From Baseball to Bobsled

Grady Mercer didn’t grow up dreaming of bobsledding. In fact, he was playing travel baseball when a teammate’s dad, an ex–U.S. bobsledder, noticed his speed and athleticism. In 2021, Mercer drove a sled for the first time.

“It was love at first sight,” Mercer said.

Life as a Pilot

Now, Mercer is one of the drivers, also known as the pilot, for Team USA Bobsled. His job is to steer the sled, racing down a mile-long ice track at nearly 95 miles an hour.

“Four guys push the sled, we jump in, and we go down an ice track at 95 miles an hour,” Mercer said. “It’s extreme.”

The Oklahoma Challenge

There’s one major obstacle: Oklahoma doesn’t have a bobsled track.

That means Mercer trains in weight rooms and gyms at home but has to travel across the country to get in

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