You might say AJ Edelman is a dreamer, and he would agree with you. AJ’s dream is to represent Israel in the Winter Olympics in the sport of Skeleton. For AJ, the dream is not about standing on the podium and hearing his name called. AJ dreams of inspiring others.
AJ had a typical Modern Orthodox upbringing. It was at a Jewish day school when the first of AJ’s epiphanies occurred. He had switched to a new elementary school and was being bullied, causing him to withdraw. During this period, AJ made a decision. “I was going to show people and be the best. I was going to be the most successful at whatever I tried. I wanted to be remembered for achieving greatness.” AJ wanted to achieve success and inspire others.
This child’s daydream turned into something greater. Today, AJ says, “I feel unfulfilled if I don’t have a competitive focus going on at any moment.” The first object of AJ’s passion to be great was hockey. He started playing hockey at three and was good right away. By eighth grade, he was being recruited to prep schools that serve as stepping stones to the NHL draft. AJ turned down the offers as it would mean the end of his Jewish education. AJ looked at the end of high school as the end of his hockey career. During a year of learning in Israel post high school, AJ was in need of an outlet. Where could he pursue his dream of greatness? Where could he inspire fellow Jews that anything in athletics was possible?
While spending the Passover break at his parents’ home in the Brookline area, AJ toured MIT, the school he would be attending in the fall. At a preview event that featured campus clubs, he visited the hockey booth. AJ questioned himself, “Why am I throwing a gift away?” AJ finished his year in Israel and got back in shape with the goal of being on the MIT hockey team the following year. AJ did indeed make the team, and his mission was reignited.
During AJ’s junior year at MIT, he had another epiphany. While he proved to be a good college goaltender, hockey was not where he would find greatness. Once again, the young man was on a search for a way to fulfill his potential and reach his dream. During his senior year, while flipping through the channels, AJ stopped on a news show covering the U.S. Bobsled Team Trials. He sent his athletic resume to the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation.
The Federation suggested Skeleton, which requires the competitor to sprint 40 meters and then ride a flat sled head-first, belly down an icy slope at speeds of 80-90 miles per hour while navigating hairpin turns. While researching Skeleton, AJ came across Bobsled Skeleton Israel (BSI), which was created in 2002 to give athletes the opportunity to compete internationally as official representatives of Israel in these winter sports. Seven athletes have competed under BSI. Most recently, New Jersey native Bradley Chalupski represented BSI in two Skeleton World Championships and won Israel’s first medal in an international competition during the America’s Cup.
AJ contacted Bradley, who told the prospective Skeleton Slider about the challenges. “He inspired me to do it even more!” Ultimately, AJ went to driver school, which introduced prospective athletes to the sport. The coaches at driver school said AJ looked like a good fit and saw potential in him. “I was hooked,” he said.
While most Skeleton athletes take 7-8 years to reach a high level, AJ’s goal is to be in the 2018 Olympics. AJ is not expecting to make it to the podium. It’s not even his most sought-after goal. He views the Olympics as a platform for him to “inspire Jews athletically. I want to be an ambassador for my country, community and people. I can represent in a positive light.” AJ believes that many stereotypes can be combated with athletics, and positive images can be projected.
AJ, who wears a kippah at all times other than when he is competing, is already projecting a positive image of Jews to the other athletes he meets at competitions. “For many of the athletes, I’m the first exposure they have to a religious Jew. It’s an opportunity to make people understand,” said AJ. He notes that he has been met with a mix of curiosity, interest and respect.
Now AJ trains for Skeleton three-plus hours a day (in addition to a full-time job as a project manager at Oracle). The dream of representing Israel and inspiring Jews beckons, and AJ soldiers on. To learn more visit his crowdsourcing page at�IsraelSkeleton.com/go.
By Larry Bernstein
