Gold medal mom: Ahead of Olympics, American bobsledder wins first World Cup race since birth of son – The New York Times

Olympics
Kaillie Humphries Armbruster captured her first World Cup bobsled gold since becoming a mother to Aulden. Maddie Meyer / Getty Images
Moms can do it all, and American bobsledder Kaillie Humphries Armbruster just reminded the world why. At 40 and now a mother, she soared back to the top of the World Cup podium on Sunday in Sigulda, Latvia, winning the two-woman race with brakewoman Emily Renna.
It was her first World Cup win since her February 2023 monobob victory, and her first since becoming a mom in June 2024.
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“It feels great to be back on top again,” Humphries Armbruster told The Athletic. “My personal team and I knew it was possible, but it was just a belief until now. As I continue to get back postpartum, one and a half years currently, it’s been a slow build physically and mentally.”
With 44 days until the Milan-Cortina Games, Humphries Armbruster reflected on how the experience added a new dimension to her Olympic journey.
“We had a goal of getting ready for the games. The timing is lining up, and this is great proof. Seeing is believing. My team and I are working very hard to make my Olympic dreams a reality,” she said.
The victory was her 31st World Cup two-woman win, 35th including monobob, and 43rd major career win, counting Olympics and world championship races. She’s won four Olympic medals, three of them gold. Sunday’s win also ended Germany’s 20-race winning streak in the two-woman event, a run that had started with her own win in Altenberg in January 2023.
Humphries Armbruster skipped the following season to start her family with husband Travis Armbruster, a former American bobsledder himself. Humphries Armbruster returned to competition in December 2024 after baby Aulden was born.
“Since becoming a mom, I’ve had to learn energy management a lot better,” she said, “becoming a mom hasn’t changed my sport approach, the skill of driving bobsled is the same as before. The challenge is energy management.”
She also credited careful preparation for her current form.
“I knew I wanted to return back to high-performance sport and compete at the 2026 Olympics. My coach, Stuart McMillan, and I sat down and came up with a 17-month plan. This season specifically was about stiffness, power and getting me physically faster and stronger.”
Humphries Armbruster has shared glimpses of her hotel workouts on social media, which include squats while carrying Aulden in her arms and her husband on her back. As she puts it, “bring on my whole family.”
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Inside the sled, the ride demands total focus and trust.
“Going down the track is very hard to describe, as there’s no other feeling in the world like it. A good run is smooth, fast and exhilarating. A bad run you just pray it ends as you get whipped, hit and tossed around like being In a washing machine or car crash” she said.
The physical toll is extreme.
“It’s a lot of pressure enforce going through your body at different intervals,” she said. “Every track is unique and different, offering a different feeling and sensation for both the pilot and brakeman.”
Alongside Humphries Armbruster, Renna celebrated her first World Cup gold as a brakewoman and her third overall medal, two of which came while riding with her.
Ahead of the Olympics, the U.S. women leave Sigulda riding a wave of momentum. Humphries Armbruster sits second in the World Cup two-woman standings, while reigning world monobob champion Kaysha Love claimed four medals in eight races this season. Veteran Elana Meyers Taylor finished fourth in both the two-woman and monobob events, underscoring the depth of the U.S. program.
“Getting faster at the start is the only way to stay competitive, so that’s what we’re focusing on. USA has some of the best equipment (bobsleds) in the world, and if I can have a good start, I know I can outdrive the rest of the field to win races. This past one proved it,” Humphries Armbruster said.
For Humphries Armbruster, the victory is proof that age and motherhood are not limits.
“I think becoming a mom has made me more resilient and focused,” she said. “I understand better than ever what the ‘journey’ is all about. Regardless of the result in sport, I come home to a little boy who loves me unconditionally.”
Denny Alfonso is a trending news writer for The Athletic. An Emmy Award–winning New Yorker, Denny previously covered the NBA, MLB, and MLS for ESPN, where she produced and reported the Soccer in America series, earning a Telly Award. She also covered the Rio Olympics for ESPN. Before joining ESPN, Denny worked as an investigative reporter for NBC Telemundo in Los Angeles and has been a contributor to both Yahoo and The Associated Press in New York.

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