UNION COUNTY — Sophia Bruce isn’t any stranger to athletics, however even she couldn’t have foreseen what sport 2026 would carry into her life.

Bruce, a seasoned scholar athlete, grew up in Monument and graduated from Cove Excessive College in 2019. She performed volleyball, basketball and ran observe as a teen and landed a full-ride scholarship to attend Weber State College.

Now, she has a shot of incomes a spot on the Olympics — simply not for the game you may assume.

You gained’t discover Bruce spiking balls over the web, capturing baskets or operating across the observe. However you may see her racing headfirst down an icy slope within the close to future.

Her new sport of alternative? Skeleton.

“You realize as somewhat child while you’re going sledding down a hill? Think about that sort of sled, you’re pushing it by your self and also you’re flying down a observe at 80 miles an hour along with your head this near the bottom,” Bruce stated. “Suppose excessive sledding, however you’re additionally driving the sled.”

Skeleton is a high-speed winter sport the place athletes race down an ice observe headfirst on a specifically designed sled. Rivals should launch themselves onto the sled with a push earlier than maneuvering down the observe.

“They usually recruit former collegiate athletes simply because not very many individuals develop up doing bobsled and skeleton,” Bruce stated. “So what they do is that they search for athletes that had been in observe or have the power to run quick and be highly effective.”

There’s overlap within the want for velocity and energy, Bruce stated, however the greatest adjustment is getting used to being bent over at a 90-degree angle to push to sled.

Bruce in June took half within the USA Bobsled/Skeleton Digital Mix, heard again the next month and in August attended the USA Bobsled/Skeleton Rookie Camp on the Olympic facility in Park Metropolis, Utah. She wasn’t meant to be a bobsled athlete given her small measurement, Bruce stated, however coaches advised her she was a skeleton athlete.

“I had the chance to check out,” she stated. “I used to be the highest woman when it comes to velocity and energy and so they determined to maneuver ahead with me and place me tentatively on the group.”

Bruce will head again to Park Metropolis for 2 weeks in December to attend sliding college. Rookie camp confirmed she has the athletic means to push the sled, sliding college will reveal if she will be able to drive it down the course.

Bruce must present she will be able to hit a push normal earlier than competing. That is how briskly you may get from Level A to Level B within the 50-meter begin space.

“You need to have a very good push,” Bruce stated. “The sooner you push off, the sooner you’re going to get going.”

From now till December, Bruce’s greatest aim is maintaining her power and velocity. She plans to return to Utah to get extra reps on the dry push observe, which is on the market yr spherical. She gained’t be capable to get on the ice observe till winter.

Her subsequent aim? Compete with Workforce USA within the 2026-27 North American Circuit. After that, Bruce has her eyes set on the Olympics.

“I’m nonetheless blown away that I’ve this chance,” Bruce stated.

Household help issues

Bruce moved to Cove together with her household from Monument for her junior yr of highschool. She fondly remembers heading to the Cove Drive-In together with her finest good friend after observe for milkshakes. Her favourite taste was marshmallow.

Now, Bruce lives in Texas together with her husband, James, however she nonetheless comes again to Jap Oregon to go to her household. Her mother and father, Earl and Nittaya Pettit, and two siblings all dwell in Cove.

This entire expertise wouldn’t have been doable with out the help of her household, she stated, together with her husband and oldsters extremely supportive, pushing her and believing in her.

“My dad was in all probability the primary one to inform me: ‘Go all in on this. You are able to do this. I do know you possibly can,’” Bruce stated.

His first query when she made the group? How will we get a shirt? How will we help this? How will we present this off?

Go all in

Bruce has two messages for future athletes.

The primary is a mantra she herself obtained from one in all her highschool coaches in Monument. All in.

“No matter you’re doing, be all in,” she stated. “I nonetheless use that motto as we speak.”

The second message: Don’t let your demographic space restrict you. Should you really need one thing, she stated, you need to work for it, imagine in it and take the danger.

“You’ve gotten all of the alternatives on the earth even in the event you’re from Jap Oregon,” Bruce stated. “I attest to that. I’m Workforce USA being from Cove.”