SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Springs High School junior Theresa Prehn is currently a competing member of the USA Luge Junior Candidate Team. Having first been named to the Olympic Development team in seventh grade, she has been diligently training over the years to move up the ranks.
Due to her efforts and persistence, Theresa was invited last summer to train with the Junior National Team. She lived at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid through all of July and August, while working at the Big Slide Brewery to help offset local training costs.
Theresa’s winter season began in November, with relaxed COVID travel restrictions making overseas travel finally possible. In order to make the international travel team, lugers needed to finish in the top 5 places at an Olympic venue race.
On day two of competition, Theresa produced a personal best time on her final run, which resulted in a 3rd place finish for the day. A true underdog, she earned her spot and left for Europe two days later, just before Thanksgiving.
The team spent two weeks in Sigulda, Latvia, trying to learn their first foreign luge track. The technical track put them through their paces, and ultimately only two men were able to compete on race day. The five women individuals and three doubles teams did not make the cut.
The Youth ‘A’ level teams as a whole fared much better in Bludenz, Austria during the following two weeks. After participating in two training sessions a day, all of the American individuals qualified to slide against the 10 other nations in the European Continental Cup race.
Prehn was the USA womens’ best finisher, in 14th place. The team travels next to Whistler, British Columbia and then Park City, Utah before the February break in training.
In addition to sliding down the mountains, Prehn also runs with the Saratoga Springs’ immensely successful girls track and cross-country teams.
