Long before graduating from the University of Nevada Las Vegas as a track and field student-athlete, Azaria Hill made a name for herself at Golden Valley High School and became a three-time defending Foothill League champion during her time with the Grizzlies.
The recognition she earned in the Santa Clarita Valley earned her a scholarship to Long Beach State University, where she continued to impress those around her when she broke the school’s 4x100m relay time.
But in 2020, when COVID-19 struck, the NCAA canceled the track and field season, which left Hill’s senior year in doubt.
So, with another year of eligibility left thanks to a redshirt, Hill made the decision to transfer to UNLV where she met Kaysha Love, who would become Hill’s relay teammate with the Rebels.
They competed alongside each other in track and field and became good friends during Hill’s final collegiate season. And while Hill was thinking that her athletic career could be over, she decided to post a message on her social media saying how she’ll miss track, a sport that she considered her “first love.”
But to Hill’s surprise, Love reached out to her and suggested she not quit athletics — and asked her to consider the sport of bobsled as her brakewoman.
“She actually messaged me and was like, ‘Hey, would you consider bobsled?’” Hill said. “And I’m like ‘I guess,’ and she’s like, ‘Just come to rookie camp and see how you do and let’s just see the potential.’”
Love, who was already a brakewoman in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, invited Hill to Lake Placid, New York, in 2023, believing she had the skills to compete.
After the invitation to try out at the rookie camp, Hill ventured out with very little knowledge of bobsled but saw similarities from what she learned from track.
Bobsled, otherwise known as bobsleigh, the official term coined by the Olympic Committee, is a sport that seems different but is more similar to other sports than people realize.
At least that’s what Hill believes.
“A lot of stuff from track and field transfers over into bobsled,” she said. “When I had my first bobsled race right down Lake Placid, I’ll be completely honest, I didn’t quite like this thing. I’m like, ‘Wow, this is an acquired taste.’ And so, I wasn’t quite sure if I actually wanted to do it, but I already invested a lot of time and money into it. So, I was like, ‘You know what? I’m just gonna go for it.’”
What came after that resulted in a career-best fourth-place finish in the 2024 World Championships and third place in the Push Championships, and now a call-up to represent Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy.
“It can be very exciting. It’s a little nerve wracking,” Hill said in response to training with the official bobsled team. “We’re still training, still working hard, still keeping my head down and staying focused for that end goal, but it means a lot to be representing Team USA.”
For Hill, this won’t be the first time the Golden Valley graduate will represent the country, as she already dedicates herself in uniform.
Hill joined the Army in 2024, and by doing so, was put into the Army’s world-class athlete program, which provides active service members an opportunity to compete in Olympic sports.
“That’s also another reason why I did join the military, because they have the WCAP, which stands for world class athlete program, which I think only gave me a lot more resources, benefits and opportunities to pursue this full-time and to give my 100%,” she said.
While representing the United States with the Army and having the chance to show her bobsled skills on the world stage, Hill is also carrying on a family legacy: She’s the daughter of three-time Olympic medalist Denean Howard-Hill, who won gold and set the American record in the women’s 4×400-meter relay during the Seoul 1988 Summer Olympics.
And, Hill’s father, Virgil Hill Sr., is a hall-of-fame professional boxer who earned a silver medal during the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.
A shot at continuing the family’s legacy, not just in the Summer Games, but in the Winter Games, gives Hill the motivation to put herself out there and make her family proud.
“I was telling my family about this, and they were just on board,” she said. “They were super excited. They were like, ‘Good luck, give it your best and there’s nothing more that we can ask from you, but to just put your best foot forward.’”
With a strong support system, and a teammate in Love who has been a friend, mentor, and now bobsled pilot, Hill has all the tools at hand to represent Team USA.
As she prepares for the Olympics to begin on Feb. 6, Hill is reflecting on her time with Golden Valley and is excited to translate the skills she learned from high school onto the world stage.
“I feel like I’ve always had that drive to want to be the best in everything that I did,” said Hill. “I remember telling my family, ‘I want to put Golden Valley on the map.’ And I feel like I’ve carried that on, not only to college, but then after college. And now, that driving determination and work ethic that I had there still means the same thing now.”
This year’s edition of the Winter Games is hosted by the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, both of which operate in Central European Time.
Although the difference is nine hours ahead of local time, Hill is hoping kids back home can watch as she hopes she can be an example that “putting yourself out there” can reward you in big ways.
“Since I was in grade school, I always had that mindset, ‘I want to be an Olympian,’ and I thought I’d do it on track, but I could have never told you I’d do it in bobsled,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to be an Olympian, just like my mom, my aunt, and my dad. And, I think it’s really cool to be able to represent the Santa Clarita Valley, so don’t give up on your dreams.”
“I just think it’s really cool to represent my family, be able to continue the Olympic legacy, to represent Santa Clarita Valley and represent my country,” Hill added. “I think it’s really cool to be able to do that and just be an example for little girls and boys that they can achieve whatever they set their mind to.”
The 2026 Winter Olympic Games begin on Feb. 6 with the opening ceremony. The bobsleigh competition is scheduled to start on Feb. 15 and last until Feb. 22.
