Get Inspired by Team USA Olympic Hopeful Riley Compton 

Throughout almost a decade of freelance writing, I’ve done a lot of interviews. Most of them are fun, decently informative, and give me enough to write about. But rarely do they give me goosebumps and thoroughly inspire the way that 1st Lt. and Team USA bobsledder Riley Compton’s did. 

Compton, a former softball player at George Washington University, is a 1st Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps and a women’s bobsled Olympic hopeful for the 2026 games in Milan. 

If you’re like me, you might be wondering how those three pieces fit together. 

As the daughter of a professional baseball player, Compton was always drawn to athletics. “I’ve played softball literally since I could walk,” Compton said of her upbringing. Once she was older, Compton accepted a scholarship to George Washington University, where she played softball for all four years. Her choice in university also later led to both her military and bobsled connections. 

“I always wanted to work for the military, but to be honest, I never saw a woman in a military role. So I didn’t think being in the military was an option,” Compton said. About three weeks into her freshman year, she realized that her dreams were in fact possible after meeting a recruiter. From that day on, she spent the next four years splitting her time between training for softball and the Marine Corps. 

After graduating, Compton arrived at Camp Pendleton in 2020 and realized she still had a lot left in the tank. “I realized that I hadn’t peaked athletically. I was still getting better. I was still getting bigger, stronger, faster, and learning more about my body and mental state, and I just needed something else,” Compton said of moving on after her college athletics career. 

While the Marine Corps typically has a softball team, Covid-19 shut down Compton’s opportunity to make being part of that team a reality. Without softball, Compton decided to take matters into her own hands and create an opportunity all for herself. 

“At GW (George Washington University), there was a woman named Elana Meyers-Taylor, the most decorated female bobsledder in the world. I was a big fan of hers, and I presented her an award,” Compton said of her initial introduction to bobsled. A few years later in the midst of the pandemic, bobsled resurfaced in Compton’s life when she saw Team USA was having a combine. 

“I picked up the phone sitting in my office, called the Olympic coach directly, and said ‘hey you, I don’t even know if this is possible, but I’m going to do the combine. I know Elana [Meyers-Taylor], I’m a softball player, I’ll work my butt off, be ready for my video ’” Compton said of her first official introduction to the sport. 

After taking that initial leap, everything began to fall into place for Compton.

“The Olympic coach called me and invited me out for a whole month to test me and see if I had a future in the sport,” Compton said. “I then went to my Command Deck, and went to my Executive Officer and I said, ‘sir, I don’t know if this is possible, but I have the opportunity of a lifetime.’”

Much to Compton’s delight, she was able to take advantage of the chance, working remotely for the Marine Corps and training for bobsled at the same time. 

“I worked nonstop when I wasn’t training,” said Compton. “Next thing you know, I had my first competition and I took home two bronze medals.” 

Since then, Compton has been on the rise, winning the Marine Corps Female Athlete of the Year and training with Team USA in preparation for the upcoming 2026 Winter Games in Milan. 

But for this Olympic hopeful, it’s not about the medals, honors or accolades. “It’s about impacting lives and changing others,” Compton says when talking about the inspiration behind both her athletic and professional careers. “If I can show a little girl, or even an older woman that’s like ‘I’ve always wanted to do something, and I’ve been the one holding myself back, let me give myself a chance,’ then man, I feel like I’ve accomplished my life goal and why I’m on this planet.” 

Now I know a lot of athletes will say it’s not about the medals, and it’s not about the honors. But watching and listening to Compton speak about both her Marine Corps career and her bobsled accomplishments was one of the most motivational experiences I’ve had in a while. For this bobsledder on the rise, it’s easy to see that Compton has a much bigger mission than just awards and recognition. 

“I feel like it’s something God’s laid out for me in my path, to inspire women and to give people a chance and to open a door that’s been closed off,” Compton said about what drives her, both in and out of the track. 

So now that you know a little bit more about First Lieutenant Riley Compton, I’ll leave you with a few words of advice she had for anyone looking to take a jump. Whether you’re on the fence about starting a new sport, pushing yourself in the gym, or overhauling your entire life, Compton’s words really can resonate with everyone. 

“No one ever said it’s going to be easy, but it’s going to be worth it,” she said. 

“When you want to go into college athletics or the Marine Corps, you’re going to be pushed and challenged in ways you never thought. Physically, yes, but more mentally. And it’s going to develop you. Which means you’re going to have to change, which means you’re going to be uncomfortable, but that’s where you grow,” Compton said. “You grow in the uncomfortable. So my advice is don’t be fearful for the unknown, for the pressure, for the change that’s coming. But embrace it, and be ready to find a different version of you on the other side.” 

You can help support Riley on her bobsled journey here, and follow along @riley.tejcek.

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