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Today is Saturday, February 7th. The 2026 Winter Olympic Games are now underway. As far as winter sports are concerned, many of us only ever see the highlights that last just a few moments. The quick competitions that happen once every four years, the medals, the podiums. But behind every one of those moments is years of work, risk, doubt, and decisions that ultimately change the course of a life. My guest today is Lauren Gibbs. She tried out for the US bobsled team on a whim at age 30, with no background in the sport. Just four years later, she was standing on an Olympic podium, winning Silver at the 2018 Games. Today, she takes us behind the scenes to what the Olympics are really like, from that pressure of qualifying to the feeling of four years of training coming down to just a few turbulent minutes on the track. We also talk about risk, what it means to walk away from a stable career, how to weigh what if against the fear of failure, and why she believes it's never too late to try something completely unexpected. We're getting rare insights into the Winter Games from an Olympic medalist, but also we talk about betting on yourself, no matter your life's track. Welcome to the Newsworthy special edition Saturday when we sit down with a different expert or celebrity every Saturday to talk.
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About something in the news.
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Don't forget to tune in every Monday through Friday for our regular episodes, where we provide all the day's news in.
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Less than 15 minutes.
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I'm Erica. Mandy. It's now time for today's special edition Saturday. Lauren Gibbs, thank you so much for joining us here on the Newsworthy.
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Thank you for having me. I'm excited to chat today.
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I'm curious to get your take on what you think the athletes for this year's Olympics are feeling right now in the days or hours ahead of the Games.
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What was it like for you in.
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Those moments before you were competing?
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The toughest part for me was making the team. Once I made the team, I'd never slept so well in my life. The US Women's bobsled team is a force to be reckoned with. And the competition is so tight that after that, I felt like I'd already won.
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So for you, it was about getting there, and then it was easier than actually qualifying?
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Absolutely. And it wasn't just about getting there. Right. I was intending to win a medal. That was always the plan. But that felt like less of a mountain to climb than beating some of my teammates who are incredible athletes.
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And I know you have some friends competing this year.
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What are they telling you?
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What are they doing?
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Well, the specifics I can't divulge, but this is just a really emotional time. You look at some sports where you have big championships at the end of every year. We don't have that as Olympians. It's really every four years. And we do have world championships. But there's just nothing like the Olympic Games. And so you can do all this work for four years, and then your Olympic performance comes down to just a few minutes. Right. For bobsled, we have two days of competition. It's two runs down the track on the first day. And two runs down the track on the second day. And then that's it. I think my total time in track during the games was like 3 minutes and 33 or something ridiculous like that. So I say I worked for four years for three minutes of competition.
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Such a good point. I mean, what is that moment like? It's your turn, you're in it, you're competing.
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The pressure is on.
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What's going through your head?
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Oh, I was ready. First of all, I tried out for the bobsled team as a joke when I was 30.
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So we're going to get into that.
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Yeah. The fact that I even got to go the Olympics. I decided way before that that win, lose or draw, this is going to be the best thing I've ever done in life. And I was going to have the most fun and make the most of it. But when I was training, I would think to myself, when I didn't want to do another sprint or another lift or another rep, I would just say, what if this was run four at the Olympics? Do you want to get to run four at the Olympics?
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And.
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And regret not having done the work? No. So when I got there, I felt superhuman. I was like, you can't touch me. I'm in the best shape of my life. We're gonna throw down some great runs and win a medal. So it was amazing.
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And I bet that mental preparation or.
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The mindset, the day of competing is just as important as the physicality. What do you think?
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Again, that's different for everybody. For me, the Olympics is interesting. Cause it is a very special event. But it is something that you've done every single year for the past four years. Right. And so you're competing against all the same people that you compete with every season. And you've actually competed on that track before. Because especially for a new track, you have to have a certain number of runs in a competition beforehand. So I don't want to say it's not any different from any other competition. But for me, I prepared so well and so hard that I was like, look, being nervous about competition isn't going to help me do better, so you might as well enjoy it. And so I had a good time. I was still on social media, and I was watching what my family and friends were doing in Korea, because, you know, when you go to the Games, you don't really get to experience the country. It's a very tight kind of schedule. So you, like, go from the village to the track, from the track to the Team USA eating area, from there back to the village. So it's not like I got to really experience Korea. So. So I did that through social media. A lot of athletes kind of shut down all their socials around the Games, But I think I had the privilege of really no external expectations where I could just enjoy myself, because a lot of the pressure is on the pilot.
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And you ultimately won a silver medal in bobsledding in 2018. Tell us about that moment you realized.
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You did earn the medal, that the.
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Three minutes went well and what it was like to get that medal around your neck.
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Yeah. So when I came down the track and I have this really cool highlight reel that one of our videographers film for us, I have my hand in the air and coming down. Knowing you're a medalist, I don't know how to describe that feeling. It feels like everything that you've worked so hard for just came to fruition. It's not a moment that everybody gets. And so I was just very humbled and grateful for that moment. I think I had 17 family and friends that came to watch. So it was really great to have all the people that are important to me there in that moment. And then, you know, I'm just really close to my pilot, Alana Meyers Taylor. So it was really special to do it with her. We'd been through a lot. She rolled up to the games with a partially torn Achilles tendon. And so it's an amazing feeling for all the work that you've done to pay off in the moment that you want it to pay off.
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Such an amazing accomplishment. And I understand Your team finished just.07 seconds behind the German duo who took gold, and that it was the closest margin between first and second place ever recorded in women's Olympic poll. Bobsledding, at least at the time. Did that timing impact how you felt.
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About it in the moment? No, it didn't take anything away. I mean, I was 33 years old. As accidental of an Olympian as you can Be. And it didn't take away from the moment afterwards. You think about it even now, I think about it. What could have gone differently? But at the end of the day, I'm incredibly proud of myself. I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity and the doors that it's opened up and just the person I am on the other side of it.
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So we've alluded to it. Your journey to get there was a bit unusual, as one minute you're in the corporate world, seemingly the next year. Olympic athlete. So tell us about how you got involved with USA Bobsled and ultimately competing in the Games.
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I was living and working in Denver, and a friend of mine, Jill Potter, was training for 2016. She's a rugby Olympian. Incredible human, fantastic athlete, and just one of the best people I've ever met. And she was like, lauren, you should bobsled. I was like, jill, you're crazy. I'm like, jill, not everybody's like you. Not everybody's superhuman. She's like, no, no, no. You know, they have open tryouts. I met a bobsledder. She was trying to recruit some of the rugby women. And I said, you know, it's not a fit for us, but I know someone I think it might be a good fit for. And honestly, the only reason I did it was because for $45, you could go down to the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs, do the tryout, eat in the cafeteria and take a tour. And you can convince me to do just about anything if you offer me a meal. And so I thought this might be the coolest, behind the scenes Olympic experience that you could ever get. So I just went for it. Too many expectations. Zero expectations. Like, negative zero expectations. I think I have a text from my mommy, like, hey, can you pull out my track spikes from high school? Two weeks later, I got an invite to a rookie camp in Lake Placid, New York. You can stay at the training center for a week. All you have to do is get there. And I was like, bet. So sign me up. Absolutely. My friends that I'm still friends with now who are Olympians, they make fun of me. They're like, you were so on it and you were just introducing yourself to everybody and you were having the best time. And it was true because I was there for a good time, not a long time. And then I placed first in the rookie push champs because I wasn't great at it. I was really awful, actually. Pretty uncoordinated, but I am very competitive. Then they invited me back to national push champs I finished second by a couple hundredths and then did team trials, made the team that first year, the national team. And for bobsled, you have to make the national team every year. I wasn't in love with the work that I was doing. And so I never thought I'd actually go to the Olympics. But I felt like saying, you're training for the Olympics is a good enough reason to quit a six figure job. It wasn't until two years in where I was like, oh, shoot, I think I might actually be able to do this.
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And to be clear, you had no background in bobsledding.
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Generally, no one has a background in bobsledding. It's not like a sport you can do when you're in elementary school.
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True.
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I did start a bit later than most start right out of college. There's a few that did like junior bob if you're from the area. So we have pilots that have been driving since they were like 12 or 14. But it's, it's not something that most people have much experience in or grow up doing.
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So you talked a little bit about just being able to say that your training is a good enough reason to quit your job. But tell me more about how you decided to take that risk and just go for it.
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I'm one of those people that I weigh the pros and cons. You know, I was in a sales management role and I felt like I had enough skill and I had enough plan B's to if it didn't pan out and I needed to get another job, I could. And at 30 years old with no kids and no partner, no husband, I felt like it was one of the last times maybe that I could do something like this and take this kind of risk. So I didn't want to wonder what if. And I really, really wanted to take just a step back and try and figure out what the rest of my life was gonna look like. And this opportunity gave me that ability to do that.
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What would be your advice to someone considering a risk? You know, maybe not going to the Olympics, but something else, Knowing that maybe, you know, it doesn't always work out.
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Yeah, I would say don't ever do anything on a whim. I was in such a privileged position to be able to quit my job. Not everybody can just like, oh, I'm gonna quit this job. Cause I had just graduated from grad school like two weeks prior to my original tryout. And so I had sued, loan debt. I had an investment, but I had a support system. And so it would be irresponsible of me to just say, yeah, just go do it. I would say really weigh the risks and really weigh the rewards and talk to your support network and get feedback. And at the end of the day, if it's something that just keeps nagging at you, if the nagging is worse than the risk of failure, then go for it. As long as you're understanding what you're getting yourself into, go for it. But when you go for it, don't expect it to be easy, don't expect it to be fun all the time, and expect to question your sanity often.
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Yeah, I did see a quote from you at one point that said you want to have a cool story at the end of your life and the more random things you try, the cooler your story gets. And I liked that.
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Thank you.
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Do you still feel that way?
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I do. I do. My life hasn't gotten any less random.
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Still ahead, what really happens at the Olympic Village during the Winter Games and what Lauren Gibbs is watching closely at this year's Olympics. Plus her unforgettable description of what it's actually like to ride in a bobsled and the lessons that have stayed with her years after winning that Olympic medal. But first, a quick break for our sponsors. The Newsworthy is brought to you by Quint. Looking to update your wardrobe with the kinds of clothes you can mix and match, wear on, repeat, and generally feel put together with ease? Quince has wardrobe staples that can be layered and worn again and again with comfort and style, and Quince uses quality materials like 100% European linen and organic cotton. Not only is my favorite cashmere sweater from Quince that was only $50 by the way, but also it goes beyond clothing. Quince also offers thoughtfully made items for home, travel and kids, as well as beautiful jewelry. I've gotten my son a shirt from Quinn's, my favorite Carry on suitcases from Quince, and I wear a bracelet from Quince almost every day. I also appreciate that Quince works directly with safe, ethical factories and cuts out the middlemen. So you're not paying for brand markup, just high quality clothing. Refresh your wardrobe with quince. Go to quince.comnewsworthy for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns now available in Canada too. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.comnewsworthy to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.comnewsworthy the newsworthy is also brought to you by Wild Grain. Wild Grain is the first bake from frozen subscription box for sourdough breads, artisanal pastries and fresh pastas. And all items conveniently bake in 25 minutes or less. Which means my family gets these beautiful, delicious breads, pastas and pastries even when life is feeling busy. In fact, it's the perfect thing to help us sit down together at dinner time, even on a busy weeknight and enjoy each other's company over a cozy homemade meal. It's so convenient to have wild grain in the freezer for whenever we want a great sourdough bread or warm flaky croissants or even the occasional giant chocolate chunk cookie and just pop them in the oven. Quick, easy and such a delight. Their amazing fresh pastas also can make dinner time feel special, like we're at a restaurant. And Wildgreen's boxes are fully customizable, so they've got a variety box as well as the gluten free vegan and new protein box. There's nothing like having an artisan bakery in your freezer to chase away the winter chill. Now is the best time to stay in and enjoy comforting homemade meals with wild grain. I highly recommend giving Wild Grain a try. And right now Wildgreen is offering our listeners $30 off your first box plus free Croissants for Life when you go to wildgrain.comnewworthy just start your subscription today. That's $30 off your first box and free Croissants for Life when YOU visit wildgrain.comnewworthy or you can use the promo code newsworthy at checkout. Now back to my conversation with Olympic medalist Lauren Gibbs.
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Is there any interesting thing about competing at a winter oly that doesn't get talked about much or that you know.
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You could share to be a little.
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Bit more behind the scenes?
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I think everybody talks about the fun in the Olympic Village and the Olympic Village is a lot of fun, but at the Winter Games it's so cold. So this idea that a bunch of Olympians are just running around frolicking and partying in the village is not it. You can't even get alcohol into the Olympic Village. Are there parties going on outside and around? Absolutely. Can you get yourself into something if you want? Hundred percent. But I think when people talk about the big party, it's probably they're thinking of summer. I will say that Team USA does a really good job at the Olympics making sure athletes have everything they need.
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What, if anything, did you take from your Olympic experience that's really stayed with you in your Everyday life.
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I think the biggest thing is one to trust myself. And I now know if I put my all into something, I'm really hard to stop and that is powerful.
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Anything from this year's Olympics that you'll.
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Be watching closely or what are you most excited for?
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I'm most excited to watch my teammates compete. Shout out to Alana Myers, Taylor and Keisha Love. They're both pilots. Alana was my pilot for 2018 and actually the person that Jill was talking to who recruited me originally. And Keisha is just this phenomenal newer pilot who is just a genuine human and works really hard. I don't want to put any pressure, but will be the future of women's bobsled and Team usa. So. So I'm really excited to see what those two do.
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What do you wish more Americans knew about bobsledding?
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That it's like getting kicked off a cliff in a trash can. It's not like taking a fun roller coaster ride. That there's very little funding for it and athletes generally have to go into debt to be able to do it. I was training six days a week minimum. And that the athletes that are competing in bobsled are some of the most interesting, strategic, kind, intense humans. And when they retire, you should hire them. If you have the opportunity to support a bobsled athlete or any Olympian or Paralympian, it's important we don't get any government funding. It's all from private donation and sponsorships.
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Tell me more about what that it's like being in a trash can, thrown off a cliff. Like, what do you mean by that? I like that description.
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Yeah. Have you ever been through bad turbulence? Yeah. That's what bobsledding feels like. You're just getting knocked around, going through like five GS. You're not really sure where you are. You can't control it as a brakeman. You're just kind of there for the ride.
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So do people get nauseous sometimes?
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I've never gotten nauseous, but some people do. Yeah. Especially rookies.
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That's so interesting. We can watch it this year with a new perspective.
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Yep. Bobsledders are certifiable. Crazy.
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Anything else I haven't asked or just a final thought?
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For the Winter Games, go Team usa. And for everybody out there listening, it's never too late to be who you were meant to be. So go after your dreams.
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Love it.
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Thank you so much for your time.
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Thank you.
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Thank you so much. To Lauren Gibbs. In case you're curious what she's up to now. She is the Vice president of Business Development at the Posse foundation, and she's a corporate motivational speaker sharing valuable lessons from her journey to the Olympic podium, conveying that everyone can have their own Olympic moment in life. Of course, you can start tuning in now to this year's Winter Olympics in Italy, but this year's women's bobsledding competition doesn't start for another week. Look for it on February 15th and 16th. So we'll reiterate what Lauren said. Go Team USA. Of course, we'll share any significant Olympics developments along with all the other news to know during our regular news updates every Monday through Friday. We provide a wide variety of stories in less than 15 minutes each weekday. And if you want to support the work we do here, we would love for you to become a newsworthy insider. It really helps support us. And you also get ad free episodes. And I'll be working on an Ask me Anything bonus episode. So get your questions in if you have them. Just go to thenewsworthy.cominsider to start your free seven day trial. And thank you so much to all of our Insiders already. That's thenewsworthy.com Insider. Thanks again for listening. We'll be back on Monday with the latest news to know. Until then, have a great rest of your weekend.