Jason Giobbi

Bobsledder and athlete Jason Giobbi competed in the 100m Sprint at the Commonwealth Games Trials in Auckland in 1990 then, in 1994, represented Australia in the Lillehammer Winter Olympics in Norway as reserve Two-Man Bobsleigh Team Driver. He also competed in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.  

Born in Broken Hill, Jason Giobbi started playing sport at a young age, first junior athletics and then AFL. He left Broken Hill to study Podiatry at the University of Sydney and kept training, focusing on the 100 metre sprint until he qualified at state level, then went on to compete several times in the Australian Championships. 

In 1990, Jason competed as a sprinter in the Auckland Commonwealth Games Trials and ended up on the Australian Bobsledding Team! A decision needed to be made between athletics and bobsledding in order to train. He made the decision and trained hard bobsledding. He went to Europe and the United States for the selections for the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympics – for the Four Man Bobsleigh Team, but only a Two Man team represented Australia that year.   

Jason moved from the back of the bobsleigh to the front and became a pilot, or driver, for the first time at the World Cup competition at Calgary, Canada, 1994. He then drove for the Two-Man team at the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics. Next, he competed at the 1995 World Championships in Winterberg, Germany. In 1998 came another challenge: the Australian team needed to qualify at the Bobsleigh World Cup in St Moritz in order to make the Nagano, Japan Olympics. The Australian team, with Jason as second driver, made it, coming in 15th when the cut-off was 16th! This qualified Australia for the bobsledding events at the Nagano Winter Olympic Games. 

Jason has strong family and community connections with Broken Hill. When he returns home, he shares his skill and experience with young athletes and footballers, inspiring them to train hard and to believe in their own potential. He has been honoured by the Mayor for his sporting achievements and his contributions to the community.  

Audio transcript available.