HOW TO WIN AT LUGING

OLYMPIC LUGER

First, get on a luge sled. Don't think you can get away with just lying on your Flexible Flyer in the living room. Try a real luge racing sled, take it out on a track and see what it feels like to be flying down the track faster than you might dare to drive your car.

The only places to try a track in the United States are either Lake Placid, New York, or Park City, Utah. But if you can't get there, you can always just add rollerblade wheels to a luge sled. Just don't be disappointed if you can only get to about 60 mph on the wheeled sled instead of the usual 80 or higher. (The farther back your head is, the faster you'll go.)

If you've made it this far without fear, you're well on your way. The key to being a successful luge athlete is complete fearlessness. Intense physical training is also crucial, but fearlessness isn't something you can learn. You either have it or you don't. So if you do, sit back and enjoy the ride!

Myler is vice president of the U.S. LugeAssociation and a member of the Athletes'Advisory Council of the U.S.Olympic Committee. Her best Olympicluge finish was fifth in Albertville, France,in 1992, still the best for an Americanwoman. She has won II World Cupmedals and seven U.S. Nationals. In 1994she carried the U.S. flag during openingceremonies at the Olympics in Lillehammer,Norway. Myler majored in geography.She lives in upstate New York.

Myler on the track in Austria