Erin Hamlin: From Being Selfish to Selfless – The Olympic Journey and Beyond
Olympian Turned Mother
Lake Placid (FIL/15 Dec 2025) On the track, on competition day, in training, in the gym — there is nothing or nobody a professional luger is thinking about other than themselves.
The relentless focus on performance, precision, and learning to understand one’s body and technique defines life on the international circuit — especially in the years leading to an Olympic Winter Games.
As the world’s best lugers prepare for the EBERSPAECHER Luge World Cup in Lake Placid and the Olympic Winter Games Milano-Cortina 2026 ahead, one woman knows exactly what it takes to reach the top. Erin Hamlin, four-time Olympian and USA’s first-ever female World Champion and Olympic singles medalist, has lived through the highs and pressures of elite sport — and now, seven years after her retirement, her life looks very different.
“Being an Elite Athlete is Selfish — Being a Mom is the Opposite”
“It’s as polar opposite as you can get,” says Hamlin, who became America-Pacific Champion twice during her career. “Being an elite athlete is selfish — everything you do is for your performance. Now, being a mum, it’s completely flipped.”
“It’s the most selfless thing. My priorities are usually at the bottom of the list, though I try to move them up for mental health. Being a mom is way harder than being an athlete. It’s a different kind of accomplishment — not something with a finish line or a medal. It’s evolving every day. My oldest son just started to read — that’s something we were part of, but it doesn’t end there.”
Hamlin, who retired in 2018 after the PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games, has since welcomed two sons with her husband and juggles motherhood with her career as a project manager at the global consulting firm EY.
From Sochi Glory to Everyday Challenges
In Sochi 2014, Hamlin made U.S. luge history. After four runs under 50.3 seconds, she claimed bronze — becoming the first American singles luger ever to win an Olympic medal. “Normally, I try to tell myself not to look behind me, but you always pay attention,” she recalls. “After the third run, I thought, I just need to make it down clean. If nothing major goes wrong, I should be OK.”
That cool-headed determination — mixed with precision and focus — defined her career. Hamlin went on to win three medals at the 2017 World Championships in Innsbruck, including gold in the Sprint event, and carried the U.S. flag at the Opening Ceremony in PyeongChang — a fitting final chapter for one of America’s most successful lugers.
A New Chapter — and Staying Connected
Does she miss it? “The last two years, when the fall came and the season started, I missed it. I had the urge to slide and compete again. It’s funny how that bubbles up at random times,” Hamlin admits with a smile. “That community aspect is what I miss most. Those are people you see every day for 18 or 20 years, and suddenly they’re gone. That’s hard.”
And though she’s traded sled runs for story time, Hamlin remains closely connected to the luge world — cheering for Team USA and inspiring a new generation of athletes heading towards Milano-Cortina 2026.
Instagram Takeover: Erin Hamlin Returns to Lake Placid
Now, Erin Hamlin is set to return — this time, in order to showing luge fans #BehindTheScenes from the World of Luge.
On Friday, December 19th, 2025, during the 3rd EBERSPÄCHER Luge World Cup in Lake Placid, the Olympic legend will take over the FIL Instagram account for a day.
Experience Erin live as she visits her former home in Lake Placid, provides behind-the-scenes insights into her home track, interviews athletes, and shares her personal perspective on life after competitive sports.
