DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. — Bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor has competed in four Olympics, including this winter's Beijing Olympics where she brought home two more medals to her hometown of Douglasville.
Douglas County leaders honored Meyers Taylor at Arbor Place Mall Friday, not only for her accomplishments, but also for shining a spotlight on the county.
“It really was about going over there and performing to the best of your ability and coming straight home," Elana Meyers Taylor said.
That's what Meyers Taylor did when she became the most decorated Black athlete and the most decorated U.S. bobsledder of any gender in winter Olympics history.
“Whether you're Black, brown, Asian, white, it doesn't matter. Winter sport is for you, and hopefully by showing that people who look different can go out there, be successful and win medals, it encourages more people to get into winter sport again and in the sport in general," Meyers Taylor said.
The five-time Olympic medalist is making Douglas County proud. The county honored her as she signed autographs and met fans at a meet and greet.
“Hopefully people seeing that I'm from Douglas County, seeing that I'm home grown in Georgia, and been able to be successful at Olympic level shows them that they can go after their dreams, whether it's Olympics, whether it's school, whether it's what have you," Meyers Taylor said.
The Lithia Springs High School graduate then spoke to dozens of people at a ceremony where she received a proclamation from Governor Brian Kemp.
"Our character trait of the week this week has been perseverance. She is the model of perseverance and is definitely one that we want to make sure that we lift up in our community," said Travis Joshua, the principal at Lithia Springs High School.
Meyers Taylor set the goal of being an Olympian at just nine years old, and she hopes to show young girls they can achieve whatever they set their minds to.
“She's serving not only as an inspiration for African-American girls, but all children as well," Joshua said.
“Thank you everybody back in Atlanta, back here in Douglasville, back across the state of Georgia for all the encouragement, all the support you showed me over the years, and I'm super excited to bring home a couple of more medals for you guys," Meyers Taylor said.
Meyers Taylor said her career isn't over, although she's not sure if that will include another Olympics.