At 41, Elana Meyers Taylor is still chasing gold.
The most decorated female bobsledder in history — and the most decorated Black woman in Winter Olympics history — sits in second place after two heats in the women’s monobob at the Milan Cortina Games. She trails the leader by just 0.22 seconds heading into tonight’s final two runs.
If there is pressure, she welcomes it.
“My nickname for people who know me most is E-Money,” Meyers Taylor said earlier this week. “I’m money under pressure.”
For more than a decade, she has proven exactly that.
From Softball Dreams to Olympic Ice
Long before she was flying down an icy track at nearly 80 miles per hour, Meyers Taylor dreamed of representing the United States in softball. A standout All-American pitcher and shortstop at George Washington University, she had her sights set on the Summer Olympics.
Then came a disastrous tryout.
She recalls swinging at pitches she normally would have crushed and misplaying routine balls in the field. In that moment, her Olympic dream seemed to vanish. Note (2)
“I knew pretty much my softball dreams were over at that point,” she said. Note (2)
But quitting was never part of her DNA.
Her parents happened to see bobsledding on television and suggested she try it. It sounded unlikely — a softball player trading cleats for ice — but she Googled a coach, sent an email and showed up at a tryout.
The transition surprised even her. Softball’s explosive power translated to the push start in bobsled, and she quickly found herself thriving in a sport where few Black women had ever competed — let alone dominated.
Pushing Through Barriers
Bobsledding is expensive. Elite sleds can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and access to ice is limited — especially when training in warm climates like Texas. Note (2) Meyers Taylor got creative, pushing vehicles up driveways and improvising workouts when ideal facilities weren’t available.
But the barriers weren’t only financial.
Over the years, she has spoken openly about facing racism in a predominantly white winter sport and battling bouts of depression. Instead of shrinking, she leaned on faith, therapy and family.
“I’m a person who believes that if you see it, you can be it,” she has said.
For young Black athletes — particularly those who have never seen themselves represented on snow or ice — she has become proof that they belong anywhere excellence can take them.
A Family Effort
Meyers Taylor is married to Nic Taylor, a retired Canadian bobsledder. The two met through the sport and married in 2014. Today, their partnership extends far beyond the track.
They are raising two young sons, Nico, 5, and Noah, 3. Both boys are deaf, and Nico also has Down syndrome. Parenting requires therapies, sign language lessons and constant coordination — all while she trains at an elite level. Note (2)
“It’s chaos being a mom of two boys, and they both have different needs,” she said, describing the daily balancing act. Note (2)
Her father has been helping care for the boys in Cortina during competition week. The family plans to be in the stands tonight as she races for another medal.
Meyers Taylor says she no longer feels the need to prove anything to the public. The only people she wants to impress are her sons.
“I want my children to know that people told their mom that it can’t happen — and then she went for it anyway.”
Five Medals — And Still Chasing Gold
Her Olympic résumé is remarkable:
- 2010 Vancouver (Two-Woman): Bronze
- 2014 Sochi (Two-Woman): Silver
- 2018 PyeongChang (Two-Woman): Silver
- 2022 Beijing (Two-Woman): Bronze
- 2022 Beijing (Monobob): Silver
That’s five Olympic medals — three silvers and two bronzes.
What she does not yet have is Olympic gold.
In Beijing, she became the oldest woman to medal in Olympic bobsled history. This week, she could break her own age record — and finally capture the gold that has narrowly eluded her for 16 years.
This season has not been easy. Chronic back pain. A frightening crash in Switzerland just weeks ago. No first-place finishes leading into these Games.
And yet, here she is — 0.22 seconds from the top.
“I still believe it’s possible,” she said.
For Meyers Taylor, sliding down the track remains joy at its purest.
“I love going fast,” she has said. “When you hit the curve right, it feels like the closest thing to flying.”
At 41, a Black mother of two, married to a fellow Olympian and still rewriting what longevity looks like in a speed-and-power sport, she is racing not just for medals — but for example.
And tonight, with two runs left, she has another chance to make history.