Elana Meyers Taylor won gold in the women’s monobob at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, celebrating the title wrapped in the flag of the United States, embracing her sons Nico and Noah in the finish area. In an interview with Olympics.com, the pilot explained that having her children there became part of the moment itself: “It was such an emotional and special moment that Macy (Lynn) was able to get my kids up there and that they could be there. It’s something I will remember for the rest of my life.”
At 41, Meyers Taylor arrived at those Games with nearly two decades in bobsleigh, five previous Olympic medals, and a distinction she has come to see as part of her legacy: she is the most decorated Black athlete in the history of the Winter Olympic Games. She grew up in Douglasville, Georgia, and has built her career without separating sport from her personal life. She is the mother of two young boys and is married to former Olympic bobsleigh pilot Nick Taylor.
A motivating “happy chaos” as daily routine
In an interview before the Games with 11Alive, NBC, she described her life on tour with a phrase she repeated naturally, as if it helped organize everything around her: “It’s chaos every day, so we’re just trying to go out there and do everything we can to win. Happy chaos.” That “chaos” included constant travel, training, racing, and a family routine that, as she explained, takes away sleep but gives everything meaning: “They’re my biggest motivators, having them by my side and seeing me day in and day out doing what I’m doing.”
That continuity has never been linear. Meyers Taylor has faced moments that could have ended other Olympic cycles, and she listed them without dramatics: “In 2010, my driver pulled their hamstring. In 2014, my sled broke. In 2018, I tore my Achilles. In 2022, I had COVID. Every Olympics, there’s some kind of unforeseen challenge.” For her, experience does not remove uncertainty, but it changes how she approaches competition: “The Olympics is a whole different animal.”
Motherhood as the driving force behind her Olympic career
The human dimension of Meyers Taylor’s story is inseparable from her family. Nico has Down syndrome; both Nico and Noah are deaf. At home, she explained, communication happens primarily through American Sign Language, shaping their daily lives and relationships: “We primarily use American Sign Language in the house. It’s been very important for me to advocate for my boys and make sure not only they have the resources they need, but that people understand.” In that same interview with 11Alive, NBC, she noted that her children often become a first point of contact for others: “With Nico, many times the people we meet, he’s the first person with Down syndrome they’ve ever met. Or my kids are the first deaf people they’ve ever met.” She described those moments simply: “That interaction kind of normalizes disability, in a sense.”
In Milano Cortina, that connection became visible on the Olympic stage, as Meyers Taylor communicated with her children using sign language after winning gold. Speaking to Olympics.com, she recalled how she shared the moment with Noah: “I signed to him: ‘mommy won.’” She then described how the medal took on a new meaning: “The funny thing is, when I gave him the gold medal, he goes, ‘Noah champion.’ So now it’s his gold medal.”
She linked that moment directly to her decision to continue competing, even after believing her previous Olympic cycle might be her last: “They were my reason for continuing to do the sport. Without my kids, I would have stopped long ago. Without them, I wouldn’t have this gold medal.” In the same conversation, she described the emotional weight behind her journey: “Hopefully, one day they’ll look back and know that their mommy fought for everything, and their mommy fought because of them.”
The medal does not change her fight for disability inclusion
After winning gold, Meyers Taylor spoke about her future beyond the ice. “I really want to further my work with disabilities and disability advocacy. It’s so near and dear to my heart because of my boys, because I have to continue to fight for them,” she told Olympics.com. She explained how that responsibility remains part of everyday life: “I might have an Olympic gold medal around my neck, but at the end of the day, I go home and I need to make sure they have interpreters. I need to make sure they have access to whatever they need. I need to make sure there’s wheelchair access, so Nico can get to places.”
She then broadened the perspective beyond her own experience: “I have a lot of privilege that comes with being an athlete, an Olympic athlete. What are people without that status gonna do?” She finished with a clear intention shaped by her life beyond competition: “My job moving forward will be to fight for everybody to get the resources they need and hopefully make this world a little bit better place.”
