Air Force Service Members Balance Military, Motherhood and Olympic Dreams

Published: February 19, 2026

By Mallory Mattingly

For Kelly Curtis and Jasmine Jones, juggling their U.S. Air Force careers with motherhood and the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics is a balancing act few would attempt.

“I was really struggling to figure out times when I was going to eat, or when Jade was going to eat, or how I was going to even train,” Jones, a Senior Airman, Team USA bobsledder and mom to 5-year-old daughter Jade, told PEOPLE ahead of her Olympic debut.

But when she joined the Air Force’s World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) in 2023, Jones found the stability, training and purpose she needed.

“This program and what it’s done for me — it’s truly amazing,” she declared.

The World Class Athlete Program is available “to Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve Air Force and Space Force personnel who rank the highest in their sports. Only the best athletes are selected to train with the elite for a spot on the USA Olympic Team,” the WCAP website reads.

Air Force Staff Sergeant Kelly Curtis competes in the Women’s Skeleton event and is also mom to 2-year-old daughter Maeve.

“Either I have a [skeleton] sliding brain or a mom brain, and sometimes I cannot believe I can get everything together at the same time,” she joked with PEOPLE.

Curtis is a knowledge operations management specialist who coordinates vital missile operations data. She joined the Air Force in 2020 and went to WCAP after basic training. Now based at Aviano Air Base in Italy, she points to her husband as her biggest cheerleader.

“Four years ago, my husband and I uprooted our lives knowing nothing was guaranteed, but committed fully to seeing it through. We moved to Italy chasing this dream, and along the way it became another home. Our daughter was born here, and Polcenigo became the place where we learned how to be a family,” she wrote on Instagram. “I don’t do any of this alone. Jeff has been my confidant, chauffeur, chef, strength and conditioning coach, and my steady support on tour. Watching him be an incredible father makes this journey even more meaningful.”

“Finding my way back into sliding form after becoming a mom hasn’t been easy but oh so worth it,” she continued. “There were moments of doubt, slow progress, and a lot of patience. I’m so grateful for my village of family, friends, coaches, teammates, sports med, and the incredible mom groups both irl and virtually. I’m also grateful to the United States Air Force and @afwcap for making this journey possible and allowing me to serve, train, and chase this dream at the highest level.”