Meet the Team

Click one of the categories below to meet the athletes

A bobsled team is a lot like a football team or Indianapolis pit crew. Every member has a responsibility and the other crew members depend on him or her to do his or her best.

A lot of people ask us who has the most important job on the team. Is it the driver? Is it the brakeman? Is it the pushers? The truth is, as cliche as it sounds, everyone's job is equally important. No driver would take a sled down the track without a brakeman and the driver and brakeman are both lost if they don't have side pushers in the fourman event. That's why we love bobsled, you train, compete and win as a team. No one get's the glory more than anyone else...mostly. We all know that the driver's get all the credit (or so say the brakemen and pushers).

The team pilots, or drivers, are perhaps the glue that holds the team together. Oftentimes they are responsible for raising funds for equipment, training and competition. They may also carry the burden of recruiting new athletes, attending official meetings, representing the team at certain functions, plus organizing training and competition schedules, plus attending to the maintenence needs of the sled. Once the team has pushed off the start and loaded in, the pilots then take over control, manuevering the sleds through high-speed turns at speeds of up to around 90mph! Ok, so maybe they do deserve the lion's share of the credit. But they know they can't do it alone.

The brakemen, or anchor-boys, on a bobsled team are often (but not always) you're fastest athlete in the fourman event. Since they are the last to load, they are still running as the sled picks up speed. Contrary to popular belief, however, a brakemen does not actually use the brakes on the way down the track. This usually leads to disqualification because it destroys the ice. No, brakemen only hit the brakes (and they hit them hard on some tracks) as soon as the sled crosses the finish line. The brakes are actually a metal bar with jagged edges that pivot down onto the ice when the brakemen pulls up on his or her handles, thus slowing down the sled. That's why snow and ice go flying when you watch sled's finish on TV. Trivia fact: did you know that in most sleds the #3 pusher has to get up at the finish line so the brakeman has enough room to pull the handles? Now you can impress your friends next time you watch bobsledding on TV.

The two pushers on either side of the sled are there to basically be like linemen: push hard and fast. They hit the sled and go like mad until the #2 pusher sees the driver load into the sled. He or she will do a tricky cross-step (outside foot goes onto the wing of the sled) and then jumps into the sled. While he or she is in the middlge of this action, the #3 pusher will repeat the same movements from his or her side of the sled. In reality the coaches and team decide which side loads in after the driver, the left or the right. But once inside, the pushers don't sit down immediately. The #2 pusher needs to load in without disturbing the driver, but also he or she will stay partially raised up so that the #3 pusher has room to get his or her feet around #2. #3 will also remain partially raised out of his or her seat so that the brakeman can load in behind him/her. Once the brakeman is settled, the whole team will sit down in their "seats" and hold on for the remainder of the ride (and probably pray the whole time).



The Pilots, a.k.a. Sled Jockeys

Jeremy Holm - Pilot, Team Captain
Jeremy began bobsledding when he was just sixteen years old. His father took him on a four-man bobsled ride on the then freshly constructed track in Park City, Utah and he was hooked immediately.

"Bobsledding has taught me a lot about life and helped me in way II can't even describe," Jeremy says. "It helped me through some tough times and gave me new insights into life, goals and how to lead a successful life. It hasn't always been easy, but I'll stop being grateful to have such a great sport in my life, not to mention great teammates."


Brad Welch - Pilot, Pusher, Brakeman
Brad actually began his slidding career in the sport of skeleton. After a short time in the sport he took a ride with other American pilots, John McGee and Olympian Bree Schaff. After that, he decided to quit skeleton and focus on bobsled.

He met Team Holm Racing's Jeremy Holm and was quickly inducted onto the team where he trained as a brakeman and side pusher. Brad was given the opportunity to learn to drive bobsleds while volunteering for a special program with the National Abilities Center. In the summer months Brad stays in shape by free style jetskiing (not to mention all the physical training involved with his current service in United States Army right now learning to fly helicopters.







The Pushers & Brakemen, a.k.a. Speed Demons


Don Osmond - Pusher, Brakeman
Don Osmond joined the racing sport of professional bobsledding in 2007. His first run with Team Holm Bobsled earned him the nickname “Blackout” due to the fact that he blacked out, causing a minor crash into a snow drift at the end of the track -- he should have been manning the brakes.

Not only is he one of the athletes associated with Team Holm, Don also works with Jeremy Holm, team captain, on various marketing efforts for the team. He is a graduate from Brigham Young University’s Communication Department, and has worked as a public relations professional for the past eight years.

Don thrives on adrenaline, and is one of the founding reasons he continues to participate in this fast-paced, team-oriented sport.



Dan Bright - Pusher, Brakeman
Dan's bio is coming soon! He's too busy building houses and remodelling buildings at the moment.








Matt Storms - Pusher, Brakeman
Matt's bio is coming soon! As soon as he's more coherent and not on pain-killers for his broken leg and surgery, he's going to finish his bio.