Dallas ISD physical education teacher Freddie Harris spends most of his days getting his pre-k through 5th-grade students active. He's a teacher who leads by example.
Harris has been training for the past two years, trying to make the national Team USA Bobsled. It's a goal he recently achieved.
"I made the national team," Harris said all smiles via Zoom from training camp in Lake Placid. "Dreams are just dreams until you put them to actions and become reality."
When the pandemic started, the former football player started researching what sport could use his gridiron skills.
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"I'm past my football years, so I was trying to figure out what else I could compete in," Harris said. "I was like, how can I get into the Olympics?"
He started researching bobsledding.
"I saw a video on YouTube about bobsledding," Harris said. "I was like, oh, that looks like fun. It's just a rollercoaster on ice! I can do that."
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Harris' position is called a 'pusher.' Once he jumps in the bobsled, it's the pilot's job to get the bobsled to the bottom, at speeds up to 85 miles an hour down an icy track.
"Your head is down, you're sinking in, you're connecting with your guys," Harris explained. "Praying, crying, screaming, all of the above!"
Harris has been away from school for training and competitions for the past couple of months. Team USA Bobsled recently placed 4th in the North American Cup and 11th in the World Cup.
"I miss my kiddos! I'm ready to get back to them," Harris said, noting he'll be back later this month. "I'm teaching them to pursue their dreams. If there's something you want to do that maybe no one else has done, you could be that first person."
Harris' next dream is to make the Olympic Bobsled Team for the 2026 Winter Games.
"With me being an unfunded athlete, I pretty much have to take care of my own transportation and flights to get to these locations...which can be tough," Harris said. "Eventually I'm gonna need some help."
