Bobsled Olympian: When You Create, Connect and Collaborate, You Win.

• Author: Kennedy, Lesley
• Position: Elana Meyers Taylor

ATLANTA--Working for state legislatures and competitive bobsledding may seem like two very different worlds, but Elana Meyers Taylor sees similarities.

Like the work of legislatures, "bobsled is all about creating, connecting and collaborating," the Olympic bobsled pilot and most decorated Black athlete in Winter Olympic history told StaffHub ATL 2022.

Meyers Taylor says bobsledding might seem simple on the surface, but it's actually a highly technical sport that employs a range of research, design and development to maximize speed on the track.

Like the work of legislatures, 'bobsled is all about creating, connecting and collaborating.'--Elana Meyers Taylor, U.S. Olympian "For us, it's very important that when you step to the line, you have a competitive piece of equipment," she says. "Without that piece of equipment, without people creating new ideas, you would lose any advantage at the very start of the race."

Collaboration is also key to success, as athletes depend not only on the engineers who design the sleds, but teammates, coaches and others, she adds.

"Yes, while we're in the sled, there is no physical connection--we're not touching each other, grabbing each other, holding each other, steering or anything like that," she says. "But it's very important to have a connection to make sure you're all working together and going for the same goal, which in my profession is a gold medal."

And winning or losing those medals, she said, often comes down to a matter of hundredths of a second, something Meyers Taylor is all too familiar with. In 2014, she lost out on gold by .1 of a second and, in 2018 by .07 of a second.

"So, as you can imagine, the margins are pretty close and that's why it's so important to do things like connect and collaborate," she says. "Me and my brakeman have to be on point and aligned in order to get that sled going downhill as fast as possible."

She shares three stories of how creating, connecting and collaborating have played key roles in her journey.

1--Good Things Can Come From Failure

Growing up in Georgia, Meyers Taylor says she had long dreamt of being an Olympian, especially after being able to take in some of the events and pageantry of the 1996 Games in Atlanta.

She chose softball as her sport, playing in college and professionally, all with the intention of getting to the Olympics. But striking out badly during her first at-bat during a tryout for the 2008 Olympic team dashed her softball hopes.

"I had what...