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Lowell Sun, MA
Jan 26 2014
Westford's man Olympic experience was a journey to remember
By David Pevear
WESTFORD -- He still has never set foot in Armenia, under whose red,
blue and orange flag he proudly competed in the 1994 Winter Olympics
in Lillehammer, Norway.
Westford resident Joe Almasian hopes to visit his ancestral homeland someday.
"It's on my bucket list," says the 46-year-old father of three and
youth soccer coach who plays in an Over-the-Hill Soccer League on
Sunday mornings in the fall.
Never on his bucket list was driving a two-man bobsled for any country
in the Winter Olympics. But their spirit of adventure and deep respect
for their Armenian heritage pulled Almasian, a mechanical engineer who
grew up in Sherborn, Mass., and his brakeman Kenny Topalian, who ran
an auto repair shop in Pawtucket, R.I., to Lillehammer 20 years ago to
establish an Olympic foothold for a newly independent Armenia. They
did so with a second-hand bobsled rented from the American Samoans for
$1,500.
Both were athletic. Almasian, 26 at the time, had played soccer and
run track for the University of New Hampshire. Topalian, then 30, had
been a hurdler in high school. They grew up participating in athletic
and cultural activities within the Providence chapter of the Armenian
Youth Federation (AYF).
Their talents were known to Paul Varadian, a former Providence AYF
member and U.S. bobsledder with strong Olympic connections, determined
to plant Armenia's flag on the Olympic stage after independence was
secured with the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.
"The quickest entry was through the sport of bobsledding, which I was
familiar with," says Varadian, 60, who lives in Newton. "I reached out
to them because they were both athletes and both nearby and they were
willing to give it a shot."
Almasian remembers being at work at EMD Millipore in Bedford (where he
still works) when Varadian called sometime around Thanksgiving 1992
with his Olympic idea.
"While I appreciate sports and athletics, and very much love
participating in them, I can honestly say it was never my dream to
become an Olympic bobsledder," says Almasian with a smile.
Licensed to drive
Not long after that phone call, Almasian was speeding down a bobsled
run at a beginners' camp in Calgary, where he and Topalian became
properly licensed. "Because you actually need a license to drive
these," says Almasian.
In the beginning, they started each run from halfway up the track,
reaching 50 miles per hour, about 30 mph slower than competition
speed.
"We didn't die, so we agreed we'd give (the Olympic quest) a try,"
says Almasian.
Every Friday night thereafter during the winter of 1992-93, Almasian
and Topalian drove six hours to Lake Placid, N.Y. They stayed at a
motel or at the Olympic Training Center. The bobsled run was open
three hours each morning on Saturday and Sunday. They borrowed
1960s-vintage sleds which they welded back together after each bumpy
learning run.
They eventually hired a coach, Jim Hickey, a former U.S. bobsledder
who lived in the Lake Placid area. Hickey would remain their coach
through the 1994 Olympics. Almasian and Topalian shared Hickey with
the Greek and American Samoan teams to spread the costs. They spent
nearly $20,000 of their own money on their Olympic adventure.
"We say we had two sponsors," says Almasian. "I sponsored Kenny, and
Kenny sponsored me."
http://www.lowellsun.com/latestnews/ci_24993273/westfords-man-olympic-experience-was-journey-remember
Jan 26 2014
Westford's man Olympic experience was a journey to remember
By David Pevear
WESTFORD -- He still has never set foot in Armenia, under whose red,
blue and orange flag he proudly competed in the 1994 Winter Olympics
in Lillehammer, Norway.
Westford resident Joe Almasian hopes to visit his ancestral homeland someday.
"It's on my bucket list," says the 46-year-old father of three and
youth soccer coach who plays in an Over-the-Hill Soccer League on
Sunday mornings in the fall.
Never on his bucket list was driving a two-man bobsled for any country
in the Winter Olympics. But their spirit of adventure and deep respect
for their Armenian heritage pulled Almasian, a mechanical engineer who
grew up in Sherborn, Mass., and his brakeman Kenny Topalian, who ran
an auto repair shop in Pawtucket, R.I., to Lillehammer 20 years ago to
establish an Olympic foothold for a newly independent Armenia. They
did so with a second-hand bobsled rented from the American Samoans for
$1,500.
Both were athletic. Almasian, 26 at the time, had played soccer and
run track for the University of New Hampshire. Topalian, then 30, had
been a hurdler in high school. They grew up participating in athletic
and cultural activities within the Providence chapter of the Armenian
Youth Federation (AYF).
Their talents were known to Paul Varadian, a former Providence AYF
member and U.S. bobsledder with strong Olympic connections, determined
to plant Armenia's flag on the Olympic stage after independence was
secured with the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.
"The quickest entry was through the sport of bobsledding, which I was
familiar with," says Varadian, 60, who lives in Newton. "I reached out
to them because they were both athletes and both nearby and they were
willing to give it a shot."
Almasian remembers being at work at EMD Millipore in Bedford (where he
still works) when Varadian called sometime around Thanksgiving 1992
with his Olympic idea.
"While I appreciate sports and athletics, and very much love
participating in them, I can honestly say it was never my dream to
become an Olympic bobsledder," says Almasian with a smile.
Licensed to drive
Not long after that phone call, Almasian was speeding down a bobsled
run at a beginners' camp in Calgary, where he and Topalian became
properly licensed. "Because you actually need a license to drive
these," says Almasian.
In the beginning, they started each run from halfway up the track,
reaching 50 miles per hour, about 30 mph slower than competition
speed.
"We didn't die, so we agreed we'd give (the Olympic quest) a try,"
says Almasian.
Every Friday night thereafter during the winter of 1992-93, Almasian
and Topalian drove six hours to Lake Placid, N.Y. They stayed at a
motel or at the Olympic Training Center. The bobsled run was open
three hours each morning on Saturday and Sunday. They borrowed
1960s-vintage sleds which they welded back together after each bumpy
learning run.
They eventually hired a coach, Jim Hickey, a former U.S. bobsledder
who lived in the Lake Placid area. Hickey would remain their coach
through the 1994 Olympics. Almasian and Topalian shared Hickey with
the Greek and American Samoan teams to spread the costs. They spent
nearly $20,000 of their own money on their Olympic adventure.
"We say we had two sponsors," says Almasian. "I sponsored Kenny, and
Kenny sponsored me."
http://www.lowellsun.com/latestnews/ci_24993273/westfords-man-olympic-experience-was-journey-remember