As Australia’s top bobsleigh pilot, Bree’s been hopping between continents, managing the logistics of staying within Europe’s 90-day Schengen limit and chasing podiums and heads to the US and Canada next.
All part of the ride for an Aussie athlete in one of the world’s most niche and brutally demanding winter sports. I sat down with Bree before she left for Calgary to find out what motivates her.
Back-to-Back Gold
Since the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, where she claimed an outstanding fifth place in monobob, Bree has sharpened her edge even more. With back-to-back golds in Norway and a second-place overall World Cup ranking in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons, she’s a big player on the bobsleigh top list , a long way from her early training days in North America. This is where Bree picked up the US term, bobsled before embracing the more Euro-centric term, bobsleigh. Although both are technically correct.
Her transformation wasn’t accidental. Post-Olympics, Bree partnered with the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia and the Queensland Academy of Sport to draft a four-year plan. It started with a big change with head coach Pierre Lueders, a five-time Olympian, Olympic champion and world champ, coming on board. The result? Medals in her first season under his watch and a fourth place at the World Championships.
Bree’s also brought fresh energy into the sled teaming up with former track and field talent Kiara as her brakeman for 2-woman races, allowing her to now attack both monobob and 2-woman events with consistency.
World Cup Winner and a Crystal Globe to Prove it
“Winning my first World Cup gold in monobob was incredible,” Bree says. But even more rewarding? Snagging the crystal globe, the coveted trophy awarded to the season’s most consistent performer.
“The first year I missed the top spot by over 100 points,” she explains. “The next year, I closed the gap to just 40.” That kind of progress speaks volumes and not just about talent, but about the mindset of an athlete who’s in it for real!
Eyes on Cortina
As she gears up for the next season, Bree’s training focus sharpens. With a new track debuting in Cortina, she and Pierre are pouring energy into testing strategies and adapting quickly , a key skill in a sport where no two runs are ever the same.
“It’s about micro-goals,” Bree says. “You have to break everything down , technique, ice conditions, even the mental game and build from there.”
That philosophy paid off in Lake Placid, where she took a massive gamble by self-funding a trip… and left with her first gold and that all-important crystal globe.
Off-Season Training With a Power Team
This off-season, Bree is settling into Calgary not exactly a holiday, but a great base camp. With head coach Pierre, strength coach Will, and new push coach Olaf Hampel (a former Olympic champion himself), she’s building one of the strongest support teams in the sport.
“It’s unusual to switch coaches in an Olympic cycle,” she admits. “But Olaf gets the vision. We’re all aligned on chasing medals.”
The Mindset of a Champion
Bree’s edge doesn’t come from sled runs alone. She devotes half her time to mindset work, training the mental game as hard as the physical one.
“I’ve started to understand who I am outside of sport,” she shares. “And I know that when the time comes to step away from competing, I’ll be ready because I’ve built a life and identity that’s more than just results.”
That sense of balance paired with relentless ambition is what makes Bree not just a medal contender, but a great role model. And while she’s already eyeing her second Olympics, she’s also thinking about what comes next.
We think Bree would make an excellent contender for a motivating autobiography for the younger generation coming through.
For now, it’s back to the ice. Good luck Bree, we’ll be watching with a few snacks someplace warm thinking of you!
