Let's Keep DUNCAN Luging USA LUGE
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LUGE ... The Focus and Friendships that are helping Duncan Beat Cancer!Duncan Segger started luging at age 10 after a school field trip in Lake Placid exposed him to the sport. He got involved in the Learn to Luge program for fun and fell in love with the speed. That spring he was named to the Junior Development “D” Team for USA Luge and entered into his first training camp that summer … and he hasn’t looked back since.
Duncan trains during summers and the school year and completes his studies on his own while training and living at the US Olympic Training Center. His passion for the sport taught him discipline and a strong work ethic.
Winter training is from November till March, wherein he trains at the Mt. Van Hoevenberg track in Lake Placid, New York or travels to Park City, Utah to train at the Utah Olympic Park track. During breaks, he returns to his family in Lake Placid and goes to Lake Placid Central High School.
Just one year after being named to the Development team Duncan was selected to move up to the Junior Candidate “C” Team.
He raced on and finished the 2012/2013 Season at age 13 with the Bronze in the Youth B Men’s Nationals. During the 2013/2014 Season, Duncan was in his first Empire State Games and won the gold medal in the Youth B Men’s division.
At the beginning of the 2014/15 season he traveled to train in Park City, Utah. His first time on that track, and against older, more experienced sliders with heavier sleds, he put down two best-ever runs. With these personal best times, Duncan qualified for the Junior World Cup and finished an unlikely—and impressive—10th place.
Duncan returned to Lake Placid to celebrate Christmas with his family and with plans to continue training and compete at the Empire State Games in February. But on Christmas Eve Duncan’s family received the news that a biopsy of a lump on his neck had come back showing signs of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma … Surgery the morning after Christmas confirmed it and his journey battling cancer began.
His family has always covered his luge expenses, but when Duncan was diagnosed in December 2014 with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, the addition of medical bills and frequent time off and travel to Burlington depleted his luge fund.
After Duncan’s second surgery on January 21st he returned to training a few days later and then stuck with his initial plan to race up a class for the experience—and he nabbed that silver medal at the Empire State Games just two weeks later. Nothing was going to hold him down!
Dues and Program fees to USA Luge increased in 2014 to $4700. These fees cover his time at the Olympic training center in Lake Placid and for the coaching and the trip to Junior World Cup in Park City where Duncan placed 10th cost $2100. A second trip to Park City in February 2015 for the Youth B Nationals and then the Junior Men’s Nationals will cost an additional $3000. Next year fees will go up as his travel increases and he will need a new sled and helmet.
Duncan completed his first Cycle of Chemotherepy on Feb 18th and on February 22nd took off to Park City, where he will train and then compete in the Junior National Competitions. His courage and focus is inspiring …He will not let Cancer win … He will WIN!
Please support this talented young boy whose unwavering determination and spirit has inspired an Olympic village!
Organizador
Jill Cardinale Segger
Organizador
Lake Placid, NY