Sarah's Story
Fast Facts
Sport: Bobsleigh
Events: 2 Woman bobsleigh
Olympic History: Milano Cortina 2026
Year Born: 1996
About Sarah
Former track sprinter Sarah Blizzard was a reserve for the bobsleigh team at Beijing 2022, and after proving herself as an outstanding pilot and athlete, she will achieve her Olympic dream in the monobob and 2-woman events at Milano Cortina 2026.
Sarah Blizzard grew up in country Victoria and first made her name on the running track. A talented sprinter from Ararat, she reached four consecutive Stawell Gift finals, an achievement that spoke to her speed, consistency and competitive temperament.
In 2019, Sarah was recruited to try bobsleigh. Within two months she debuted on the European circuit as a brakeman, harnessing the power and timing honed in athletics to push start Australia’s sleds. The rapid ascent brought early lessons at the sport’s sharp end. During preparation for the 2021 World Championships in Altenberg, training crashes forced the Australian 2-woman crew of pilot Bree Walker and Blizzard to withdraw from the event, an experience that underscored both the risk and resilience bobsleigh demands.
Sarah travelled to the Olympic Winter Games in 2022 as an injury alternate for Australia’s bobsleigh squad, supporting the program on the ground in Beijing before deciding to steer her own path by moving to the pilot’s seat in the next Olympic cycle.
Her first season driving brought immediate signs of potential. In January 2023 she achieved Australia’s best result at the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation Junior World Championships, finishing fourth in the women’s monobob at Winterberg, Germany. It was a near‑podium performance in only her first year at the controls. The same winter, Sarah made her World Cup monobob debut at Innsbruck-Igls, stepping up to the top level of competition for pilots.
Sarah then mixed Europe Cup racing with targeted World Cup starts to build depth and track knowledge. In December 2023 she earned a Europe Cup monobob bronze medal at Sigulda, Latvia, her first international podium as a pilot. The following month, she added a 2‑woman Europe Cup podium at Altenberg, piloting an Australian sled to third place.
The 2024 northern winter marked Sarah’s first World Championships as a pilot. At Winterberg she completed the four‑run women’s monobob program and gained invaluable major‑event experience, part of a cohort guided that week by coach An Vannieuwenhuyse.
With the Milano Cortina 2026 Games on the horizon, she then committed to a full World Cup driving campaign in 2024/25. Sarah opened her World Cup season in December 2024 at Altenberg, placing 21st in monobob and 17th in the 2‑woman alongside brakewoman Ashleigh Werner. Ashleigh’s return to the series was in a new role as a brakie and a fresh combination for Australia. As the winter progressed, Sarah and Ashleigh continued to bank runs at World Cups and Europa Cups against the world’s best. The pair finished their winter season in February at the Lillehammer World Cup with their best results. Sarah was 15th in monobob and 13th in the 2-woman was a personal best for the pair.
Sarah had proven her pilot abilities and her leadership role in building depth in both monobob and 2‑woman disciplines. Her pathway has been boosted by the Pho3nix Foundation Athlete Program, recognition that included the Extraordinary Performance Award at the Pho3nix Sports Awards in June 2025.
The 2025-26 World Cup season started at the venue for the Olympic Winter Games at Cortina d’Ampezzo, where she was 23rd in mononbob and the 2-woman with brakewoman Desi Johnson. This was a return to the combination that had competed at the 2024 World Championships. Across the high-pressure World Cup season this 2-woman combination was 17th in Winterberg, 20th in St. Moritz and 15th in Altenberg - the final World Cup before the Games. Altenberg was where Sarah also drove to her best monobob finish of the World Cup tour in 20th.
Following a great season across the World Cup and Europa Cup tours, Sarah had performed exceptionally and secured enough qualification points to secure her place in the monobob and 2-woman event with Desi for Milano Cortina 2026.
Away from the ice, Sarah has studied sport and exercise science and uses that background to coach and support others, while splitting time between Victoria and European bases during the season.
From sprinting on the grass track to carving lines on Europe’s ice tracks, Sarah’s journey is grounded in patience, community roots and a willingness to learn hard lessons quickly. Her blend of athletic power, technical curiosity and the lived experience of both back‑of‑the‑sled and driver roles places her at the forefront of Australia’s next wave in women’s bobsleigh.
