BLACKSBURG, VA. (January 8, 2025) — Engineering students at Virginia Tech are making history by helping an injured veteran become the first one-handed athlete to steer a bobsled—pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the sport.
The journey began when Army Veteran David Snypes, Jr., who lost his arm in a motorcycle accident, attended a Team USA Para Bobsled camp. This raised an important question: Can an athlete with limited upper-limb mobility steer a bobsled? A team of Virginia Tech engineering students set out to find the answer.
Traditionally, bobsledders use two ropes to steer, which presents a challenge for athletes with only one arm. Para bobsledding has historically been open to athletes with lower body or back injuries, but the sport had not been adapted for one-armed athletes—until now. For their senior design project, the students took on the challenge of developing a one-handed steering system for Snypes.
After initial testing by Team USA Para Bobsled pilot DJ Skelton on the Lake Placid track, it was Snypes’ turn to drive the sled himself. He successfully navigated the technically demanding course, marking a historic milestone. For the first time ever, an athlete steered a bobsled with just one arm—breaking down a long-standing barrier in the sport. This achievement wasn’t just a technical success—it demonstrated the potential for adaptive sports to evolve in ways once thought impossible.
