Q&A SAM EDNEY

Sport: Luge Hometown: Calgary Birthdate: Dec. 8, 1991 Height/weight: 1.76 m/70 kg

Q You travel down the track at 120 km/h. Can you describe the feeling for people who have never experienced it?

A 120 kilometres is slow now, I’d say up about 135 is the average. But the feeling is tough to explain, to express. It’s a feeling of rush and exhilaration. Adrenalin flowing, the fuel flowing through you. I love the sound of the sled as it accelerates, as you feel yourself rise higher and higher on each corner. The pressure and forces of each corner, that’s something that I think you can relate to maybe if you’re driving really fast around an off-ramp or an on-ramp, to feel those forces pushing on your body. One thing I think I can describe is just the sound. It’s the sound of speed, but it’s also just this sort of quiet that is really unique to when you have a good run, and it feels like everything is happening really smooth and effortlessly.

Q It’s a risk-and-reward sport, which was driven home to Canadian fans by the death of Nodar Kumaritashvili at the Vancouver Olympics. How do you process the dangers and set them aside while competing

? A I feel like the sport has become quite notorious because of that and because of the crash in Vancouver. The one thing I feel is that I’m extremely confident in my abilities and with the process that I’ve gone through to get to where I’m at. I respect the sport and I understand it is a racing sport where we’re trying to find that edge constantly. But I also know that my abilities are among the best in the world. I know I can find that edge while still remaining in complete control. And I feel confident that I’m in a sport that will take care of me.

Notable: Edney was part of the best-ever Olympic performance by a Canadian luge team at Sochi 2014, finishing fourth with Alex Gough, Tristan Walker and Justin Snith in the inaugural team relay.