Piloting twists and turns on the ice is Brad Hall’s bread and butter – navigating chicanes off the bobsleigh track however has proved an entirely different beast.
The driver underwent an interesting pathway into bobsleigh, first trying out skeleton during a UK Sport talent identification programme called Power 2 Podium.
By his own admission, Hall was no natural in the headfirst event, but he soon showed a wealth of promise as a bobsledder, particularly in the driver’s seat.
However, since finishing 12th in the 2-man and 17th in the 4-man at PyeongChang 2018, Team Bobsleigh Brad – as the squad are now known, have been thrown a global pandemic, a cut in funding and a series of unfortunate injuries.
After the disappointment in 2018, the pilot faced a decision: restructure the entire team or keep faith in the process.
Bobsleigh newcomer Taylor Lawrence came into the team and Hall held on to PyeongChang teammates Greg Cackett and Nick Gleeson as well as reserve brakeman Sam Blanchet.
Determined to right the wrongs at the next Olympics, the team vowed to elevate both the two-man and four-man bobsleigh performances on the track.
Little did they know, a storm of challenges was brewing.
A funding cut meant Hall went searching for additional support from public crowdfunding, which helped them rent a competitive two-man sled leading up to the 2019 World Championships in Whistler.
He and teammate Nick Gleeson stormed the international showpiece, finishing fourth overall to earn Great Britain a best World Championship result in 53 years in a bobsleigh.
The team were then able to bring in a brand new 4-man sled and finished sixth in the 2019/20 season world rankings, despite missing two of the eight World Cup matches.
Financial improvements seemed to have Hall back on track until the pandemic presented a series of fresh, unprecedented complications.
As the inevitable first lockdown loomed, the team moved in together to strengthen their relationship as a group.
Faced with the incessant threat of positive test results and quarantining, Team Bobsleigh Brad were also struck by injuries, Gleeson in particular suffering a serious hamstring tear and Blanchet rupturing his achilles.
The squad was stretched to the barebones ahead of the 2020/21 world championships, which forced Hall to withdraw from the competition after just the first day of racing.
The 31-year-old subsequently chose to spend a stint out in Germany – the land of modern bobsleigh, having produced several champions including runaway world No.1 Francesco Friedrich – to soak up a wealth of expert coaching.
Thanks in part to Hall’s new-found experience, Team Bobsleigh Brad bounced back in style in 2021/22, taking three world cup silvers in the 4-man and a bronze and two silvers in the 2-man, finishing fourth and fifth respectively in the world championship table.
Having made it to the 2022 Games, Hall cannot help but look back at the key role his father played in introducing him to sport and fostering a resilience and determination in him.
The pilot said: “The person that inspires me the most is my dad.
“He passed away a few years ago and was the one who got me into sport originally when I was a misbehaving youth back at school.
“He got me into rugby and that straightened me out – he’s always motivated me to be the best I can be and do everything I can to be successful.”
However, Hall also admitted the revival since PyeongChang would have been close to impossible without the constant dedication and hard work put in by the group.
“You’ve got to have a good team,” he urged.
“We’ve been changed around a lot of times in the past but like a good football team or any other team, the crew’s got to stay together for a long period of time, and that’s what we’ve done over the last few years.”
Against the odds, Hall has managed to steer Team GB’s bobsledders towards a shot at a medal in Beijing in spite of the twists and turns – he and his team take to the ice on Saturday at the Yanqing National Sliding Centre.