For Jadyn O’Brien, the idea felt a bit absurd at first.
The 23-year-old athlete from Notre Dame hadn’t considered the Milan-Cortina Olympics as a focal point in her journey. This realization hit her when Olympic monobob champion Elana Myers Taylor reached out via Instagram a few years back. Her initial message went unanswered, but in the second, Myers Taylor expressed enthusiasm: “We would love for you to try bobsledding!!!” That caught O’Brien’s eye.
Now, after only two races under her belt, O’Brien is stepping onto the Olympic stage, beginning on Friday as she pushes Myers Taylor in the women’s two-person bobsled event in Cortina, Italy.
O’Brien was a prominent indoor pentathlon champion from 2023 to 2025 and has participated in All-Americans ten times. The Olympics have always been on her radar; she tried for the heptathlon trials in 2021 and finished 12th, later placing 7th at the 2024 Paris trials. Yet, she never imagined that her success would originate in the Winter Olympics.
“It’s been quite a roller coaster,” O’Brien commented, “Everything happened so quickly, and… I’ve learned to adapt fast and perform, even when I lack experience. It’s all been a whirlwind. I never saw my life taking this turn, but I’m really thankful and enjoying every moment.”
Back in August 2025, as she was finishing her graduate studies, O’Brien ranked fifth at the national championships. Just two days later, she embarked on a grueling 12.5-hour trip to Lake Placid, New York, to test her limits.
Myers Taylor described it as “insane,” pointing out how bobsledding embodies the classic American dream: “You can rise from nothing and make the Olympic team. It gives everyone a chance to experience that Olympic moment, unlike many other sports.”
O’Brien’s journey to this point wasn’t predetermined.
Even though she started racing over hurdles her mother set up when she was five, childhood anxiety created hurdles of its own. Later, she was diagnosed with Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcal Infection (PANDAS), but things improved by age 10.
Her college years were fraught with injuries, including hamstring problems, stress fractures, and a sprained hand. Transitioning to bobsledding proved challenging as well. During training in St. Moritz, Switzerland, her sled was involved in a severe crash, causing her to lose control completely. She was immobilized for a time but pushed through to race just four days later.
“Getting back on the track after that was tough,” O’Brien said. “We were both really shaken. I decided to give it my all because I felt it was my best shot to help her break into the top 10. I thought, regardless of the impact on Olympic decisions, I wanted no regrets. So, I chose to compete.”
A week later, O’Brien was on edge as her Olympic future hung in the balance. Myers Taylor, along with other pilots like Kylie Humphries-Armbruster and Keisha Love, seemed guaranteed spots on the U.S. team. That left one additional push position for three remaining women, and O’Brien rose to the occasion.
2026 Winter Olympics
Recalling when U.S. bobsled coach Chris Vogt announced the pairings, O’Brien said, “I was just stunned.”
“I truly didn’t think I would make the team,” she admitted. “I remember sitting there just hoping, ‘Lord, if this is Your will, please let it happen.’
O’Brien has a fantastic ally in Myers Taylor, who recently won gold in the women’s individual monobob. Myers Taylor approached the Milan-Cortina Games with an impressive background: two bronze medals from the two-person race (2010 and 2022) and three silver medals from various years.
The two will share the Olympic stage for the first time on Friday at 12pm ET.
