for a rookie camp," Hill said. "Just a few months later, I found myself on the U.S. National Team.
"I fell in love with the sport, and it is now my main focus."
Last week, Hill was picked up by sports medical and protective performance apparel provider McDavid.
Hill said having a sponsor has been an overwhelming relief.
"It's something I'm not used to, even in college and the sports I did at Auburn I was a walk-on and didn't really have any help," Hill said. "To actually have some kind of help is such a blessing."
Part of what McDavid provides Hill is her protective gear.
Hill wears HexPad protective shorts during her runs, which help in a rare, but harmful crash.
HexPad technology bonds small pads directly to fabric, allowing athletes mobility and protection.
"Megan has hopes of representing the U.S. in the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics, and we want to do everything we can to keep her body protected during her workouts so she is healthy for competition," said Rey Corpuz, director of marketing for McDavid. "Although our roots are in football and basketball, HexPad Technology is already making a huge impact across winter sports like skating, snowboarding and skiing, and we are looking forward to seeing it take off across bobsledding next."
HexPad technology is currently used by more than 90 percent of NBA teams and almost half of NFL teams.
Hill has competed in many sports during her lifetime, but said bobsledding has been the most grueling on her body.
Because of the physical demands athletes experience during a run, Hill said it's only possible to do two or three runs daily in practice.
"The sleds weigh about 250 pounds and we have to move them ourselves," Hill said. "You definitely have to be in good sprinting shape and keep up your weight lifting."
Hill said some tracks can get sled speeds up to 85 miles-per-hour. If the sled pops a wall, Hill said it can feel like taking a hit.
"When you go around a curve, the G-forces push you back into the sled, and it can be demanding on your body," Hill said. "It's definitely something you have to get used to. The first time I ever went down in a sled I thought I was dying."
Hill has crashed four times since she began her sledding career and said her desire to get back into training and competing was a championship moment.
Since making the national team, Hill said she has gained a greater sense of pride for her country.
"It's international competition, so the Germans are there, the Russians are there," Hill said. "It makes me really proud to be an American, and I realize how lucky we really are."
Hill said making the national team so quickly was something she never expected, and she is excited to see what the future holds for her.
"It still hasn't sunk in yet that I am on an Olympic team," Hill said. "It's something I never would have expected from myself, but I'm very lucky to be a part of it."
Hill had the opportunity to travel in Europe for two months competing and came home with a second-place finish at the Europa Cup in Switzerland.
Hill also said many of her teammates were in the military previously, which is something she has learned about from them.
"We had one guy who was in the last Olympics in 2010 and as soon as the Olympics were over, went over to Afghanistan," Hill said. "He was there for six months and when he came back started bobsledding again.
Not only was he representing our country by bobsledding, but also by fighting for us. It has really opened my eyes."
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