Standing alone at the top of the ice. One athlete. A 170 kilogram sled. 1975 metres of track. A 120-metre vertical drop with a maximum 18% gradient. A few moments of calm, alone in the eye of the storm, before she launches - an explosive burst of movement, when Bree will launch from the starting gate, driving her legs to push the sled, only seconds of driving power to build momentum before jumping in to pilot the sled down the course at over 120 km/h.

While she will push the sled alone, Bree feels the power of all of those who have helped her reach her Olympic dream, propelling her forward into Australian bobsleigh history.

She has a bittersweet memory from PyeongChang 2018 driving her.

“I was in Pyeongchang as a spectator,” Bree said.

“It’s a very weird experience because I was looking at it purely as a spectator – I shut down all of my emotions, as I didn't really want to feel the hurt that I was not competing.

“After the two-woman event, USA’s Elana Myers, who’s now one of my biggest rivals in the monobob, came up to me with the silver medal she’d won and said ‘you’ll get an Olympic medal yourself one day’ – it was so lovely, but it was the moment that broke me.

“I walked down the hill by myself, and I recorded a video – to make sure I never forgot that feeling.”

The video shows Bree walking away from the track in Pyeongchang – her face a mixture of sadness and resolve. She made herself a promise in that video.

“To say that the fire is burning is an understatement. And this is my goal – in four years’ time, my team will be standing at the top of the hill in Beijing. We’re not just there to make up numbers, we will be competitive, and I'm going to work every single day. I'm ready for it.”

Four years later, it’s clear Bree has kept her word. She has taken the monobob world series by storm, claiming eight podiums over the past two seasons and earning the reputation as one of the world’s best monobob pilots.

“Monobob wasn’t even a thing in 2018, I just had all these feelings that I knew I was going to do it. I was so far from an Olympic podium potential - we had no program, no coaches, not really knowing what we were doing. But four years later, I look at that video and I feel like I've kept that promise to myself.”

In those four years Bree has built a team of people who have believed in her, pushed her to reach her potential, pulled her up when she fell and put her in a position to make Olympic bobsleigh history for Australia.

From German coaches Matthias ‘Bohmi’ Bohmer and Tim Restle, to Australian legend Lydia Lassila, teammates like Sarah Blizzard and her family, Bree says her team has given her the opportunity to chase her Olympic dream.

“I really enjoyed piecing the puzzle together and we’ve created a very high-level team on a low-level budget.

“My driving coach Bohmi has taken me to the next level. He was a German pilot and a great coach, and after PyeongChang 2018 my partner Christian (a member of the German national bobsleigh team) told me Bohmi wasn’t working with the Germans anymore.”

For an Australian to lure a respected and sought-after coach from bobsleigh powerhouse Germany may have seemed like a longshot. However, Bree’s persistence and attitude shone through.

“We went on this really long walk, and afterwards I was just a pest – I wouldn’t stop messaging him.

“He told me the things that I would need to improve on - this included a new sled to put me on an even playing field, what we would need to change to develop me and take me to the next level. That was so exciting and motivated me so much.”

Bree took a massive leap of faith – moving to Germany to be near the best bobsleigh programs. She moved her Australian university studies to online learning, and embarked on a journey that has seen her rise to become a monobob powerhouse.

“To be honest I thought it would seem like I was coming on too strong, Christian and I hadn’t been together that long, but he encouraged me every step – he contacted his coach and he got me into his bobsleigh program.

“Christian has helped me become the person and the athlete I am today, he’s so ambitious and has always believed in me, he’s been my rock.”

Bree joined the bobsleigh squad under the eye of Tim Restle, realising straight way what has made Germany the sport’s most successful nation.

“Tim’s squad was a mixture of men and women bobsleigh athletes and it was instantly a completely different level of athleticism than I had experienced in Australia.

“I could tell that these guys were all world-class athletes and I had a lot to do if I wanted to get to that level. When I came to Tim, I was a 400m hurdler, trying to be a bobsledder. Tim helped me rebuild my base to become a true bobsledder.

“As time went on and he saw my commitment and love of training, the more effort he put into me. He became addicted to seeing me improve and I certainly became addicted to seeing the improvements.”

Bree also attributes her success to the incredible support – physical, financial and emotional, from her Australian team.

“I had wonderful support from the get-go from the OWIA (Olympic Winter Institute of Australia). I don't know what Geoff Lipshut (Australian Olympic Team Chef de Mission) saw in me, I was just a rookie pilot out there grasping the bottom of the barrel results wise, but they supported me from the get-go.

“Sarah Blizzard has been my ride or die, and the last three years she’s pulled me through some of the lowest lows and has been there to share the highest highs.

“Sarah has helped me so much, and I'm so happy that I've been able to see Sarah blossom into such a great athlete.

“Kiara Reddingius coming on board was really amazing too, the results came with us almost instantly and that has only built my confidence. The best weekend I’ve ever had in my bob career came in Winterberg with seventh in the two-woman with Kiara and second in the mono.

“And I can’t believe an Olympic champion Lydia Lassila has taken the time to mentor me. To be able to get guidance from someone who has been there, defied the odds and achieved on the biggest stage – that’s what I want to do.

“We clicked straight away, she’s been such a great support, she’s helped me navigate my thought processes, to know what to focus on race day and to prepare for Beijing. I’m so grateful that somebody like her has supported me.”

Bree says her dad joining her touring team to act as chef, cleaner and overall fixer sums up the enormous impact her family has on her career.

“My family are amazing. I was feeling homesick last year so my dad came over to tour with us - that tells you how committed and supportive my family are.

“It was just so great to have him around, because we were travelling and competing during the pandemic, he played so many roles – he cooked for us, he cleaned, did all the things that let us just focus on being athletes.

“He was an extra set of hands on training and race days, he would go shopping for us and was just so chill.

“He’ll be watching [me compete in Beijing] from Cairns, with my mum, my sister, my brother and my granny - I'm sure they’ll be going nuts. I feel like I’ve been trying to keep a lid on my excitement and they're way more excited.

Bree also credits the incredible support of her team who have helped overcome the cost of competing internationally, which can be a major challenge when your kit bag includes a 170 kilogram sled.

“I found a German manager, Manual Steinbach and honestly he is the reason that I have been able to financially compete at the top level.

“Simon Roberts also began this whole cycle – he saw me as a development athlete before Pyeongchang, and saw how dedicated and enthusiastic I was. Anything we’ve needed to compete at the highest level he’s provided and a great confidant when I’ve needed it.”

You can watch bobsled Bree make history when she starts her Olympic monobob campaign this Sunday at 12:30pm AEDT, live and free on Channel 7 and 7plus.

Dominic Sullivan

#HaveAGo