U.S. Bobsled Pilot Emily Bradley on Being A Youth Olympian, a Bug Battler and a Broadcaster

When she’s not creating high-quality social media content that promotes her underrated sport, 16-year-old U.S. bobsled pilot Emily Bradley is constantly speeding down the track at upwards of 70 mph, and pushing herself to the limits to shave precious seconds off her finishing times.

Such was the case during her time at the Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024, where Bradley powered through a tough sickness to give her mother, her father and her bobsled competitors her best effort on her favorite track. It’s a track she’s very fond of, given that not only has she competed on it before, but it’s the same track she saw her bobsledding idols slide on during the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.

Sitting tied for third place after the first of two final runs, Bradley ran slightly slower on her second slide down the track, having felt fatigued after battling a sickness that forced her to miss the final two practice days and stay in bed for nearly 48 hours straight.

“I gave it all I could on the first run,” she said. “But I just had nothing left in the tank for the second run. It wasn’t great, not the result I wanted. But, I know I can do better.

“I gave it all I got for how I am right now.”

But, while Bradley wishes her final run could have been better, she took away a memorable experience from her first Olympic-style event, as her mother and father, former bobsledder Michael Bradley, reminded their daughter that she was the ultimate fighter.

“The Olympics is all about the journey and the experience, not the medals,” Michael wrote on her daughter’s Instagram post she made after the race. “It’s about overcoming obstacles, facing insurmountable odds, and representing your country on the world stage.”

“You have done all of those things and will forever be an Olympian. We love you and are so proud of everything you have accomplished along the way to today.”

After hugging her parents, the Sacramento, California, native talked to Team USA about her experience at Gangwon 2024.

“It’s been really amazing going up from all the qualifying races until now,” she began. “And being here with all the athletes, everything has been amazing here.”

The bobsledders in Gangwon have one of the longest tenures at the Youth Olympic Village. Their official training runs started on January 16, three days before the opening ceremonies took place.

Bradley mentioned that “meeting all the different athletes from all the other countries” as her favorite experience of living in the Youth Olympic Village. While she’s familiar with the bobsledders and skeleton athletes that she competes frequently against on tour, she explained that she loved meeting “the best youth athletes in the world” from other sports.

And, similar to U.S. ski jumper Estella Hassrick, her favorite pin she traded for was the one from Thailand, which features an elephant on the front of it.

Although still a teenager, Bradley has fully embraced the bobsledding lifestyle, hauling her 350-pound sled from track to track all across the world and navigating unimaginably short times between events. She even knows her favorite track has “so much Olympic history” attached to it already despite it being a relatively new track. Additionally, she has discovered a second hobby within her community after the Korean Bobsled and Skeleton Federation (KBSF) invited her on to broadcast two races of a recent men’s monobob event.

“(Broadcasting) is something I’d be interested in moving forward,” she said. “I’d love to be a broadcaster. It was such a great experience to be able to broadcast with KBSF for the last race, and I’d definitely do it again.”

But for now, it’s onto the next race for Bradley, and all of her opponents will have to put forth their best efforts to fend her off. Why?

Because an illness won’t act as her unexpected brakewoman next time.