In Salt Lake, you can ski the giant slalom, speed skate the ice oval, even rocket down a bobsled run - using the very same venues where Olympians compete. Here's how.
"Track cleared for bobsled number 12," bellows the announcer. Chris Corr Jr., Mark Dante, and John McGuinnes, hearts pounding, don helmets and slip into a sleek, red fiberglass bullet. The two pushmen throw all their weight forward and propel the runners of the sled over the lip of the track and past the point of no return.

Going into turn five, the crew achieves an exhilarating 55 miles per hour. They have no sense of cold or wind, only speed. All they can do is fight the intense centrifugal force dragging their bodies down to earth, and clench their hands around the rope handles anchoring them into the sled. Seconds later, they cheer as they sail across the finish line.

Are these guys world-class bobsledders? No, they're a group of thirtysomething businessmen. Chris is a television account executive, Mark is a sales manager at a TV station, and John sells advertising. But here, gathered just minutes outside Park City, Utah, they're Olympians for a day.

The world is coming to the Salt Lake City area February 8-24 for the Olympic Winter Games of 2002. Turns out the games they're playing aren't just spectator sports. The following facilities welcome wannabes before and after the Olympics.

BOBSLED
Bobsledding coach Pat Brown will be the first to tell you that the run at Utah Olympic Park is no Disneyland ride. Because of the superior way the track is engineered and the ice is made, even amateur "sliders" race down the track at more than 80 miles per hour, speeds equal to and sometimes faster than those clocked in Nagano. Think up to five Gs of force!