Cardiff Met alumna Mica Moore announces retirement from international bobsleigh

Two-time Winter Olympian and former Cardiff Met athlete Mica Moore has announced her retirement from international bobsleigh, bringing an extraordinary decade-long journey across two sports and two nations to a close.

The Cardiff Met graduate shared the news on social media, reflecting on a bobsleigh career that took her from her first talent identification event to two Olympic Winter Games and historic performances for both Great Britain and Jamaica.

“For the last 10 years, bobsleigh has been my pursuit of happiness and I truly believe I found it in the end,” she wrote.

“A decade of chasing a dream that took me further than I ever imagined possible. Two Olympic Games. Two countries. Two opportunities to wear my dual nations’ colours with pride.”

Mica’s journey began on the athletics track. Having developed as a sprinter from a young age, she competed across the 60m, 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay before joining Cardiff Metropolitan University.

During her time at Cardiff Met, she became one of the University’s most successful sprinters, winning multiple medals across individual and relay events at British Universities and Colleges Sport Championships. She also established herself within the Welsh senior relay squad, becoming team captain and helping Wales reach the women’s 4x100m final at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Alongside her sporting development, Mica completed a BSc in Education and Sport before later returning to Cardiff Met to study an MSc in Sport Broadcasting.

Reflecting on the role the University has played throughout her journey, Mica said:

“Cardiff Met has been fantastically supportive throughout my career. I loved my years there, first as an undergraduate and then returning to complete my master’s.

“As a sports person, university and academia were not always at the forefront of my mind, but I found a place for myself at Cardiff Met. The Sport Broadcasting course really spoke to me. It was something I genuinely enjoyed, and I have now continued into a career in sports media, social media and presenting.

“Cardiff Met is my home. It is where I train every week, where I have made so many friends and where I feel part of a brilliant community. I would not have been able to achieve what I have in sport without Cardiff Met’s backing.

“I still train there now and I will continue to do so in the future. Cardiff Met has been a huge part of my journey.”

Her connection to the University has continued long after graduation, with Mica continuing to base her weekly training at the National Indoor Athletics Centre on the Cyncoed Campus.

Her route into bobsleigh began in 2016 when she attended a talent identification event and was recognised as having the speed and power required to become an international brakewoman.

Success followed quickly. Competing alongside pilot Mica McNeill, she secured North American Cup podium finishes before the pair became Junior World Champions in Winterberg in 2017.

When funding for their Olympic campaign was withdrawn, they turned to crowdfunding and public support to keep their ambitions alive.

Their determination was rewarded at PyeongChang 2018, where Mica and McNeill finished eighth in the two-woman bobsleigh. It was the best Olympic result achieved by a British women’s bobsleigh team.

However, her Olympic story was not finished.

After stepping away and later returning to the sport, Mica reinvented herself as a pilot and began competing internationally for Jamaica. The change allowed her to proudly represent her Jamaican heritage while taking on one of bobsleigh’s most demanding roles, with the pilot responsible for driving and controlling the sled at speeds exceeding 80 miles per hour.

She qualified for the women’s monobob at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, becoming a two-time Olympian eight years after her first appearance. Mica was also selected as one of Jamaica’s flag bearers for the opening ceremony.

Competing as a novice Olympic pilot, she finished 14th in Cortina, equalling Jamaica’s best Olympic bobsleigh result and completing a remarkable transition from British brakewoman to Jamaican pilot.

Announcing her retirement, Mica spoke openly about the challenges she faced throughout her career and the emotions involved in leaving a sport that had become such a significant part of her life.

“There were moments when the finish line felt impossibly far away and times when the dream seemed to be slipping through my fingers,” she said.

“But quitting was never an option. To grow and learn from each moment was the path I took and I’m so grateful to bobsleigh for all my lessons.”

She added: “What gives me peace and a heart full of content is knowing I left nothing behind. Every obstacle that stood in my way was met head on. Every setback was answered with another attempt. Every closed door made me look for a window.

“Somehow, through all of that, I managed to carve out a small place for a little Mica in the history of this sport. That makes me incredibly proud.”

Mica also thanked her parents, family, coaches, teammates, sponsors and the many people who supported her journey and helped make her international career possible.

Although she is stepping away from international competition, sport will remain an important part of her life. She intends to continue training, represent the Army team whenever possible and support the athletes following in her footsteps, particularly those emerging through the Jamaican bobsleigh programme.

“The future of this sport is incredibly bright, especially for Team Jamaica, where there is so much talent, potential and determination coming through the ranks,” she wrote.

“My whole sporting career was spent wanting to inspire the next generation of athletes and leave the sport in a slightly better way than how it found me. I’m excited for the future.”

From the athletics track at Cyncoed to the ice of PyeongChang and Cortina, Mica’s career has been defined by reinvention, determination and the courage to continue when the path ahead appeared uncertain.

Her achievements have secured her place in bobsleigh history, while her enduring connection to Cardiff Met reflects the community, support and sense of belonging that have remained central to her journey.

Thank you for the memories, Mica, and congratulations on an extraordinary international career.