Shrewsbury teen chases his dream of an Olympic gold in luge
Two or three days a week, you'll probably find Shrewsbury's Bentley Pond in the gym, on the bike, cranking out pull-ups, or dropping into push-ups.
Training in the off-season
"And then I just go home, do homework, and then I'll eat dinner," he said.
Pond's not your average 13-year-old. He's a luger.
"It's the fastest sport on ice," he explained.
"They're going 60 mph on ice and eventually, one day, will be going 90," adds his mom, Rachel Pond.
An eye on an Olympic gold
Right now, it's the off-season, but in November, he'll be heading to Lake Placid, New York, for winter training.
"Generally, December and January, February is his busiest time, where he's not really at school much at all," said Rachel. "Thankfully, most of the schoolwork is on iPads."
Last year, Bentley earned a spot on Team USA's Youth National Luge Team.
"I believe I had the third fastest start time for my division," he said.
This year, his goals are already racing way ahead of him. "I'm trying to go to the 2034 Winter Olympics in Park City, Utah," he said.
He tells WBZ his dream is to make history as the first American to win Olympic gold in luge.
"It's about timing, precision and focus," he explained.
His mom isn't surprised. "I wouldn't expect anything less from Bentley," she said. "When he sees something that he wants, he does it. And he's very competitive, and he is determined."
Working for success
And it's not just Bentley making sacrifices. His family fundraises to cover costs, and Bentley contributes in his own way.
According to Will Dale, the owner and head coach at Forcefield Athletics in Northborough, earlier this year, he and Bentley struck a deal for personal training sessions.
"He was like 'You know, it's a little bit on the expensive side,'" Dale said. "And I said, 'Well, I have a deal for you. If you help me clean the gym every time you show up, I'll do it for free."
Bentley's been showing up and cleaning up ever since.
"I believe in working for your success," Bentley said. "Even if it means, like, cleaning toilets, taking out the trash, cleaning the sink."
And when things get tough, like just last week, he doesn't quit.
"Last week, I didn't want to come," he said. "But then I remembered my goal, and I did it. And I felt good after."
That's what makes Bentley Pond BZ's MVP of the week.
