U.S. Bobsledder Emily Renna on Building Belief Before the Results

Confidence didn’t come easily for Emily Renna and that’s exactly what makes her story powerful.

As a U.S. bobsled athlete chasing an Olympic berth, Emily is the first to admit that this season didn’t start with unshakable belief. In fact, heading into preseason testing, confidence was something she had to rebuild from the ground up.

“I wasn’t the most confident athlete,” she says honestly. “It’s something I’ve worked a lot on this season.”

Rather than ignoring that reality, Emily leaned into it, working closely with her mindset coach to develop tools she now relies on daily. Visualization became a cornerstone of her routine. “We visualize things not going well at first,” she explains, “and then we rewrite the story in my brain to focus on a positive outcome.”

Alongside visualization, affirmations became another non-negotiable. Written down. Repeated often. Revisited throughout the day. Confidence, for Emily, isn’t accidental. It’s practiced.

Training the Mind Like the Body

What’s striking about Emily’s approach is how intentionally she carries these tools into training. Before workouts, she repeats affirmations. She visualizes how she wants a run to feel, how she wants to push, and how she wants to show up long before race day ever arrives.

Then, when competition comes, she does it again, just with more intensity.

“A race is a lot bigger of a deal,” she says. “So the mindset has to be stronger.”

That preparation has paid off. This past March at World Championships in Lake Placid, Emily earned her highest finish yet, fourth in the world and the top U.S. sled in a stacked international field.

It was her third consecutive World Championships and a clear sign that the work, especially the mental work, is showing up when it matters most.

Betting on Herself Twice

Emily’s confidence story doesn’t start in bobsled.

Before ever stepping into a sled, she was a track and field athlete at the University of Rhode Island. When her track career ended, she recalls feeling like “something was missing in a competitive sense.” 

Then, she saw a former high school competitor make the leap into bobsled. And a simple thought followed: “If she can do it, why can’t I?”

That question sparked a decision, one rooted in belief, not certainty. Emily trained that summer. She tried out. She leaned on what she knew she had, speed, power, strength, and the willingness to start over.

“It was scary,” she admits. “I didn’t know if it would work out. But I knew how badly I wanted to compete at the highest level.”

So she committed. Fully.

“We’re going to make this happen,” she told herself. “We’re going to figure it out.”

She did just that. 

Confidence Is a Team Sport

As a push athlete in bobsled, Emily knows her confidence doesn’t just affect her, it affects her partner. Trust, energy, and belief are shared currencies in the sled.

“If you can give your partner confidence,” she says, “make them feel like they don’t have to worry about anything, that makes a difference.”

Confidence, in Emily’s world, isn’t loud or performative. It’s steady and quietly powerful.

A Message to Her 12-Year-Old Self

If Emily could talk to her 12-year-old-self, the young athlete who didn’t even know bobsled existed, she knows exactly what she’d say.

“Don’t ever give up on believing in yourself,” she says. “Especially when you’re chasing a dream. You’re going to go down paths where you think it isn’t possible, but it is.”

Fear hasn’t disappeared from her journey. She still feels it every time she slides. But fear no longer gets the final say.

“You have to overcome that first fear of trying,” Emily says. “And it’s been so worth it.”

As she heads into the final stretch of Olympic qualification, she’s bringing a mindset of confidence, finding composure by trusting her preparation and committing fully to the moment in front of her.

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