CCSF Alumni Spotlight: Nic Taylor

Article by: Aaron Turner 

While being married to an Olympic bobsledder is impressive already, former CCSF track champion Nic Taylor, who won a state track championship with City in 2006, was also able to become a member of the USA men's bobsledding team himself in 2016, adding to an already impressive athletic career. While in San Francisco, Nic gained the trust of track coach Doug Owyang, who ultimately gave him the confidence to take his career to new heights. After attending CSU Northridge, Taylor went on to coach at UCLA before making his Olympic journey. Now, he is studying chiropractic care in Georgia, and has just welcomed a newborn with his wife, USA women's bobsled team member Elana Meyers Taylor.

What originally brought you to CCSF and what was your time there like?

"A history of competitive excellence, a compassionate friend, and pure luck ultimately brought me to City College of San Francisco. As a Hayward native, Chabot College was my first choice in schools. I knew Ken Grace at Chabot was a good coach and the college was literally across the street from my home. It wasn't until a good friend and assistant track coach Jesten Grant told me I needed to aim higher. He told me about CCSF's storied history of championships and athletes that went on to do well at the Division I level. He explained that if I could plug myself into a super high-performing program, my chances of doing well would increase. That's all I needed to hear."

What kind of an impact did Coach Owyang and the rest of the track coaching staff have on you?

"The coaching staff at CCSF had nothing less than a profound impact on me. So much so that whenever I travel home, I try to visit Coach Owyang en route to visiting my parents. The day I proposed to my wife, the day I started working at UCLA, and when I was named to the 2018 Winter Olympic team, the coaching staff at CCSF were some of the first people I contacted."

In what ways did competing at CCSF help prepare you for competition at the Division I level?

"The main contributor to my Division I preparedness was Douglas Owyang. Coach Owyang was the first person that ever believed in me, more than I did myself. In 2007, the CCSF track team had a very competitive rivalry with Modesto City College. It wasn't until Coach Owyang trusted me to maintain the team's position in a relay versus a reigning state champion that I realized my potential. I took that moment with me when I became a Division I athlete. I thought of that same moment when my team qualified for the Olympics by two one hundredths of a second."

How did you wind up becoming a member of the USA bobsledding team and how did your track experience lend itself to that happening?

"After finishing my undergraduate degree at CSU Northridge, I immediately knew I wanted to coach. I was fortunate enough to coach at UCLA right out of college. There I met an Austrian athlete named Andreas Drbol who was familiar with bobsledding and winter sports. He wanted to become a bobsled athlete. We ultimately agreed to train together and 6 months later we were living in the Olympic Training Center as members of the United States bobsled team. If it was not for my experience as a CCSF athlete, there is no way I could have transitioned to a completely new sport.

As a junior college athlete you are encouraged to become the best version of yourself in a set amount of time to be able to transfer to a 4-year university. This requires you to first be introspective, and define anything that needs improving. The next step is simply getting to work on your individual journey. If your plan works, you go to the next level.  I recognized a similar pattern in Olympic sports. Ultimately you have 4 years to become the best version of yourself, and if it works you go to the next level, the Olympic games."

Do you have any advice for young track athletes who might have some of the same endeavors as you?

"My best advice to anyone, especially those who run track, is to find a mentor! John Maxwell once said, 'One of the greatest values of mentors is the ability to see ahead what others cannot see, and help them navigate a course to their destination'".