Inheriting the same passion from his father who competed in the sport, Isaak Ulmer loves bobsledding.
“I really look up to him,” Ulmer said. “When our school came for a program to do some pushing, I thought to myself, ‘Hey this pretty fun. I should keep doing this.’”
At just 17 years old, Ulmer has found success on the track, most recently winning a medal at an event in Lake Placid, N.Y.
“It’s been amazing. I finished fourth… and I beat all the Americans, which was pretty exciting on their home track.”
Ulmer’s growth in the sport has been helped by his current coach and 2022 bobsled Olympian, Taylor Austin.
“He’s tenacious,” Austin said. “He’s always in here. He’s always training. He’s trying to get better. And he’s asking the right questions and set himself up for success in the future.”
Ulmer is one of two Canadian male youth athletes vying for a qualifying spot at next year’s Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, South Korea.
One of the biggest hurdles Ulmer faces is funding. The Canadian Olympic Committee only covers the cost for athletes at the game, so Ulmer and his family are covering costs through grants and a GoFundMe page.
“This year, we’re on about $12,000. So it’s quite a lot,” Ulmer said. “It’s been tough, but also I’ve been very lucky with people helping around.
“I think just proving to them that all this work, and all this effort and money has really been worth it — I think that’s really been a great help.”
The Calgarian will need to compete in two more qualifiers to reach the Youth Olympics, beginning in Lillehammer, Norway, next month.