Five-Time GA Olympian To Be Welcomed Back With Homecoming Celebration In Douglasville

DOUGLASVILLE, GA — Elana Meyers Taylor, a five-time Olympic medalist and Douglasville native, won a silver medal in the inaugural women's monobob and bronze in the two-women bobsled competition this year — making her the most decorated U.S. Winter Olympian in history.

In honor of her accomplishments, her hometown is making sure she's welcomed back with a big celebration.

Douglas County and the city of Douglasville will host a grand celebration to honor Meyers Taylor this Friday at Arbor Place Mall, county officials said in a news release. Emmy Award-winning TV personality Karyn Greer will serve as "mistress of ceremonies."

Meyers Taylor will be recognized during a meet-and-greet event at 5 p.m., followed by a press conference at 5:30 p.m. The program for the general public will take place afterward on the first floor of the mall near the entrance to Belk, the release said.

"Mrs. Taylor serves Douglas County and America as a true hometown hero. We are thrilled at how she overcame obstacles and braved the adversity she faced through her travels to Beijing, and she was still able to experience victory for all of us cheering her on," Board of Commissioners Chair Romona Jackson Jones said. "As we celebrate women's history month, we're honored at her resilience, dedication, and huge successes she has reached in competing at the highest levels possible."

The 37-year-old bobsledder has been to the Winter Olympics five times, winning a medal each time. She took the two-woman silver in Pyeongchang (2018) and Sochi (2014) and bronze in Vancouver (2010), Patch previously reported.

She also had a scare leading up to the Winter Olympics this year — Meyers Taylor tested positive for COVID-19 two days after arriving in Beijing in January. She remained asymptomatic and was quarantined at an isolation hotel, where she still trained for her Olympic competitions.

Meyers Taylor was cleared to compete in early February, just in time for her monobob and two-women bobsledding competitions, in which she earned two medals and became the most decorated Winter Olympian in history.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, this was Meyers Taylor's first Olympics since giving birth to her son, Nico, in February 2020. Her husband, Nic, was also named as an alternate for Team USA's men's bobsled team for the 2022 Olympics.

"We are so very proud of our hometown girl and her exceptional performance at the Winter Olympics, but more importantly, we are very proud of her new role as a mother and how she and her husband show love for their son," Jackson Jones said.

Related:

• GA Olympian Meyers Taylor Becomes Most Decorated U.S. Bobsledder
• GA Olympian Meyers Taylor Wins Silver Medal In Women's Monobob
• GA Olympian Elana Meyers Taylor Cleared To Compete After COVID
• Meyers Taylor Tests Positive For COVID, Still Trains At Olympics
• Winter Olympics: Douglasville Native Named To US Bobsled Team