In an unconventional approach to Olympic preparation, the U.S. women’s bobsled and skeleton team has incorporated professional hairstyling into their final training regimen ahead of the Milan Cortina Games. While typically focused on physical conditioning and strategic planning, the athletes recognized the psychological benefits of self-care during their extended European training camp that began in November.
Five-time Olympic bobsled medalist Elana Meyers Taylor initiated the unique arrangement, recalling hairstylist Jessica Sinclair from her time in California. Despite never having visited Europe and possessing minimal knowledge of sliding sports, Sinclair immediately accepted the unusual booking request, traveling from California to Austria with her equipment.
The comprehensive styling services benefited all six U.S. women’s bobsled competitors—Meyers Taylor, Kaillie Humphries Armbruster, Kaysha Love, Azaria Hill, Jasmine Jones, and Jadin O’Brien—along with skeleton athletes Kelly Curtis and Mystique Ro. Treatments ranged from haircuts and trims to conditioning and coloring, with many athletes sharing their transformed looks on social media platforms.
Meyers Taylor emphasized the psychological significance beyond mere aesthetics: ‘A major part of being a woman isn’t necessarily trying to look good for other people. You want to be able to look in the mirror and say, ‘Hey, I feel good, I look good.’ After months of maintaining fundamentals through winter, this opportunity to feel pretty again makes a substantial difference.’
The timing proved particularly strategic as athletes prepared for Olympic processing, where official photographs would be taken. Though helmets conceal hairstyles during competition, the mental refresh provided by professional grooming offered valuable psychological preparation for the world’s premier sporting stage.
Sinclair’s versatility with diverse hair types made her particularly valuable to the team. ‘She can do Black people’s hair, white women’s hair—Jessica is a jack of all trades,’ Meyers Taylor noted. The stylist’s brief European immersion included her first viewing of a sliding track, and she anticipates cheering for her Olympic clients when competition begins next month.