Vault: Elana Meyers in-studio

Summary

The Bert Show - Vault: Elana Meyers In-Studio

Episode Date: June 26, 2026
Guests: Elana Meyers (Olympic Bobsledder)
Main Theme:
A candid, celebratory conversation with Olympic bobsledder Elana Meyers, exploring her journey from softball star to Olympic bronze medalist, her experience at the Vancouver Games, and the path ahead.

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Episode Overview

The Bert Show welcomes Georgia’s own Elana Meyers to the studio following her success at the Vancouver Olympics, where she won a bronze medal in bobsledding. The hosts delve into Elana's athletic background, her transition from softball to bobsled, and her future ambitions in the sport. The interview is punctuated with warmth, laughter, and admiration for Elana’s accomplishments, as the hosts highlight local pride and the broader significance of her story.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. From Softball Star to Olympic Bobsledder

• Early Athletic Career:

  • Elana grew up playing multiple sports, with a focus on softball, even playing at George Washington University with an impressive .415 batting average.

    "Played softball growing up, played different sports all growing up and was trying to make the games in softball when softball got taken out of the games, had to find another sport." (01:56)

  • She played as a pitcher and third baseman.

    "Pitcher in third." (02:51)

• Olympic Softball’s Removal and Pivot to Bobsled:

  • Olympic softball was removed after 2005, forcing Elana to look elsewhere for Olympic aspirations.
  • She contacted multiple sports to try out, but only bobsled responded.

    "I emailed other sports. They didn't email me back. So bobsledding was the only one who actually emailed me." (03:10)

  • Connection made through Bill Tavares, now assistant coach for the women’s bobsled team.

2. Bobsledding 101 & Olympic Success

• Roles Explained:

  • In women’s bobsled, there are two primary roles: driver and brakeman.
  • Elana was the brakeman in Vancouver, aiming to become a driver at the next Games.

    "A brakeman is basically the only accelerator in a sport of bobsled. You push the sled at the start, you ride all the way down, and then at the very end... you pull the brakes. The driver ... controls the sled. So I was the brakeman." (04:08)

• Immediate Transition to Next Goal:

  • Training resumes almost immediately post-Olympics.

    "Actually, you kind of do start immediately training for the next Olympics. So I was in this Olympics as a brakeman. The goal is to go to the next one as a driver." (03:52)

3. Reliving the Olympic Moment

• Podium Experience:

  • Standing on the Olympic podium was emotional and overwhelming.

    "It was breathtaking. I was crying. I said I wasn't gonna cry. I didn't cry the whole time. My driver was in tears ... And I got on the podium and I couldn't help myself. It was overwhelming." (05:51)

• Vancouver Impressions:

  • Elana described the Olympic environment and the beauty of Vancouver with enthusiasm.

    "Vancouver was great. People ... were so nice. And Whistler itself is beautiful, so in the mountains and even the drive up there, you're driving along the coastline. It's gorgeous." (06:10)

4. The Uniqueness of the Olympic Medal

• Medal’s Physical Distinctiveness:

  • The medal is not as flat or round as it appears on TV; it's distinctive and “potato shaped.”

    "...it is so different than you see on TV. ...It's kind of a potato shaped wedgie type thing going on when it's big." (06:26)

  • Each Olympics features a unique medal design, tailored to the host city.

    "Every Olympics has a different medal. So each host city has their own different style." (07:10)

• Wearing and Sharing the Medal:

  • Elana shares her medal openly, especially with kids.

    "Oh, no, it's not protocol. I let kids wear it all the time because I can catch little kids if they try to run." (08:23)

  • She admits wearing it everywhere is impractical.

    "It's hard to go anywhere if you're wearing the medal around your neck... You have to keep it tucked away sometimes. But I have it." (07:58)

5. Community Reactions and Personal Connections

• Coach Calls In:

  • Coach Bowers (from Elana’s Lithia Springs days) calls to congratulate her, highlighting her lifelong athleticism and determination.

    "You have always been such a versatile athlete...You would just take on anything. So it doesn't surprise me, but I just wanted to congratulate you." - Coach Bowers (05:18)

  • Elana responds warmly, illustrating her grounded nature and strong local roots.

• Support From Home:

  • Lithia Springs High School and the metro Atlanta community rallied behind Elana’s Olympic journey.

    "We're all so proud of her." - Bo Shipp, coach/caller (10:10)

6. Handling Media and Team Politics

• Post-Olympic Life:

  • Elana’s schedule includes media appearances and training, balancing her ambitions to shift roles in future games.

    "The media stuff, tons of stuff to do, but definitely gonna go give my hand at driving and see how that goes." (08:54)

• Olympic Village “Bubble”:

  • Athletes are shielded from much of the outside drama and politics, watching events without broadcaster commentary.

    "We're kind of kept isolated... We don't even have commentary. It's live feeds without any commentary. ... We're kind of kept in a cocoon, so to speak, just to kind of focus on our events." (09:21)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On disappointment leading to new beginnings:

  "So at one point softball was an Olympic event...then got taken out in 2005. ...Had to find another sport." — Elana Meyers (02:05)

• On the challenge and uniqueness of bobsled:

  "I emailed other sports. They didn't email me back. So bobsledding was the only one who actually emailed me." — Elana Meyers (03:10)

• On sharing her medal with pride:

  "I let kids wear it all the time because I can catch little kids if they try to run." — Elana Meyers (08:23) "It's hard to go anywhere if you're wearing the medal around your neck..." — Elana Meyers (07:58)

• Coach Bowers’ pride and the community’s embrace:

  "You have always been such a versatile athlete...So it doesn't surprise me, but I just wanted to congratulate you." — Coach Bowers (05:18)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Elana’s athletic background & softball career – 01:31–03:02
• Switch to bobsledding & first contact with the sport – 03:02–03:42
• Explaining bobsledding positions and Olympic training – 03:52–04:39
• Coach Bowers calls in to congratulate Elana – 04:58–05:35, 10:02–10:16
• Recounting the Olympic podium moment – 05:44–06:04
• Vancouver and the medal’s unique shape – 06:10–07:33
• Protocol & stories about sharing the medal – 07:42–08:44
• Media appearances and next steps – 08:50–09:06
• Olympic Village atmosphere and isolation from politics – 09:06–09:40
• Local pride as the Atlanta community rallies behind Elana – 10:02–10:23

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Tone and Atmosphere

The conversation is upbeat, warm, and deeply appreciative, mixing humor, admiration, and a sense of local pride. Elana comes across as down-to-earth, relatable, and open, generously sharing both her stories and her success. The Bert Show crew maintains their trademark playful, supportive banter, ensuring the content remains accessible and authentic.

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Summary Takeaway

Elana Meyers’ Olympic story is one of resilience, adaptability, and community support. From her heartbreak over Olympic softball’s removal to her resourceful switch to bobsled and her joyful embrace of every challenge, Elana’s journey inspires admiration. The episode offers a heartfelt, humorous, and informative look behind the scenes at what it takes to become an Olympic medalist, as well as the ongoing process of chasing bigger dreams.

Transcript

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[Alana Myers]

For those of you in the boarding area, we're going to be having a lot of Myers coming off. Right in the middle waving the flag is Aaron and Alana. Myers have clinched the metal. Oh, he's just trying to stay relaxed and have a little fun. Aaron's a great pilot and we just needed to stay calm and do what we had to do and we did it.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

That Olympic song still gives me chill out.

[Co-host / Interviewer]

I know I have goosebumps.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

Georgia's own Alana Myers joins us in studio. Good morning.

[Alana Myers]

Good morning. Thanks for having me.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

How are you?

[Alana Myers]

I'm pretty good. Pretty good.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

You still on a high from this whole thing?

[Alana Myers]

Definitely still on a high. You know, been able to make some appearances and carry my medal around everywhere I go. So it's been pretty awesome so far.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

This is really a pretty amazing story. For those of you that haven't followed this the last couple of weeks, we've been talking to Alana. I mean, it's not like she's trained her whole life for a medal in bobsledding. She was a softball player and a damn good one. Right?

[Alana Myers]

Yeah. Played softball growing up, played different sports all growing up and was trying to make the games in softball when softball got taken out of the games, had to find another sport.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

Oh. So that's how it all went down. So at one point softball was an Olympic event, but it was like a trial year or something?

[Alana Myers]

No, it got added to the games in 90, I want to say in Atlanta actually, and then got taken out in 2005, because it kind of got lumped with baseball, and people don't really understand the difference. Kind of got lumped with baseball. It wasn't international enough, so it was taken out. And then they tried to get back in and still trying to get it back in. Not sure if it'll ever get back in, but definitely trying to.

[Co-host / Interviewer]

Did you play softball at the collegiate level?

[Alana Myers]

Yes. Played at George Washington University.

[Co-host / Interviewer]

George Washington.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

And she was great. Like, weren't you like a.415 hitter or something like that?

[Alana Myers]

Yeah, she was crazy. Yeah, 415, 14, something like that.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

I gave you the extra point.

[Alana Myers]

Appreciate it. That's one lesson they said.

[Co-host / Interviewer]

What position did you play?

[Alana Myers]

Georget? Pitcher in third.

[Co-host / Interviewer]

Okay.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

So she.

[Co-host / Commentator]

I mean, she was the team athletic.

[Co-host / Interviewer]

Exactly. And nobody else played those positions. She could actually do all three simultaneously.

[Alana Myers]

Right.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

I mean, that takes a lot of confidence in your athletic abilities to say, okay, I'm not going to make the Olympics in softball, so I'll try bobsledding.

[Co-host / Commentator]

Yes.

[Alana Myers]

Well, I emailed other sports. They didn't email me back. So bobsledding was the only one who actually emailed me. And, you know, seeing it on Olympics, I knew they drew from track and field background, and they draw a lot of fast and powerful athletes, and those were my assets in softball. So I decided to give it a try.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

So when you. Who do you email? You email, like the Olympic Committee or something like that, and you just wait for an email back saying, yeah, we'll give you a try.

[Alana Myers]

I emailed Bill Tavares and he's gonna hate me for calling him out, but if you want to get into bobsled, email Bill Tavares, but he is now assistant coach of women's bobsled team.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

Okay, and so now what is. I'm sure we've got a lot of ground to cover, but what's next? I mean, you win yourself a bronze medal, so you don't immediately start training for the next Olympics. So what goes on?

[Alana Myers]

Actually, you kind of do start immediately training for the next Olympics. So I was in this Olympics as a brakeman. The goal is to go to the next one as a driver. So I'll be leaving today, actually, to start that career.

[Co-host / Interviewer]

So explain to somebody who's never understood bobsledding what, what each position means.

[Alana Myers]

Okay, so in women's bobsled, we have two man, only two man. In men's they have two man and four man. So it's a brakeman and a driver. A brakeman is basically the only accelerator in a sport of bobsled. You push the sled at the start, you ride all the way down, and then at the very end of the trip, you pull the brakes. The driver is the one actually controlling the sled in the front for the whole trip down. So I was the brakeman.

[Co-host / Interviewer]

And you go head first or head back? Feet first.

[Alana Myers]

We're in a sled, so we go. I guess. I guess my feet are in front of my head, so I guess it's feet first, feet first, we're in a sled, so.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

Yeah, but the driver gets all the credit, man. Like, when I was listening, I was watching on NBC, they were, you know, just always announcing the driver's name like it was her bobsled. I'm like, our girl's in the back there, man.

[Co-host / Commentator]

She's pushing about her.

[Co-host / Interviewer]

How do you think she got down? Me?

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

Here is Coach Bowers. Good morning. You're on Q100.

[Caller / Coach Bowers / Bo Shipp]

Good morning. How are you?

[Alana Myers]

Okay.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

How are you?

[Caller / Coach Bowers / Bo Shipp]

I'm doing fantastic. I just wanted to congratulate Elana. It's been a while. I coached her at Lithia Springs in basketball and soccer, and just amazing to see her go this far.

[Alana Myers]

Hi, Coach Bowers. Thanks for the call. It's been quite a while. How are you?

[Caller / Coach Bowers / Bo Shipp]

I am doing great. You have always been such a versatile athlete. You were just amazing in every position you played, every sport you played. You would just take on anything. So it doesn't surprise me, but I just wanted to congratulate you.

[Alana Myers]

Well, thank you. Thank you very much.

[Co-host / Commentator]

She made you run till you puked, right? I can't believe you called me on the radio.

[Alana Myers]

Definitely took me. You took me to suicide.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

Tell us what it was like to be on that podium. I mean, it wasn't the national anthem that was played, but you're still up there, and you're the third best in the damn world.

[Alana Myers]

It was breathtaking. I was crying. I said I wasn't gonna cry. I didn't cry the whole time. My driver was in tears right after the run, everything like that. And I. I got on the podium and I couldn't help myself. It was overwhelming.

[Co-host / Interviewer]

That is so cool. That is just absolutely amazing. And what was Vancouver like? I mean, just the energy of the whole place.

[Alana Myers]

Oh, that place is awesome. Really. If I didn't love the state so much, I'd definitely try and move up there. But Vancouver was great. People were. There, were so nice. And Whistler itself is beautiful, so in the mountains and even the drive up there, you're driving along the coastline. It's gorgeous.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

She brought in the bronze medal today. And like Melissa was telling us earlier this morning, it is so different than you see on tv. Like, I think we all just assume that it's a flat, round metal, but it's not. It's kind of a potato shaped wedgie

[Co-host / Commentator]

type thing going on when it's big. When you were, you know, if you watch the medal ceremony, the whole ceremony, you saw the person with the tray of the medals walk to the podium. So the thing I told Katie when we were watching the medal ceremony was the fact that it looks like potato chips on this tray because they're so waffly. And this is the first time they've done that. And my understanding is they did this because the light catches on the metal better when it's on the athlete.

[Co-host / Interviewer]

So it's easier to photograph.

[Co-host / Commentator]

You said, because every Olympics has a different medal. So each host city has their own different style. But yeah, it is beautiful.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

I've tweeted the medal up on Twitter right now, but we'll have all the Pictures up on q100atlanta.com it's heavy.

[Co-host / Interviewer]

Daisy Pancake, right?

[Alana Myers]

Have you.

[Co-host / Interviewer]

I didn't think it was gonna be that big.

[Alana Myers]

Have you figured out how you're gonna polish the scratches out? I have no idea.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

How'd you get them just wearing it around?

[Alana Myers]

Has anyone dropped it yet? No, not yet. So hopefully that won't happen, but I'll probably be the first one to drop it.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

So will you take it with you to Park City or is it gonna stay home safe?

[Alana Myers]

Of course I'll take it with me.

[Co-host / Interviewer]

Do you take it everywhere? Like the gas station, the grocery store? Cause I'd wear that everywhere.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

I'd brag about it too. I'd show it off. Like, I'd go through security on purpose with it around my neck, so they would tell me to go through and take off.

[Co-host / Commentator]

You have to take off your bronze medal.

[Alana Myers]

The metal is a time hoarder. It's hard to go anywhere if you're wearing the metal around your neck. So I have it on me. Can't wear it everywhere like going to the gas station. It's pretty hard to just get gas if you're in a rush, if the metal's around your neck. So you have to keep it tucked away sometimes. But I have it.

[Co-host / Interviewer]

That's awesome.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

Like, I think is protocol that you're not allowed. Like, you wouldn't allow anybody else to wear it. Like I was holding it and that felt respectful. But you can't wear it around your neck unless. Right.

[Alana Myers]

Oh, no, it's not protocol. I let kids wear it all the time because I can catch little kids if they try to run. You can let Burr wear it.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

You can catch him if he tries to run.

[Alana Myers]

I guarantee it.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

But, like, if an adult wants to see it, you can't put that on your neck as an adult because you didn't earn that.

[Alana Myers]

Oh, but I've let adults. I've let people put it on.

[Co-host / Commentator]

Have they really asked if they could wear it?

[Podcast Host / Narrator]

Really?

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

Oh, no.

[Co-host / Commentator]

I would never think to do that.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

So you have more TV stuff to do, or now is it just right back into training?

[Alana Myers]

I'll have more media stuff to do, actually. Go up to D.C. for a couple of days for some media things. But the media stuff, tons of stuff to do, but definitely gonna go give my hand at driving and see how that goes.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

How was all the politics that we seemed at least to watch sort of unfold? Maybe it was just NBC unfolding the drama. Did you feel any of that stuff with, like, the skiers and all that? Like, did. Was there a weird chemistry on the team because of some of the stuff that was going on?

[Alana Myers]

We're kind of kept isolated, so we see everything in the villages and we see all the shows and races, but we don't even have commentary. It's live feeds without any commentary. So we don't actually know any of the action that's going on outside the politics or anything like that. So we're kind of kept in a cocoon, so to speak, just to kind of focus on our events.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

So you don't know how much crap people are talking about. Oh, my God, it's terrible. Thank you again for coming in.

[Alana Myers]

Thanks for having me.

[Co-host / Commentator]

Congratulations.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

Really enjoyed this the last couple of weeks following you.

[Alana Myers]

Appreciate it.

[Co-host / Interviewer]

You're a stud.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

You are. All the pictures and all connections to Alana Meyers will be up online q100atlanta.com. Good morning, Burt. Show.

[Caller / Coach Bowers / Bo Shipp]

Yes, sir.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

Yeah, go ahead.

[Caller / Coach Bowers / Bo Shipp]

Yes, sir. This is Bo Shipp from Lithia Springs High School. I was wanting to congratulate Alana Myers.

[Alana Myers]

We're all so proud of her. Thank you. Thanks, Bo.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

Do you know this guy?

[Alana Myers]

Yeah, of course.

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

I bet all your old friends came

[Caller / Coach Bowers / Bo Shipp]

out now, man, you got Lithia Springs all together. We're all rallying behind her.

[Co-host / Interviewer]

That's so cool.

[Co-host / Commentator]

Never talked to her when she was

[Radio Host / Interviewer]

there, but now she's my best friend. This is the Bird Show.

[Podcast Host / Narrator]

One crunchy bite of a Hershey's cookies and cream bar and I'm taken right back to college. Move in. Day, I was a little overwhelmed by the newness of it all. Boxes were everywhere. I needed a break from unpacking. But just as I was able to take a breath and open my Hershey's cookies and cream bar, my new roommate, Rachel, walked in. I offered her a piece, but she said no. Then after a beat, she said, actually, those are my favorite ones.

[Co-host / Interviewer]

We left.

[Podcast Host / Narrator]

The ice was broken, and we've been friends ever since.

[Co-host / Commentator]

Hershey's.

[Co-host / Interviewer]

It's your happy place.