Who is Ryan Rager? The American bobsleigher’s rapid rise turns his Olympic dream into reality ahead of Milano Cortina 2026

| Global Sports Desk | TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Jan 17, 2026, 18:00 IST

Ryan Rager has quickly become one of the most talked-about new names in bobsleigh. What makes Rager’s story special is how fast everything has happened. Just months ago, he had never attended a World Cup race.

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Today, he is part of the USA bobsleigh conversation for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. A former strength and conditioning coach, Rager admits the journey has been sudden, intense, and exciting, but he says the speed and thrill of bobsleigh feel like everything sport should be.

From social media scroll to Olympic contention, Ryan Rager's dream run in bobsleigh

Ryan Rager’s path into bobsleigh started almost by accident in early 2025. While scrolling through social media, he noticed posts about a bobsleigh combine in Chicago. At the time, he was working as a strength and conditioning coach at Cedarville University. A friend attending the combine caught his attention. Rager looked into the events and realized they matched the kind of training he had done for years. He decided to travel and test himself.

The decision changed his life. His performances were strong enough to earn him an invite to the USA Bobsled and Skeleton Federation’s rookie camp in Lake Placid. There, he posted some of the fastest times ever recorded by a beginner. Rager later explained that his love for training and fitness kept him ready for a chance he never expected to get.

His progress continued quickly. After rookie camp, he advanced through the development system and competed at the national push championships in September 2025. His results there secured him a spot on the 2025-26 World Cup team. He said the key skills of a brakeman are speed and power, qualities he had trained for long before stepping onto the ice.

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Rager soon left his coaching job to focus fully on bobsleigh. He admitted he is still learning, especially the technical side of getting into the sled smoothly during four-man races. He credits veteran teammates for helping him adjust. His first test runs were overwhelming, with strong G-forces and plenty of movement inside the sled, but he described the experience as unforgettable and fun.

Now, Rager says his Olympic dream feels real again. He once believed that dream had ended with track and field. Today, he says he is more than happy if bobsleigh is the path that takes him to the Olympic Games.