Elana Meyers Taylor Opens Up About the 2022 Olympics and Motherhood

The 37-year-old mom just nabbed her fifth Olympic medal — and made history in the process.

Renowned bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor had her sights set on bringing home two gold medals from the 2022 Winter Olympics to present to her toddler son. However, her plans took a detour when she tested positive for COVID-19 just two days after arriving in Beijing, as told to Shape. Her objectives then shifted entirely, focusing solely on making it to the starting line and remaining hopeful of her potential once in the race.

Being in quarantine in her hotel room — while awaiting the negative COVID-19 tests that would allow her to return to training before the opening ceremony — resulted in her missing vital practice runs on the track, which Meyers Taylor acknowledges was a significant setback. "It was quite disheartening at the moment, not being able to get that extra time on the ice, particularly because I felt like it was necessary," she states. "I felt like I still had things to figure out on the course."

Elana Meyers Taylor, an Olympic Bobsledder, wasn't prepared to admit defeat easily. She turned her approximately 32-foot long room into a private gym, following a rigorous workout regime crafted by her spouse Nic Taylor, who is also a bobsledder and serves as her strength and conditioning trainer. Devoid of a sled, she improvised by pushing against a wall with all her strength to practice her push technique. Bodyweight exercises like squats, push-ups, abdominal workouts, and running drills kept her active. Eventually, she managed to get hold of a barbell and an exercise bike which she used for high-intensity sprinting drills.

"There were times when I was sitting alone, clueless about how things would pan out, plagued by doubts," confesses Meyers Taylor. "I am infinitely thankful for my family, my husband, and everyone else for giving me the courage to persevere through it." The hard work, combined with the support from loved ones, competitors, and her longtime sponsor Bridgestone, bore fruit. Meyers Taylor clinched the silver medal in the inaugural women's monobob event and a bronze in the two-woman bobsled alongside partner Sylvia Hoffman. As a result, she emerged as the most decorated Black athlete in Winter Olympics history with five medals under her belt.

However, she didn't go into the Games expecting to break records and make history. "I had no clue about the record," she admits. "It's quite cool to know about it now, after the fact. Every time you compete, you strive to represent your community, your country, your race, to the best of your ability…I knew I had the potential to deliver, but I was unaware of all the other aspects, so it was surreal to learn about them afterward."

Elana Meyers Taylor is a testament that the athletic careers of women are not restricted to end once they decide to start families. The notion that women athletes reach their peak around their early twenties is prevalent, but it's merely due to the lack of encouragement for women to prolong their professional sports careers. With the introduction of more opportunities for women like Alex Morgan, Serena Williams, Allyson Felix, and herself, ongoing careers even after starting a family are now a reality. These examples debunk the myth suggesting women reach stagnation in their sports careers post the age of 25. Pressure mounted on Meyers Taylor to return to training soon following her c-section delivery in 2020. This sense of urgency was driven by the fact that as an athlete, body fitness directly impacts income levels. Her motivation to perform and provide for her newborn and prove her capability led her back to the training grounds shortly after childbirth. Despite her life feeling perpetually chaotic juggling her sport and kids, she is undeniably making a strong statement that women athletes don't have to compromise between motherhood and their sports careers. Meyers Taylor is uncertain about her next venture after her Olympic journey. She might dive into designing a new bobsled or set her eyes on another Olympic run. "I certainly aim to foster growth in the sport and I'm intrigued about initiating a sled project. It's a challenge to compete with German sled technology," shares Meyers Taylor. However, as of now, her immediate plan involves enjoying motherhood.