A Merit Badge was the start for Luge Olympian, Eagle Scout Orson Colby

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Then an 11-year-old Boy Scout, Orson saw an online advertisement from the local luge community inviting local kids to a “slider search” being hosted at the University of Utah.

“I got into the sport when I was doing merit badges for Boy Scouts,” Orson Colby told Olympics.com. “During that time, they had a checklist of things I needed to do, and they did a thing called slider search for luge.”

“My mom saw that thing, and she was like: 'Oh, free t-shirt and merit badge.' We went to the event, and I ended up enjoying it so much that they invited me back on the ice up in Park City, Utah to try it. That speed from the luge especially is what I enjoyed the most. The adrenaline rush is something I really like.”

As part of the event, boys and girls were given an opportunity to sit on a wheeled luge sled and receive basic steering instructions. Then participants such as Orson could take their first trial luge “run” down a small hill.

The “slider search” served a dual purpose: Would-be young lugers such as Orson could decide if they had an interested in pursuing the sport — and a team of coaches could make initial evaluations on whether a young man or young woman might possess the qualities needed in the highly-technical, physically demanding event.

“But for me at the time, it was really just an opportunity to check-off an activity required for the Personal Fitness merit badge,” Orson told Church Ball Magazine, laughing.

More at Sources including photos:

https://olympics.com/en/news/gangwon-2024-orson-colby-luge-adventure-interview

https://www.churchballmagazine.com/orsoncolbycb23

Edited January 17 by RememberSchiff