Jill Bakken has contributed more to the US Women's Boblsed story than any other American woman in the sport. With little in the way of support or equipment, she persisted at a critical time in the history of women's bobsleigh, as she and her fellow athletes trekked from bobrun to bobrun, gradually winning over the public with excellent driving skills, spirit, and camaraderie. Success came quickly to the soft-spoken 16-year old, who had a natural affinity for speed.
Like other champions in the making, Jill was athletic from the time she could walk, skiing at 1 ˝ and racing by age 5. She gravitated to the ice, danger, and speed, and ultimately became a top-ranked downhill skier in the Northwest. A natural athlete, she expanded her career to basketball, but the thrill of the downhill race was sorely missed and she decided then that she wanted to prepare for high stakes competition, the Olympic games. With a 2-year gap in downhill points, Jill applied to the US Bobsled Federation for driver training in a sport that was not yet Olympic…but could be. After some initial hedging because Jill was so young, the Federation acquiesced, not willing to pass up an athletic resume like Jill's. At 16, she flew off to a strange place named Lake Placid as the movie "Cool Runnings" played on the airplane, and she earned the distinction of being the youngest driver in the history of the sport--regardless of gender.
Jill trained in Calgary, where the women's program had gradually matured after the US program closed in 1984. She recalls those early days as scrappy and fun, and they prepared her for her first World Cup race in Switzerland-a milestone in the 1994-95 season. They pushed off to their first race ever, landing a respectable 8th place, while gaining the respect of European coaches, and laying early groundwork for a much-deserved approval of an Olympic event in Women's bobsled. It was just the beginning of a whirlwind of activity for her over the next 3 years when Jill's team became the team to beat in the first World Cup tours for women. Jill and her teammates were ultimately victorious in proving that women deserved a play at Olympic competition. In 1999, a women's bobsleigh event was approved for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games by the IOC.
Jill still remains one of the original US Women's Bobsled Team. Over a career of nearly eight years, she has a list of earned accomplishments.
Jill not only gained respect as an athlete, but is admired for her sense of sportsmanship, her comaraderie, and her amiable personality. Her academic career boasts of equal accomplishment that she attributes to early-adapted skills in time management. She is currently finishing her degree at the University of Utah and resides in Park City, Utah. Among Jill's greatest fans is her mom who has stood behind each achievement, and values the journey, as well as the accomplishments.
Of course, the spectacular ending is that Jill Bakken is the first Gold Medalist in the Premiere Women's Bobsleigh event, held on 19 February 2002 in Park City, Utah. She earned it.
Jill has returned to the track after a 2-year stretch of recovery from a back injury. Competing in the Americas Cup race, Jill and brakeman Amanda Moreley took the Gold Medal and now continue on to Park City and finish off the circuit on the challenging Lake Placid track. She was selected as an alternate for the 2006 USA Olympic Team and supported the team at the Games in Italy.
Jill will remain a significant figure in the development and strengthening of the sport.
