Maddy Cohen, Team USA Bobsled Development Pilot

My name is Maddy Cohen, I’m 19 years old, and I am on Team USA for Bobsled as a Developmental Pilot (driver). My goal is to make it to the 2026 Winter Olympic Games as one of the youngest women to come out of the USA. I was 14 when I first went in a bobsled, and 15 when I set a Lake Placid track record for the youngest woman to drive a bobsled off of the top. Immediately following that, I was invited to not only begin officially racing, but to compete in the 2020 Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne, Switzerland as the only female slider for USA. Six months later, I accelerated to graduate a year early from school, and went abroad for my senior year of high school to compete internationally in preparation for the Youth Olympic Games. In my first official competitive season (2019-20), I medaled in 4 races and finished it off with a 14th overall placing at the Youth Olympic Games in January 2020. I began my first year of college at the University of Vermont while continuing to train in August 2020. Covid delayed the first half of my season, but in February 2021, I was invited to compete in my first senior race at 17 in a sport where you are a junior until you’re 26. This summer, I was officially moved from my youth/junior standing to a senior standing, where I began training in the Olympic Training Center. I was then invited to National Push Championships and National Push Combos, the first and second parts of the national team selection process for World Cup and Beijing.  With my unique entrance into the sport, leaving me with 8 years of experience by 2026, I am en route to hopefully fill this position. I am the next generation of USA Women’s Bobsled, and I need your help in allocating funds for my journey to the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. 

Now I am entering my 4th season as a bobsled driver! I’ve just completed the North American Cup in Park City with 2 5th place finishes! I’ve also just finished the Lake Placid NAC with a 4th and 5th place finish in monobob. Now I’m preparing to go to Junior World Championship in Winterberg, Germany, which is entirely self-funded. 

When it comes to the world of bobsledding I am some kind of a wunderkind. Not only is it a male dominated sport, the recruitment typically begins at the age of 23, after completing college. However, I begin at the age of 14 and found a love for driving and knew that I would do whatever it took to overcome the obstacles in my path. I am now 18 years old, with a world tour under my belt, working alongside women who are twice my age. Bobsledding has not only taught me determination, leadership, and patience, it has taught me that the only thing standing between you and your dreams is hard work and a true aspiration to accomplish it. As a young woman not everyone will support you or even believe that you can accomplish what you desire. I am here to show them that anything is possible regardless of the gender inequality that is evident in sport, workplaces, and society around the world. 

Bobsled is a bit of an obscure sport, so here’s some background in my role. I’m a pilot, so I drive both two-woman sleds and mono (one person) sleds. As soon as we hit  to break the inertia of the 400 pound sled, we sprint with full force down the 30 meter start track, and then jump in. The ultimate mental switch occurs at this point- every bit of explosiveness you have just given at the start must be silenced to begin your journey of utter focus to drive down the ice at 70 miles per hours. We focus and filter out the pain as we are thrown around the sled at the corners we entered early or late on.  100 centimeters off your line loses you a tenth of second in a race determined by hundredths. It’s the ultimate game of physics, sheer power and speed, and mental focus.

This season alone, baseline costs will be:



Ice time/Sled rent will be around 3500

Flights to Park City and back will be around a collective 500

Housing/food will be around 800

Equipment/Gear will be 600



Fees within the international and national bobsled federations will be 800



These costs only build every year, and a huge thank you to everyone who has helped supported me on this incredible journey. Many of you have been watching this journey since I was 15 years old. I could not have done it without all your love and support.



<3 Maddy