For thousands of elite collegiate athletes, graduation represents a daunting crossroads. The structured world of NCAA competition, with its clear goals and rigorous schedules, suddenly vanishes. For every athlete who goes pro in their sport, countless others are left asking, "What's next?" This was the reality facing Kehri Jones as she neared the end of an illustrious track and field career at Baylor University. A powerful sprinter who had dedicated years to perfecting her start, drive, and finish over 100 and 200 meters, Jones was suddenly staring at the end of the track. Little did she know, her next starting line would be made of ice.
Jones’s journey from the track to the bobsled track is a compelling testament to athletic versatility, the critical role of observant coaches, and the courage to leap into the unknown. It’s a story that redefines the boundaries of an athletic career, proving that the skills honed in one arena can lead to unexpected glory in another. For many athletes whose primary sport journey is ending, her story offers a powerful blueprint for reinvention.
The moment that changed everything arrived not with a starting gun, but with a simple email. It wasn't even addressed to her. As her final season at Baylor was winding down, an Olympic bobsled driver reached out to the school’s strength and conditioning coach, looking for powerful athletes who might have the raw talent for their sport. In a recent podcast interview, Kehri Jones shared the full story of her unexpected journey from the track to the ice, explaining how her coach became the unlikely catalyst for her Olympic dream. "My strength and conditioning coach got an email from one of the Olympic bobsled drivers asking about athletes," Jones recalled. "And he thought that I would be a good fit for the sport."
That single recommendation opened a door to a world Jones had never considered. The logic, however, is biomechanically sound and is the reason bobsled recruiters frequently scout collegiate track meets and football programs. The success of a bobsled run is overwhelmingly dependent on the first five seconds—the explosive push off the block. This initial burst of power generates the momentum the sled will carry for the remainder of the minute-long, high-G-force descent.
The ideal bobsled "pusher" or "brakeman" is an athlete who can generate maximum force in the shortest amount of time. This is the very definition of a sprinter. The same fast-twitch muscle fibers, explosive power from the hips and glutes, and coordinated aggression required to burst out of the starting blocks in a 100-meter dash are precisely the attributes needed to get a 400-pound sled moving on ice. The running form is different—more of a low, driving push against the sled—but the physiological engine is identical. Jones’s years of training as a sprinter had, without her realizing it, been the perfect preparation for her next career.
"It really almost was pretty seamless...just based on my running style," Jones explained of the physical transition. "I'm a pretty powerful runner, a powerful athlete." The training in the gym felt familiar; it was an extension of the work she had always done, simply with an emphasis on building even more functional strength and mass. The core principles of powerlifting, plyometrics, and sprint drills remained the same.
However, raw power alone doesn't guarantee success. While her athletic ability transferred smoothly, the technical side of the sport presented a steep learning curve. "The most difficult part is the technical part of the sport, which is mainly getting the sled off of the block," she noted. This is the crucial intersection where raw athleticism meets specialized skill. It involves precise timing, a coordinated team effort, and learning to run on ice while propelling a massive object—a completely foreign concept for a track athlete accustomed to a synthetic, high-friction surface.
This duality defines the experience of many crossover athletes. They possess the world-class physical foundation but must adopt a beginner's mindset to master the sport's unique nuances. It requires humility, patience, and an intense dedication to learning, qualities that separate those who successfully make the switch from those who don't. Jones embraced this challenge, and her rapid ascent in the sport was nothing short of remarkable. Within her rookie season, she made the World Cup team, competing internationally against the best in the world.
Kehri Jones’s story is a powerful reminder that an athlete’s journey doesn’t have to be linear. The end of a collegiate career isn't always a finish line; for some, it's a transition zone to an even greater challenge. Her leap of faith from a familiar track to a frozen chute of ice demonstrates that the core of athleticism—power, discipline, and a willingness to be coached—is a universal language. It’s a path that requires immense courage, but as Jones has proven, it can lead to the pinnacle of a whole new world.
