Frank Dalena Team USA Skeleton
Donation protected
Many of you know me and have followed my journey, if you haven’t, this is a refresher…
My name is Frank Dalena, I was born and raised in Fresno, California and I have played sports my entire life. I graduated last year from Fresno State University with a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Business however, the highlight of my time at Fresno State was the fact that I played football for the past 5 years as a Fresno State Bulldog. Being a Bulldog was one of the best experiences of my life, I am so grateful for all of my teammates, coaches, and the people involved throughout that journey. Although I was graduating, at the end of my 5 years as a wide receiver, I wasn’t ready to stop competing.
In the Spring before I graduated, I took a class called “The History of the Olympic Games”. After watching me on the football field my teacher thought I would be a perfect fit for the G-force unit in the Winter Sports. G-force unit sports include the Luge, Bobsled and Skeleton, these events require explosive speed, core strength, athleticism, endurance and extreme mental toughness…I was interested.
I was connected with the recruiting coordinators where I was instructed to participate in a G-Force unit combine that consisted of sprints, jumps and explosiveness. I did well in all of the testing and had some encouraging and positive conversations with the coaching staff which all lead me to the decision that I was going to give this a shot. So, as my last season of D1 football came to an end, my new journey was about to begin.
In January of this year, I started speed school as a skeleton athlete training at the Olympic facilities in Park City, UT. Skeleton is a winter sliding sport where you lay on your stomach on a sled going head first down a track down a mountain. The track is about a mile long and consists of 15 gruesome curves reaching speeds around 80+mph. There is no steering or breaking mechanisms – you steer using your bodyweight. I did very well in speed school and am now competing in a league all leading towards a opportunity to make the United States team trials.
How you can help
One of the struggles of this sport is that it is expensive, especially as a rookie. Equipment is rare and not cheap, there are only 3 tracks in North America so travel and sliding fees are also a factor. More experience and better equipment allow for a fast track to my success. Training is difficult and ice time is limited, with that and finishing my master’s degree in Water Resource Management online through Fresno State, it is impossible to maintain a job to cover all my expenses.
Therefore, I am relying on my friends, family and those who support struggling athletes to help me reach my goals and get to the next level and represent Team USA! I am a prideful person and it isn’t easy asking for help, I want to represent my family, the Valley and my country so I am setting up this GoFundMe account with the hopes for your support to sponsor me. Donations of $500 or more you can put your logo on my speed suit…just like a NASCAR. The bigger the donation, the better the location on the suit and the bigger the size! No matter what amount you sponsor, all of my donors will receive a t-shirt recognizing your donation!
All donations, in any amount, are loved and appreciated! I am very excited to represent the people that support me in this next journey --- I will make you proud! Please share this page as many times as you wish!!
Sincerely –
Frank Dalena
The Ice Cowboy
Reach out and contact me directly with any questions, comments or concerns !! Thank you again for all the support.
Call/Text: [phone redacted]
Email: [email redacted]
My name is Frank Dalena, I was born and raised in Fresno, California and I have played sports my entire life. I graduated last year from Fresno State University with a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Business however, the highlight of my time at Fresno State was the fact that I played football for the past 5 years as a Fresno State Bulldog. Being a Bulldog was one of the best experiences of my life, I am so grateful for all of my teammates, coaches, and the people involved throughout that journey. Although I was graduating, at the end of my 5 years as a wide receiver, I wasn’t ready to stop competing.
In the Spring before I graduated, I took a class called “The History of the Olympic Games”. After watching me on the football field my teacher thought I would be a perfect fit for the G-force unit in the Winter Sports. G-force unit sports include the Luge, Bobsled and Skeleton, these events require explosive speed, core strength, athleticism, endurance and extreme mental toughness…I was interested.
I was connected with the recruiting coordinators where I was instructed to participate in a G-Force unit combine that consisted of sprints, jumps and explosiveness. I did well in all of the testing and had some encouraging and positive conversations with the coaching staff which all lead me to the decision that I was going to give this a shot. So, as my last season of D1 football came to an end, my new journey was about to begin.
In January of this year, I started speed school as a skeleton athlete training at the Olympic facilities in Park City, UT. Skeleton is a winter sliding sport where you lay on your stomach on a sled going head first down a track down a mountain. The track is about a mile long and consists of 15 gruesome curves reaching speeds around 80+mph. There is no steering or breaking mechanisms – you steer using your bodyweight. I did very well in speed school and am now competing in a league all leading towards a opportunity to make the United States team trials.
How you can help
One of the struggles of this sport is that it is expensive, especially as a rookie. Equipment is rare and not cheap, there are only 3 tracks in North America so travel and sliding fees are also a factor. More experience and better equipment allow for a fast track to my success. Training is difficult and ice time is limited, with that and finishing my master’s degree in Water Resource Management online through Fresno State, it is impossible to maintain a job to cover all my expenses.
Therefore, I am relying on my friends, family and those who support struggling athletes to help me reach my goals and get to the next level and represent Team USA! I am a prideful person and it isn’t easy asking for help, I want to represent my family, the Valley and my country so I am setting up this GoFundMe account with the hopes for your support to sponsor me. Donations of $500 or more you can put your logo on my speed suit…just like a NASCAR. The bigger the donation, the better the location on the suit and the bigger the size! No matter what amount you sponsor, all of my donors will receive a t-shirt recognizing your donation!
All donations, in any amount, are loved and appreciated! I am very excited to represent the people that support me in this next journey --- I will make you proud! Please share this page as many times as you wish!!
Sincerely –
Frank Dalena
The Ice Cowboy
Reach out and contact me directly with any questions, comments or concerns !! Thank you again for all the support.
Call/Text: [phone redacted]
Email: [email redacted]
Organizer
Frank Dalena
Organizer
Rolling Hills, CA