At the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, Sylvia Hoffman realized the long-held dream of winning an Olympic medal. She served as brakeman for pilot Elana Meyers Taylor, and the duo won the bronze in the two-woman bobsled. Shortly afterward, Hoffman turned her attention to becoming a pilot, competing in both the monobob and two-woman events.
“Monobob is more on the individual side, and through weightlifting, I learned I actually like individual sports,” Hoffman said. “I was still able to do two-woman, which gave me more of the team aspect, and I enjoyed it a lot.”
Despite strong results over the past three seasons, Hoffman was not named by USA Bobsled-Skeleton as one of the pilots for the upcoming World Cup season. (The three pilots selected are five-time Olympic medalist Meyers Taylor; four-time Olympic medalist Kaillie Humphries, winner of the monobob in Beijing; and Kaysha Love, 2025 World Champion in monobob.) Hoffman has returned to the brakeman position and is aiming to become the first U.S. female brakeman to win back-to-back Olympic medals.
“Just because you’re favored doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed; you have to work for it,” said Hoffman. “You have to put forth all the effort and energy.”
Bobsled is an expensive sport in terms of training, preparation, travel, and competition, most of which happens in Europe. Hoffman admits it has been a financial strain. Last week, Cane’s restaurants in Colorado Springs held an Olympic fundraiser at four locations, contributing a portion of sales to Project Push to Gold. Hoffman also has a GoFundMe to help fund her path to the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina.
“The work that has to be put in is extraordinary,” said Hoffman. “I have the pushing capabilities and the experience. Teammates, athletes, coaches, staff … know what I can produce because of my track record of producing results in races, competitions, and push championships. I have to let them know; I have to readjust from being a pilot these last three years.”
The adjustment involves timing and physical skills because the brakeman continues to push after the pilot enters the sled. “I’m pushing and allowing the time for the pilot to get adjusted while also continuing accelerating the sled, getting in and getting down, making sure the velocity is high,” she explained.
Hoffman is now in Europe, where there will be seven World Cup races leading up to the selection of the U.S. Olympic team in January.