Heidi Stevens: I cheered when Elana Meyers Taylor won gold. I cheered louder when she thanked her nannies.
When Team USA bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor won gold Monday night, I let out a little cheer.
We had just watched a lovely segment on NBC about her path to the 2026 Winter Olympics, which included returning to the sport after her two sons were born — one of whom spent his first eight days of life in the NICU and both of whom were born deaf.
Meyers Taylor and her husband, Nic, learned they both carried a gene mutation that can result in a child being deaf, according to the Athletic. Nico, their older son, also has Down syndrome. They quickly learned sign language to communicate with their growing family, and Meyers Taylor spent the days leading up to her final two monobob runs teaching them “gold medal.” Just in case.
She told Athletic reporter Lindsay Schnell she considers careening down the ice at 75 mph in a bobsled her “me time.”
How could you not cheer for this hero?
Her latest medal (she has six) makes her the oldest woman (age 41) to win an individual gold in Winter Games history and ties Bonnie Blair’s record for the most medals by a U.S. woman in the Winter Games. Even before she won gold, Meyers Taylor was the most........
