Vault: Elana Meyers US Bobsled Team

Summary

The Bert Show: "Vault: Elana Meyers US Bobsled Team"

Date: June 23, 2026
Guests: Elana Meyers (US Bobsled Team, Douglasville, GA)
Bert Show Hosts Present: Bert, Melissa, Olympics Skeptic(s), Bretzky

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Episode Overview

This lively episode of The Bert Show features Olympic bobsledder Elana Meyers, the only athlete from Georgia on the US Olympic team. The conversation weaves together humor, curiosity, and honest admiration as Bert and Melissa fantasize about competing in the Olympics, zeroing in on bobsledding as their hypothetical “easy entry” sport—much to the skepticism of their co-hosts and, as it turns out, Elana herself. Elana shares her unusual journey from softball to bobsled, underscores the challenges and athleticism required for her sport, and gives listeners an authentic look behind the scenes of preparing for the Olympics.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Dream of Competing in the Olympics

• Bert and Melissa’s Olympic Ambitions:
  Bert and Melissa open by revealing a “dream” to actually compete in the Olympics, stemming from the notion that some sports are more “accessible” to newcomers—specifically referencing smaller and less popular countries participating in sports like bobsled ([01:05]).
• Their Bobsled Theory:
  They speculate about “riding coattails” in sports where a team’s qualification has lower barriers, especially eyeing the middle positions in four-man bobsled as possible non-essential roles ([02:49]).

2. What Does it Really Take to Bobsled?

• Elana’s Take:
  Elana is asked directly if the two people in the middle of a four-person bobsled are just along for the ride. She dispels this myth, emphasizing everyone is integral, especially at the push start, and even argues that men are more likely to “chicken out” than women in the sport ([03:53]).
  • Quote:

    “Usually men are the guys who start the sport and tend to chicken out, tell you the truth.” – Elana Meyers [03:54]

  • Loading is Harder Than It Looks:
    Elana highlights the physical challenge of four adult athletes getting into such a confined sled at speed ([05:04], [05:16]).
    • Quote:

      “It’s way more difficult to actually load in the sled than people think.” – Elana Meyers [05:04]

3. Elana’s Path from Softball to Bobsled

• Unexpected Journey:
  Originally a softball athlete with Olympic aspirations, Elana saw softball removed from the Olympics and pivoted, inspired by US bobsled victories. She cold-emailed the federation, tried out in Lake Placid only two weeks later, and made the team ([05:51]).
  • Quote:

    “I bought a plane ticket and went up to Lake Placid and tried out and made the team.” – Elana Meyers [06:34]

• The Athletic Challenge:
  She admits the even for someone fit, bobsledding is incredibly challenging to master in practice, noting the technical complexity of the push start and the need for specific technique ([08:34]).
  • Quote:

    “I was actually pretty awful the first time I pushed a sled. It’s a lot harder than people think...” – Elana Meyers [08:34]

4. Olympic Preparation & Atmosphere

• Speed and Danger:
  Elana describes racing at over 90 miles per hour and mentions the infamous “Curve 13” (nicknamed 50/50) on the Olympic track, where even champions often crash ([09:01], [09:10]).

  • Quote:

    “On the Olympic track we will go over 90 miles per hour.” – Elana Meyers [09:01] “One day we had national champions or world champions crashing in that corner.” – Elana Meyers [09:18]

• Team Dynamics & Underdog Status:
  She discusses team changes and underdog status, referencing her former driver Shawna Robach and describing shifting partnerships within the women’s bobsled circuit ([09:49]).

  • Quote:

    “We won a gold medal on the Whistler track also... my driver this year, Erin Pack, also has a bronze medal on that track. So...people are underestimating us.” – Elana Meyers [09:49]-[10:16]

• Getting Olympic-Ready:
  Elana recounts “team processing,” receiving her official uniforms, and how the experience suddenly felt real ([10:30]).

  • Quote:

    “When we were taking pictures with all this gear on for opening ceremonies…it suddenly became real.” – Elana Meyers [10:30]

• Uniform Details:
  She describes the iconic Ralph Lauren outfits for Team USA: blue jacket with red accents, beanie with moose, thick turtleneck, and—controversially among the team—white pants ([10:57]).

  • Body Image Even at the Top:
    Elana and the hosts joke about the challenge of wearing white pants on global television while being muscular female athletes ([11:33]).

    “I was thinking white pants would be awful, but they’re really nice.” – Elana Meyers [11:00]-[11:33]

5. Women, Athletics, and Public Perception

• Athletic Women Face Body Critiques:
  Even among elite athletes, self-consciousness about appearance persists, especially with the public’s (and media’s) eye ([11:34]-[11:54]).
  • Quote:

    “No matter what, a woman's body conscious 24/7—even if you’re one of the best athletes in the world.” – Bert & Melissa [11:34]-[11:43] “Well, good luck making white pants on worldwide television...we're going to rock it.” – Elana Meyers [11:43]

6. Competition Schedule and Support

• Elana’s Olympic Debut:
  Her event is February 23rd and 24th—a single race composed of four heats ([12:13]).
• Community Pride:
  As Douglasville, Georgia’s only Olympic athlete, Elana notes her family and friends are still local and will be rooting for her ([12:03]).
• Promise to Check Back In:
  Elana agrees to return to the show for an update before and after the Games ([12:28]).

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Memorable Quotes & Moments (by Timestamp)

• “The two people in the middle aren't doing crap.” – Bert, humorously asserting his mistaken theory about four-man bobsled roles. [03:09]
• “Usually men are the guys who start the sport and tend to chicken out.” – Elana Meyers [03:54]
• “It's way more difficult to actually load in the sled than people think.” – Elana Meyers [05:04]
• “I bought a plane ticket and went up to Lake Placid and tried out and made the team.” – Elana Meyers [06:34]
• “On the Olympic track we will go over 90 miles per hour.” – Elana Meyers [09:01]
• “When we were taking pictures with all this gear on for opening ceremonies...it suddenly became real.” – Elana Meyers [10:30]
• “No matter what, a woman's body conscious 24/7—even if you’re one of the best athletes in the world.” – Bert & Melissa [11:34]
• “Well, good luck making white pants on worldwide television...we're going to rock it.” – Elana Meyers [11:43]
• “My competition is February 23rd and 24th, and it’s four heats combined.” – Elana Meyers [12:13]

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Segment Timeline (MM:SS)

• 01:02–02:42: Bert & Melissa’s Olympic ambitions and playful debate about “easy” Olympic events
• 03:09–05:20: Debunking bobsled myths; Elana on the physical challenges and team roles
• 05:42–06:37: Elana’s journey: Softball to bobsled to the Olympics
• 08:34–09:10: Technical difficulties and the intensity of Olympic bobsledding
• 10:16–11:33: Preparation, team dynamics, and Olympic uniforms
• 12:03–12:41: Hometown pride, event schedule, and promises to reconnect

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Conclusion

This episode offers an engaging, funny, and eye-opening look at Olympic dreams versus reality. Elana Meyers shines as a gracious myth-buster, revealing both the grit required for bobsled success and the very human anxieties that come with being an elite athlete on a global stage. The segment combines Bert Show’s trademark humor with genuine insight—making it rewarding for anyone interested in sports, women’s journeys in athletics, or just an entertaining conversation.

Best for: Fans of the Olympics, listeners seeking inspirational athlete stories, or anyone in need of a reality check on what it takes to compete at the highest level.

Transcript

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[Melissa]

Bert and I are going to the Olympics.

[Bert]

We're going.

[Bretzky]

Man.

[Bert]

I'm more fired up today about going to the Olympics, not attending participating in the Olympics than I ever have before. Based on the story that we're about to hear from Alana Myers right now from Douglasville.

[Olympics Skeptic]

Oh, my God.

[Bert]

I told you guys before I was checking out.

[Olympics Skeptic 2]

This is embarrassing.

[Melissa]

Why are you doubting? I mean, you know what? You're just gonna be jealous when you see Bert and I walking into the Olympic stadium, whichever Olympics we get into.

[Bert]

Hey, Alana. Good morning.

[Alana Myers]

Good morning. How are you doing?

[Bert]

Great. How are you today?

[Alana Myers]

I'm good. Good.

[Bert]

First of all, I mean, your story on how you got to where you are right now is an amazing story. It's an amazing, amazing story that we have to get to. But before we do that, Melissa and I have to ask you a question. Okay?

[Alana Myers]

Okay.

[Bert]

You have actually inspired us.

[Melissa]

That's right.

[Bert]

Because Melissa and I love the Olympics, and we've watched the Olympics our entire lives. But now we have a dream to actually compete in the Olympics. And our theory has always been this, is that in every Olympics, there's always some random either competition or a random country that if you qualify for, you should be able to compete in the Olympics. For instance, like a team from Tonga that takes up bobsledding, you're probably gonna be able to qualify for the Olympics. All right, so our thought is, what sport can we get into where we could ride somebody else's Coattails and compete. And we're looking smack dab now at bobsledding for this reason.

[Olympics Skeptic]

Oh, boy.

[Bert]

And tell me if I offend you here, just say I'm totally out of line.

[Alana Myers]

You don't offend me.

[Bert]

All right, well. Cause here's our theory. What you do. The two women bobsled. That's impressive. You got two people working there.

[Olympics Skeptic 2]

This is much different than what you were saying when she wasn't on hold.

[Bert]

Well, just let me get to it. It's a two person bobsled is very small. So two people have to participate. 50%. At least 50%. Here's what I'm thinking about that four man and woman bobsled, though. Ilana, the two people in the middle aren't doing crap.

[Olympics Skeptic]

And we all don't agree on that theory.

[Bert]

It's like the front person and the back person doing everything right.

[Alana Myers]

Come on now.

[Olympics Skeptic 2]

Before she was on hold, didn't you say anybody?

[Bert]

What I'm saying is that two middle people.

[Melissa]

The two middle people is what he

[Bert]

said are allowed to ride.

[Olympics Skeptic 2]

How hard could it be? Bobsledding.

[Melissa]

Alana, first of all, congratulations, okay. For running at state in our country. And I'm sorry that you have Olympic haters over here with us.

[Olympics Skeptic]

We're not hating Olympics.

[Melissa]

People in the room. And two of us are all about it. And two of us are over there criticizing.

[Olympics Skeptic]

No, I'm just saying bobsledding is a lot harder than Bert thinks, especially being the two people in the middle. So I want you to tell Bert on how difficult it is to be the two people in the middle of a fight. Four person bobsled.

[Olympics Skeptic 2]

Wendy dated a bobsledder over the Internet for three weeks. Remember that?

[Alana Myers]

Actually, it's funny because usually men have the most problems with bobsled. Usually men are the guys who start the sport and tend to chicken out, tell you the truth. So they have, you know, four people in the sled. But a lot of times you have men come up and try for it or try bobsled for the first time and they never get back in the sled. They just all of a sudden disappear from the track or they just don't show up again. So it's kind of funny. Women tend to get in the sled and stick it out and stay around for a while. Men tend to pick up and leave. But in a four man bobsled, which obviously the women don't have, everyone's pushing, everybody's doing their thing. But you could make it down in a four man bobsled if you're not very good at pushing. And you'll be in the sled or whatever. You just won't. And that's what we're all about in the usa is winning medals.

[Bert]

All right. The actual pushing of the sled here, it looks to me like it only takes like three seconds. And then so you push, push, push, push, push. And then the two. The four people jump in. But after that, the two people in the middle, they're not breaking. It's like being on the Aerosmith roller coaster at Disney World.

[Olympics Skeptic 2]

Oh, my God.

[Olympics Skeptic]

No. They all have to lean the same way.

[Melissa]

Right leaning.

[Alana Myers]

Part of it is riding position. So how you ride in the sled will determine how the sled actually moves. The funny thing about 4 man is it's way more difficult to actually load in the sled than people think.

[Olympics Skeptic]

Thank you.

[Alana Myers]

So in order to get four guys into a bobsled, that's not very long. I don't know the exact parameter.

[Olympics Skeptic 2]

Well, Bird, I think would be good at it because he was in Miami last weekend and he had one twin size bed for five men. So in a hotel in the Holiday Inn Express. So I think he's used to.

[Melissa]

And they kind of slept.

[Bert]

That won't be a problem for me because I basically am the size of a little league trophy.

[Melissa]

Well, Alana, now your story is that you were a softball athlete and then you transitioned into bobsled. So how did that happen? And why bobsledding?

[Alana Myers]

It's funny. I was playing softball all growing up and everything. And my dream was always to go to the Olympics. And I'd seen bobsled in the Olympics in 2002 when the US won the gold medal, in 2006 when the US won silver. And I thought about trying it, but I was still playing softball. I played professionally softball, and then also in 2005 softball, I got taken out of games, but I still had a dream to go to the games. And I remember seeing bobsled. So after I finished my softball career in 2007, I sent out an email to anyone in the federation, to everyone in the federation, actually, bobsled federation. And they sent me an email back and said that we had to try out in two weeks. So I bought a plane ticket and went up to Lake Placid and tried out and made the team.

[Bert]

I mean, think about how impressive an athlete that is. What kind of athleticism you have to do to be. To be that great at softball that all of a sudden just say, I'm gonna switch sports and be that athletic that within two years, you're competing in the Olympics. That is an amazing feat.

[Olympics Skeptic 2]

And that's what you claiming that you can do.

[Bert]

No, what I'm saying is I can ride along.

[Melissa]

And here's the thing. Alana probably got a lot of flack from people who said, oh, what are you doing? You can't do bobsled. Even though if you go to Lake Placid, you can't. Alana said, no, I'm going to be in the Olympics. And guess what? Her dream came true. Okay. So she had people like y' all in her life. The doubters. See, that's not. That's not healthy. So, Alana, congratulations.

[Alana Myers]

Thank you. Thank you.

[Olympics Skeptic]

I just think it's a lot tougher than Burt and Melissa think.

[Bert]

Maybe the four man.

[Alana Myers]

Yeah, it definitely is a lot tougher. And like I said, it's the loading. It's not just getting in the sled. It's being able to make sure it's as fast as possible. You know, as brakeman, we live or die on hundreds. So if you're a hundredth or too slower to Than people, you may. You might not be. You might be sitting at home watching the Olympics versus actually on a sled.

[Melissa]

Well, Alana, I mean, you may have a better indication of this after the, you know, Olympics, but. Okay, so let's say, you know, Burt and I. Let's say the bobsleigh is not a good thing. What winter sport do you think that

[Bert]

would be so easy? Like that curling thing?

[Alana Myers]

Come on. Yeah, I'm going to get persecuted, but, yeah, definitely curling. I think the oldest person on the Olympic delegation, number one, is a curler. So it's definitely a sport you could do for a while.

[Olympics Skeptic 2]

Well, that's because it's. I mean, it's right next door to shuffleboard.

[Bert]

It really is a shuffleboard on ice. Right? I mean, we can do that.

[Melissa]

Yeah. Well, we're gonna figure something out.

[Bert]

And you are the only athlete on the entire team from the state of Georgia, right?

[Alana Myers]

Yes.

[Bert]

I love that.

[Melissa]

That's fantastic.

[Bert]

I really love that. So you had no training in this whatsoever. You go up there, and then they train you for two years. And the very first time that you actually tried bobsled, did you realize that you had a knack for it, or was it simple athleticism?

[Alana Myers]

I was really athletic, and I could convert, but I was actually pretty awful the first time I pushed a sled. It's a lot harder than people think as far as getting technique and being able to do it efficiently. You know, everyone who Comes out to bobsled has got a pretty baseline level of raw athleticism. But being able to use your athleticism to push a bobsled and to do it on ice, it's a little bit more difficult than people would imagine.

[Bert]

How fast do you go on that thing?

[Alana Myers]

Ooh. On the Olympic track we will go over 90 miles per hour.

[Melissa]

Oh, that sounds exciting.

[Bluff]

It does.

[Olympics Skeptic]

Man, that's intense.

[Bert]

Totally.

[Alana Myers]

It's pretty cool. On the Olympic track there's a curve called 50 50, which actually some of our guys nicknamed is Curve 13. And it's actually a curve where quite a few people crash. One day we had national champions or world champions crashing in that corner. So it should be pretty exciting Olympics with that and the speeds we're going to reach now.

[Bert]

I was reading my Sports Illustrated Winter Olympics edition just a couple of nights ago and there's another bobsledding team, women's bobsledding team that they're predicting will win a medal, a silver medal, but it's not your team. So there's somebody more experienced or there's a team that's more experienced than you guys are.

[Alana Myers]

Right. The driver in that article is Shawna Robach and she was actually one of my drivers last year. In women's bobsled we tend to switch around a lot and we won a gold medal on the Whistler track also. She's a silver medalist from the previous games. But my driver this year, Aaron Pack, also has a bronze medal on that track. So, you know, we're seen as an underdog, but I think people are underestimating us.

[Melissa]

Wow.

[Bert]

So what do you think it's going to be like for you, you know, when you're at the opening ceremonies and you're representing the country and I don't know who's carrying the flag but have you had a chance to like sit back and sort of go through your mind on what that's all going to be like for you?

[Alana Myers]

Oh, we had our team processing yesterday and we just got all our uniforms and everything's fitted and everything. And just when we were taking pictures with all this gear on for opening ceremonies, it was. It suddenly became real. And I just think it's going to be amazing and it's a great honor and I'm really, really blessed to have this opportunity.

[Melissa]

Are you allowed to say what the outfits are?

[Alana Myers]

I don't know.

[Bert]

Alright, so let's go for it.

[Alana Myers]

It's Ralph Lauren. They're these red and blue jackets, mostly blue, and it's got red accents, a hat, a beanie I guess. And it actually had moose on it, which is kind of cool. And a thick turtleneck sweater underneath. And white pants, which I thought would be a bobsledder. Girls worst nightmare because we're kind of big. We range anywhere from 160 to 180. And I'm the heaviest, actually on the bobsled team. So I was thinking white pants would be awful, but they're really nice.

[Olympics Skeptic]

Good looking white pants.

[Bert]

So this goes along with the theme that you guys have said to us, is that no matter what a woman's body conscious 24 7, even if you're

[Melissa]

one of the best athletes in the world.

[Alana Myers]

Definitely, definitely. Well, good luck making white pants on worldwide television. It's not going to go well, but, you know, we made it work and we're going to make it work and rock it.

[Bert]

Well, good luck. I mean, this is the only. Only athlete competing in the Olympics from Georgia, and she's from Douglasville. Is there any. Do you still have friends and family here in town?

[Alana Myers]

Of course, my family still lives there. You know, all scattered throughout Atlanta now. And my friend, same thing.

[Melissa]

And when is your competition? When's Your first race?

[Alana Myers]

February 23rd and 24th, and it's one race, a combination of four heats. Okay.

[Bert]

Is there any chance you think that you'd have any time to talk to us before that also and just kind of give us a snapshot of what you've seen there and then maybe we can talk to you after the race also?

[Alana Myers]

Oh, definitely. Definitely.

[Olympics Skeptic]

I'd love to do that.

[Bert]

Fantastic. Well, good luck on both winning a medal and looking good in the white pants.

[Alana Myers]

Thank you. Thank you.

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Thanks a lot.

[Bert]

I appreciate it.

[Alana Myers]

All right, thank you.

[Bert]

Good luck.

[Bretzky]

Bye.

[Bert]

Bye. All right, so if you're watching the Olympics and you want to get it on a local level, man, Alana Meyers is.

[Olympics Skeptic 2]

And you don't want to wait four years till Burton, Melissa are in it,

[Olympics Skeptic]

doing speed walking, whatever.

[Melissa]

It doesn't matter. If we're walking in and we're representing a country in the Olympics, y' all just. You can watch us on tv, but we're in our white pants.

[Olympics Skeptic]

I'll wait for it.

[Bert]

She has only been, you know, she's only been bobsledding for two years.

[Melissa]

Two years.

[Bert]

We can do this.

[Melissa]

That's right.

[Bretzky]

Okay.

[Bert]

It's Alana Myers from Douglasville, Georgia.

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