We really have to push to confirm athletes come first, Meyers Taylor tells SELF.
As a bobsled driver, Meyers Taylor steers sleighs down icy courses at high speed.
Ive been where bobsled was the only thing I had going for me.
Pat Martin
When they put the medal around your neck, it feels rather hollow.
Youve invested so much, and youve sacrificed so much…and thats all you have.
My brain gets fried doing this.
Pat Martin
And then I had the thought: But at least Im not in the NICU right now.
This experience shaped her not only as a mom but as an athlete.
SELF: I would love to start by hearing a little bit about how your preparation is going.
Pat Martin
Elana Meyers Taylor:So far I feel like everythings going well.
And finally, the IBSF was like, Yes, you’ve got the option to do it.
Then it was just about selecting a team.
For me, part of it was selfish because four-man is the coolest event.
Its four guys, four girls, or what have you, jumping into a tiny sled all quick.
Maybe sometimes people apply the stereotype that women cant drive cars to bobsled.
There are plenty of women who can drive just as well if not better than men.
Why is it important to be able to see women and men racing alongside each other?
For so long, as a young girl, youre told that youll never be equal to a boy.
Youre like, Hey, maybe these lies that Ive been told my whole life arent correct.
Maybe I can challenge men in some other areas.
Maybe its in the classroom, maybe its in the boardroom.
The world would be such a better place if more women had the ability to take the reins.
Speaking of parenting, this is going to be your first Olympics as a mom.
Youve been very consistent about pointing out how thats rare in sports and needs to be less rare.
How has being a mother changed you as an athlete?
The track we were just at, in Altenberg, is a very tough track for me.
Ive got more crashes there, I think, than any other track in my career.
And then I had the thought: But at least Im not in the NICU right now.
My complete perspective has changed on this sport.
He will always come first.
As athletes, sometimes you let a sport define you.
But Im not my results.
Im all these other things.
What were some of the challenges you thought you might face as a mom in sports?
How does your reality compare?
I knew one of the biggest challenges would be the financial part of childcare.
So, thats whats paying for Nico right now.
And some grants from &Mother and from the Womens Sports Foundation are helping.
But not everybody has all those kinds of resources.
Why is it so important that were able to see parents, and specifically, as elite athletes?
It ends up shortening womens careers.
In bobsled, it takes four to eight years to become a great driver.
But if we can make this more realistic, how many more Serena Williamses would we have?
First is just seeing that its possible and that it’s possible for you to bounce back physically.
Im 37 with a baby and faster than girls 10 years younger than me.
Its not easy, but its possible.
I want the USOPC to understand family planning should be part of the discussion of female athletes careers.
I think they should do it with men too.
Family planning is a realistic part of an athletes career.
And what happens off the ice is going to affect how an athlete performs on the ice.
Why not take a holistic approach to how were caring for athletes and how were treating the entire athlete?
Thats such a good point.
The family aspect of itweve got a guest.
[Nico, wearing a stars and stripes jacket, appears onscreen and crawls into Meyers Taylors lap.]
I love his jacket.
Hes all decked out.
[Holding Nico.]
Definitely the family aspect is the biggest sacrifice, missing so much of being with my family.
Nicos got cousins now.
Were really seeing women athletes leading this push for a change in the narrative around more work-life balance.
Do you think were in this moment of momentum when we might see more of that emphasis?
Ive been there where bobsled was the only thing I had going for me.
Its a very lonely path to go down.
Yes, youre performing, and youre winning medals.
It takes over your entire life.
We need to start looking at an athlete holistically.
Its a sport at the end of the day.
We are hurling ourselves down an icy hill at breakneck speeds.
Its supposed to be fun.
Ive been on that side too, where its just part of what I do.
Its not who I am.
And the results didnt change.
I win medals both ways.
I might as well win medals while Im happy.
I think its a poor narrative.
There is a lot of value behind having that kind of balance.
And its not a 50-50 split.
Its not like bobsled doesnt bleed into my home life and my home life doesnt bleed into bobsled.
But at least I know Im not defined by what I do.
I read that your postretirement dream job is to be the CEO of the USOPC.
Meyers Taylor:Ive always had a passion for helping athletes in any way I can.
Im currently on multiple athlete advisory committeesUSOPC, my bobsled federation, our international bobsled federation.
We really have to push to see to it athletes come first.
We shouldnt be hearing constant stories about athletes living in their cars.
We shouldnt hear stories about athletes not being able to get teeth cleanings because they cant afford health insurance.
So we need to do everything we can to provide as much support to athletes on all levels.
If you take care of athletes, the medals will come after that.
Interview has been edited and condensed.Meet all of SELFs 2022 Olympic and Paralympic cover stars here.
