Local Hero – Olympic Bobsleigh Pilot Jay Dearborn
At the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics next week, Yarker native and Sydenham High School graduate Jay Dearborn, will be one of two bobsleigh pilots representing Canada in both the 2-man and 4-man Bobsleigh competitions . He will have some family and friends on hand to see him race, and an entire community back home also pulling for him.
Not only did Jay go to SHS, where he played football and other sports, both his parents Ken Dearborn and Liz Shibley, taught there for many years. Although his father passed away just over five years ago, he is still remembered as one of the legendary Golden Eagles Football and Track and Field coaches, and for his strong commitment to developing the potential of all athletes, both on and off the field. Jay’s mother Liz also spent most of her career coaching and teaching at the school as well. Oh, and his older brother Chris has returned as a teacher, football, soccer, and track and field coach.
After graduating from high school, Jay went on to Holland College where for three years, he played football and earned a college diploma. The following summer he went to the CFL Combine where his testing results immediately caught the attention of the many scouts and recruiters present. Although recruited by the Montreal Allouettes who wanted him to attend their spring training camp, he decided to go to Carleton University where he played football for three years while working on a Mechanical Engineering Degree.
He once again attended the CFL Combine and this time was recruited by the Saskatchewan Rough Riders. When injured in spring training camp, he returned home for extensive therapy but at that time he was recruited by Bobsleigh Canada, and when called back up to the Rough Riders, he became a two-sport athlete. He made the 2021 National Bobsled team as the skills and strength that make for a good defensive back, transfer easily to being a good brakeman. He did a short stint with the Hamilton Tiger Cats but by 2023, his football career had been hampered by both injuries and the Covid pandemic.
While Jay trained as a brakeman for the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, he later decided to become a bobsleigh pilot. a job that takes many years to master. Early this fall, Jay decided to remain in North America to race in the North American Cup season this year, instead of at the World Cup level in Europe. He had top finishes on the North American races in Park City, Utah, Lake Placid, NY, and Whistler, BC, but the ranking points are somewhat different than those that come with racing against the top teams of the world, on the World Cup circuit.
Watching her son as a bobsleigh pilot will be a high lite of watching and supporting Jay’s athletic career in both football and sledding, and over that time Liz has learned a few things about how to be the mother of a professional athlete. In the preseason of this critical year, we talked about communication and we decided that it would work best if I followed his lead; if he wanted to talk about a race, training or something that was bothering him, I would certainly ask questions to better understand what he was talking about but I’m best at just hearing him out and occasionally reminding him of the qualities he has that have gotten him this far. The mental aspects of being a high level athlete are incredibly demanding.
“It has been an intense journey for Jay, and the skills required to be a pilot, are unique,” said Liz. The sled moves so quickly that the pilot can’t really use their eyesight the way someone would while driving a vehicle or catching a ball. They need to have a mental picture and subtle physical awareness in memorizing the track in order to feel their way through every turn and curve. Any slight mistake can slow the sled, and that slowing down compounds the error as the race goes on; the top finish times are separated by hundredths of a second. At speeds of 140kms/hour or 150kms/hour, the slightest of errors can result in a crash. Around the world, no two tracks are the same in terms of number of corners and degree of slope. Unlike brakeman, pilots can only hone their craft when the temperature drops below freezing so the track can be maintained.
In addition to the intense pressure that goes along with being responsible for three other men while you hurtle down the track, unless the athlete has a very generous sponsor or two, a lot of time is spent on trying to get enough money to be able to afford being in the sport. Every dollar donated by local businesses, friends, family and so many people who have never even met Jay, is so appreciated.
Next week Liz, Chris and his girlfriend Hannah, are headed to Italy to watch him race. Apparently Chris has packed a few “crazy Canadian” outfits to wear as he cheers loudly alongside the track. They have had very little lead time to book flights and accommodations, as Jay only heard about three weeks ago that he would be racing at the Olympics once again.
Jay’s first event; heats I and 2 of the two-man Bobsleigh, starts at 3:50am our time, Monday, February 16. In both of his events, as a “young” pilot, Jay will be trying his best to qualify for the fourth and final heat. In context, he will be competing against the best in the world; teams with the best equipment, the best training facilities, the best budgets, the best equipment, and the best in terms of administrators, sponsorship, and engineers. In Beijing, where he competed as a brakeman in Taylor Austin’s sled, as a rare qualified third sled from Canada, they finished in 23rd place. The top Canadian sled piloted by Justin Cripps, won a bronze medal
For Jay Dearborn to be one of two Canadian pilots participating in the Olympics, is a remarkable achievement, and one that has brought pride to his high school, his community, and his family and friends.
Sydenham High School will be watching, as will so many others, and everyone needs to get up pretty early!
