The Road To The Olympics - Sara Villani's Journey

By Heather Raymond

Sara Villani is a proud Mustang track and field alum who just completed her third year of bobsleigh. After two years on the World Cup circuit, Sara competed in the winter Beijing 2022 games.

Sara recalls her time as a Mustang as a time of incredible athletic development, and learning to balance different demands. She believes the experience truly helped her learn to prioritize and manage multiple commitments, and she thanks her wonderful coaches who encouraged her to bobsleigh.

Her road to the Olympics wasn't smooth. After a series of crashes in her first year of bobsleigh, the mental and psychological aspects of the sport began weighing on her. She felt like she wasn't brave or fearless enough to be a breakwoman, but thanks to her incredible coach, Sara was able to rebuild her confidence and get back on the course.

COVID-19 forced athletes to become especially adaptive outside the normal stress of Olympic competition. Sara’s experience in Beijing involved less interaction between athletes, no extracurriculars and mandatory quarantining. Interestingly, Sara finds these factors may have helped with her nerves during competition as there were fewer fans.

Looking toward the future, Sara plans to go to the 2026 Olympics in Milano Cortina and then begin the post-athlete transition.

When asked what advice she'd give to any athletes looking to achieve a similar dream, Sara spoke about the mental preparation one needs to have, the sacrifices that come with competitive sports, and how priorities must shift to make the dream a reality. Sara Villani is a prime example of how dedication, hard work and perseverance can help you to reach your highest dreams.

Bobsleigh - news, athletes, highlights & more. Olympics.com. (n.d.). Retrieved August 8, 2022, from https://olympics.com/en/sports/bobsleigh/