Key Highlights
- Elana Meyers Taylor is 41 and competing in her fifth Winter Games.
- Taylor has won multiple medals but still seeks an Olympic gold.
- She believes in herself despite chronic back pain and recent accidents.
- Her sons, Nico (5) and Noah (3), will join her in Cortina for support.
The Veteran’s Unwavering Will
In the heart of Italy, just a few days before the Milan-Cortina Games begin, Elana Meyers Taylor is second place after two heats of women’s monobob. She’s 41 years old and in her fifth Winter Olympics.
A Legacy Built on Determination
Elana has become the most decorated female bobsledder and the first Black Winter Olympian, but she still aims for that elusive gold medal. “I’m money under pressure,” she told NBC News with a firm tone, referencing her nickname E-Money.
The Road Less Traveled
Elana’s journey to the Olympics is an unconventional one. After excelling in softball at George Washington University, she faced a disastrous tryout for the U.S. Olympic team.
But fate had other plans. Her parents’ chance viewing of bobsledding changed her life trajectory. “Swinging at pitches over my head and messing up field plays was not how I wanted to end my athletic career,” Taylor said with a chuckle.
Champion Despite Adversity
In Vancouver 2010, she won bronze in the two-woman bobsled. In Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018, silver followed. Beijing 2022 brought another bronze and a silver in monobob. Yet, she remains hungry for that gold.
Proving to Herself
Taylor’s latest season was tough, with no first-place finishes and chronic back pain. A crash in Switzerland earlier this year left her shaken but determined. “One of the most horrific crashes,” as she described it. Despite setbacks, Taylor believes her veteran experience and a stacked U.S. team can clinch gold.
Impressing for Her Sons
With Nico (5), who is deaf and has Down syndrome, and Noah (3) also deaf, Elana sees them as the only people she needs to impress. “Nobody in their right mind would think a 41-year-old woman can have a shot at an Olympic medal,” she stated with conviction.
As the competition unfolds this weekend, the world watches another legend fight for her dream. The spirit of Elana Meyers Taylor is a testament to perseverance and the unyielding drive to succeed.
