Desi's Story
Fast Facts
Sport: Bobsleigh
Events: 2-woman bobsleigh
Olympic History: Milano Cortina 2026
Year Born: 2001
About Desi
Desi Johnson is part of Australia’s next wave of bobsleigh talent, bringing elite sprint power to one of winter sport’s most explosive start disciplines. After building a strong base in athletics, competing in the 100 metres and heptathlon, Desi transitioned to bobsleigh in 2023, joining the Australian team as a brakewoman.
The move made immediate sense. In bobsleigh, the first seconds of the run are defined by acceleration and teamwork, with the brakewoman delivering repeated high-force pushes before loading into the sled. Johnson’s speed and strength quickly translated, and she began racing internationally alongside pilot Sarah Blizzard, focusing on building consistency across the long European season.
Desi’s outstanding progression was underlined on the international development circuit in 2025, when she attended the first International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation Summer Training Camp in Prague. The camp culminated in a push championship event, and Desi topped the women’s field.
On the ice, her early championship experience came at the 2024 International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation World Championships in Winterberg, Germany, where she and Sarah finished 21st in the 2-woman competition in their first World Championship race together.
The 2025–26 season then became a key phase of Olympic qualification and international learning, with Desi and Sarah stepping into World Cup racing and gaining valuable starts on tracks expected to shape the sport for years to come.
Desi made her World Cup debut with Sarah in Cortina d’Ampezzo on 23 November 2025, finishing 23rd in the 2-woman event, an important milestone, not only because it marked her first World Cup start, but because it came on the Olympic track where the Games’ sliding events will be held.
Momentum continued into the new year. At the Winterberg World Cup on 5 January 2026, Sarah and Desi delivered their best World Cup result to date, placing 17th in the 2-woman race, a personal best that reflected improved execution across both heats. The pair concluded the pre-Olympic World Cup season with 20th at St. Moritz and another best placing when 15th at Altenberg.
Away from competition, Desi has also become known for sharing training, fitness and nutrition content with a large online audience, helping to shine a light on the work required behind the scenes in a sport where athletes often manage significant logistical and financial demands across a full winter campaign.
Desi is an exciting talent with continued focus on building speed, precision and reliability at the start, the foundation of strong bobsleigh performance. Desi is also part of Bobsleigh & Skeleton Australia’s Development Squad where she continues to develop her skills as a winter athlete.
