Former Merrimack Valley and Nebraska sprinter Seth Baylus made the switch to bobsledding, overcame some injuries, won the U.S. and North American Cups and has his eyes on 2030.
Heading into the 2026 Olympic qualifiers, he was in a good spot. He was ranked among the best 12 bobsled athletes in the country. Then it all fell apart.
Just before the Olympic trials in Lake Placid, NY, he injured his Achilles tendon, but pushed through it. He then had a battle with mono, a hospitalization for an enlarged spleen during a World Cup race and a displaced hip leading up to team evaluations.
It was a less-than-ideal series of unfortunate circumstances. He thought about giving up.
“It was an Olympic year, and a lot was riding on my ability to perform in that moment,” Baylus said. “Not being able to perform to my best and just following just short because I was one of the first people to miss being selected for the team, was pretty frustrating and pretty discouraging.”
His long-time pilot of the two-man sled, Grady Mercer of Oklahoma, convinced him to return.
They pushed together and hopped back in the bobsled a few more times before the season was over.
Baylus came back for the National and North American Cup in both the Two-Man and Four-Man sleds as the brakeman. The two-man piloted by Grady Mercer with Baylus in the back won the US Nationals and the North American Cup over a large field of international competitors, including Olympians from Milan-Cortina 2026.
His relationship with Mercer in the bobsled has only improved over time, and their big success was in part due to the extensive experience under their belts.
Mercer’s brain is always on as he navigates the sled, whereas Baylus focuses on careful movement to match the pilot’s rhythm.
Coming off the win, the two are slowing down coming into the offseason. The work is far from over to become an Olympian in 2030.
Baylus was fully self-funded for a long time, as traveling across the country costs a pretty penny. His athletic roots go way back locally, and he connected with USA Ninja Challenge, the first program he ever did in Concord. Now they’re sponsoring his dreams.
“The first sport I ever did was USA Ninja and gymnastics at flips,” Baylus explained. “And yeah, they decided they wanted to sponsor this journey for me, which I’m super grateful of.”
MV graduate Seth Baylus (L) stands with his bobsled pilot Grady Mercer (R) at the North American Cup, with his USA Ninja Challenge helmet in-hand. Credit: Seth Baylus / Courtesy 
Seth Baylus (M) looks at his North American Bobsledding cup trophies for the two-man and overall wins. Credit: Seth Baylus / Courtesy
He’ll continue going through the fundraising cycles and said he’s thankful for the support he’s received. He’s hoping to turn the Capital area into bobsledding territory little by little.
During the last Olympic cycle, he was just on the edge as the 12th brakeman in the country, but when it came down to pilot’s picks, he missed out. It would have made him the youngest brakeman in Team USA history.
Although that record-setting achievement is out of reach now, he believes he can reach even higher as he grows older and stronger.
“Super grateful to them and super grateful to my community for backing me up, supporting me and my dreams to elevate my community into the public spotlight in terms of sports,” he said.