The Jamaican Bobsled Team Marvels at “Cool Runnings' ”Lasting“ ”Impact, Says Fans Were Going 'Crazy' at Winter Olympics (Exclusive)
The Jamaican Bobsled Team Marvels at “Cool Runnings' ”Lasting“ ”Impact, Says Fans Were Going 'Crazy' at Winter Olympics (Exclusive)
Meredith WilshereSat, March 14, 2026 at 8:30 PM UTC
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Members of the Jamaican bobsled teamCredit: Flow Street Creative -
The Jamaican bobsled team credits Cool Runnings for inspiring global fans and boosting their recognition overseas
Cool Runnings, which was loosely based on the debut of the Jamaican national bobsled team at the 1988 Winter Olympics, came out in 1993
"It's an honor to see the team getting so much love because we have put in a lot of work," Nimroy Turgott tells PEOPLE
The Jamaican bobsled team has fans all around the world, largely thanks to the 1993 movie Cool Runnings, which was loosely based on the national bobsled team's debut at the 1988 Winter Olympics
Nimroy Turgott and Shane Pitter, both members of the 2026 team that competed in Milan, spoke to PEOPLE about the impact of the Disney movie and what it meant to continue to represent Jamaica on the world stage. Turgott says that it was an “amazing” feeling to represent Jamaica in the recent Winter Olympics.
“Just the thought of it is mind-blowing, a typical country competing in winter sports. We went out there and showed the world that Jamaica can compete and will compete in winter sports," he shares.
Pitter, the team's bobsled driver, or pilot, emphasizes that the notoriety from the film “is a very good thing.”
1993's 'Cool Runnings'Credit: Buena Vista Pictures / Everett
“On the block, I was standing there and the crowd at the bottom of the finish line couldn't wait for us to get down the track for them to call out, ‘Jamaica, Jamaica, Cool Runnings,'" he says. "So the fans are going crazy for us and we know that that would have happened at the Olympics, but we take that as a motivation and do our best."
Cool Runnings starred John Candy, Leon Robinson, Rawle D. Lewis, Doug E. Doug and Malik Yoba, to name a few. The movie, which was largely fictional, showcased the hurdles the group faced while training to become the first Jamaican bobsled team.
When the team competed in the 2022 Olympics, COVID-19 restrictions were still in place, so fans couldn’t interact in the same way. At the 2026 Winter Olympics, however, the team felt all the love.
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Nimroy Turgott (L) Andre Dacres (R)Credit: Flow Street Creative
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“We got the opportunity to interact with fans and everybody wanted a piece of Jamaica," Turgott says. "Everybody wanted a pin or to get a photo, something with Jamaica, and we appreciate the support, we appreciate the love that we got. At times, honestly, we feel like we're getting support even from Mars."
The Jamaican bobsled teamCredit: Flow Street Creative
He continues, “It's an honor to see the team getting so much love because we have put in a lot of work, we are putting a lot of work and knowing that here in Jamaica, we don't have the infrastructure or the support that we really need, and to go out and put our best foot forward to represent Jamaica at the highest level, it's an honor, and it's something that I will go over and over and over again to."
Pitter agrees that without their supporters, they "wouldn't be recognized, and also without the movie, we wouldn't be recognized."
"We don't really get the same support in Jamaica, but once we head overseas, whether to America or Europe, there’s a lot of fans just waiting for us to get there. They have been supporting us all the way throughout the season," Pitter shares.
Turgott says the whole experience was “an amazing opportunity” and they even felt the love from major stars like Lewis Hamilton, Major Lazer and Snoop Dogg, the latter of which joined the team at their Airbnb to cook together. Airbnb hosted the team during the games, allowing them to cook meals together, spend time together and watch races together.
“We could focus on ourselves, and we bring our Jamaican vibes and culture to the Olympics and Airbnb," Pitter shares. "There is a very big couch in the Airbnb, so all of us would sit on the couch and watch races and stuff we needed to work on. We are together as a team, and that's when our bond starts to get stronger and stronger and stronger, as we do everything together."
on People
Source: “AOL Sports”
