Israeli Bobsled Team No Joke!

Archived from Winnipeg Free Press

Hurtling down an ice-covered track at 100 km-h in a bobsled is a thrill.

Doing it for Israel at the Winter Olympics in Italy in 2006 - well, that's something else.


But that's the dream of Winnipeger David Greaves who, along with his two American teammates, is inching closer to that goal.

"It's pretty exhilarating," said Greaves.

Last month., their two-man bobsled completed a dozen runs at the Olympic training facility in Calgary.

They're hoping to eventually crack the top 30 in the world, which would help secure their Olympic bid.

But the sport takes a back seat to their feelings for Israel.

"It's more about our love for Israel and support of Israel," said Greaves, 36.

Greaves' partners are Aaron Zeff, a former fighter pilot with the U.S. Air Force, and John Frank, who collected a couple of Super Bowl rings with the San Francisco 49ers as a tight end.


The three men are in the process of getting their Israeli citizenships.

Frank and Zeff, who both live in San Francisco, had been talking for the last couple of years of competing in the bobsled for Israel

They were able to convince the Israeli Olympic Committee to create the Israeli Bobsled Federation.

Greaves became involved after an injury temporarily sidelined Zeff.

He took his first run in Calgary last December.