Winter Olympics 2026: Who are Sarah Blizzard and Desi Johnson; The broken bones and bold ambitions fuelling Australia's newest bobsleigh duo

When Sarah Blizzard convinced Desi Johnson to join her at a 2023 bobsleigh development camp in La Plagne, France, she jumped into the back of the 170kg two-woman sled without a second thought.

At the time, she had no idea Blizzard was also relatively new to the world of piloting.

Both women share a background in track and field — Blizzard as a sprinter from Victoria and Johnson as a sprinter and heptathlete from Queensland.

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Blizzard moved to Canberra at 18 for university, determined to get the most out of her athletics career.

Her family always suspected she would eventually move away to travel the world; they often joked she would end up as a ski instructor in Canada, given that she grew up on the slopes.

Instead, her winter calling came through the track; Blizzard was recruited for bobsleigh in 2019 after her coach identified her as the athlete most likely to take the leap.

From there, everything moved quickly. She embraced the challenge, and the transition proved to be seamless.

Watch the Winter Olympic Games Milano Cortina 2026 live and free on Channel 9 and 9Now. Plus, every event live & on demand, every medal in 4K, and exclusive international coverage on Stan Sport.

Just two months later, she made her international debut as a brakewoman for 'Bobled Bree' Walker — a partnership that lasted three seasons.

After serving as an injury alternate at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, Blizzard decided to move from the back of the sled to the pilot's seat, taking full control of her Olympic destiny.

However, she needed a new teammate for the two-woman competition.

Despite having no prior bobsleigh experience — or even having seen a track before — Johnson was the first person to jump into the back of Blizzard's sled.

Johnson was determined to succeed in sport, driven by a lifelong dream of reaching the Olympics. However, she had always envisioned herself competing on the world stage in a summer sport.

Her track career was plagued by a foot injury that forced her to pivot to the heptathlon, a move that led to a fractured L4 vertebra.

The following years brought a relentless cycle of injury and setbacks, including further back fractures, a dislocated knee and multiple foot surgeries.

A subsequent attempt at rugby sevens proved equally punishing, as the intensity of the sport re-aggravated her recurring foot issues once again.

When Blizzard asked Johnson to travel to the French Alps to try bobsleigh, she sold the idea with disarming honesty.

"She said, 'I don't care about your foot. Just hop in the sled and go down the track and see if you like it'," Johnson tells Wide World of Sports.

"So, I was like, 'Oh well, there's a sport I can try out, see if I like it'.

"I don't think I knew what I was getting into at all — I had no clue.

"I was going into it very blasé. Like, 'Oh yeah, you just go down the track, it's fine. It'll be just like a rollercoaster sort of thing."

Johnson had not even comprehended that she would be responsible for holding herself in as the sled hurtled down the track at breakneck speeds.

But after only one week in La Plagne, her summer dream became a winter one.

Since that first camp, the pair has developed a powerful bond, living, training and travelling together year-round on the international circuit.

Inside the sled, this connection transforms into a high-speed partnership built on absolute trust as they hit corners at speeds of up to 130km/h. This synergy is the only way a two-woman bobsleigh team succeeds.

At the top of a track, both athletes power the sled into a sprint — Blizzard gripping the side push bar while Johnson provides raw strength from the back.

Once they hit peak velocity, Blizzard leaps into the front seat before Johnson immediately follows, tucking in behind her. The responsibility then shifts entirely to Blizzard to navigate the sled safely down the mile-long track.

"It's a combination between steering enough to make sure it's controlled, but not steering too much that it slows down the sled with friction," Blizzard explains.

While Blizzard steers, Johnson ducks low and holds on tight.

With her head tucked for aerodynamics, she sees nothing but the floor of the sled as they hurtle down the track.

"I've got to have full trust in Sarah to get me down that track. I have no idea what's going on," Johnson says.

After they cross the finish line, Blizzard instructs Johnson to pop up. Quickly reorienting herself, Johnson then heaves the brakes to bring the sled to a controlled stop within the run-out zone.

"You've got to have absolute full trust in your pilot, and as a team, in each other," Johnson says.

Over the last few years, Blizzard and Johnson have been methodically building their team with a singular focus on securing Olympic qualification and punching their ticket to the start line at Milano Cortina 2026.

Johnson needed further foot surgery before her 2023/24 debut season, yet still recovered in time to compete at the World Championships in February 2024.

The toll on her body was immense; as soon as the season concluded, she underwent shoulder surgery for a torn labrum, triggering another gruelling rehab stint.

Adding to the whirlwind, she only made her World Cup debut at the start of the 2025/26 season — in November.

"It's pretty crazy to think that I'm going to be competing at the Olympics this season. I can't even put it into words," Johnson says.

"It still doesn't feel real.

"Until I get to the top of the track and I see it and I feel it and everything, that's when it's going to sink in, but I am just so grateful, honestly, for this experience and being able to do this."

Despite arriving at the Games as one of the field's more inexperienced teams, Blizzard and Johnson are prepared to give everything they have for a successful Olympic debut.

"We've got all the support around us to help us give the best performance possible," Blizzard says.

"For us, it's about solid pushes that we're proud of. For me, it's driving the sled down and getting consistent runs that are clean and ones that I'm happy with.

"If we can give it everything and be proud of our performance, I think whatever the result that comes is something that we'll be happy with.

"Obviously, we'd like to be inside the top 20 as the top 20 get the fourth run on the second day [of competition]. So, that would be amazing.

"But really, it just comes down to giving it everything and being proud of what we can give."

The first two heats of the two-woman bobsleigh get underway at 4am (AEDT) on Saturday.

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