Desi Johnson is an Australian bobsledder and social media star who went from sprinting on the Gold Coast to racing at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. She is a brakewoman in the two-woman bobsleigh and has built a following of well over a million fans by sharing her training, fitness and daily life online.
Who is Desi Johnson?
Desi Johnson is a 25-year-old Australian athlete who competes in bobsleigh as a brakewoman. She made her Olympic debut at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games, racing alongside pilot Sarah Blizzard.
Before bobsleigh, Desi was a talented sprinter and heptathlete. Injuries, including a stress fracture in her lower back, pushed her to look for a new sport in 2023.
She is also one of the most followed athletes in Australian winter sport. Her workout videos first went viral during the COVID lockdowns, and today she has more than a million followers across Instagram and TikTok.
Desi Johnson’s Bio
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Desi Johnson |
| Nickname | Des |
| Profession | Bobsledder (brakewoman), former sprinter and heptathlete, social media influencer |
| Date of Birth | 6 April 2001 |
| Age | 25 years (as of 2026) |
| Birthplace | Miles, Queensland, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Zodiac Sign | Aries |
| Ethnicity | White (not officially stated) |
| Known For | Competing in two-woman bobsleigh at the 2026 Winter Olympics and her huge fitness following online |
Desi was born on 6 April 2001 in Miles, a small country town in Queensland. Her family moved to the Gold Coast when she was about two years old, and that is where she grew up and still lives today.
She is an Aries and holds Australian citizenship. Most people know her as the athlete who switched from track to ice and made it to the Olympics in under three years.
Desi Johnson Height, Weight and Physical Appearance? How tall she is?
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 11 in to 6 ft 0 in (about 180 to 183 cm) |
| Weight | Around 70 to 75 kg (estimated, not officially listed) |
| Eye Color | Not publicly known |
| Hair Color | Not publicly known |
| Body Type | Athletic and muscular |
Desi Johnson is listed at 1.80 m, which is 5 feet 11 inches. In a TikTok video, she said she had grown a little in her early twenties and now stands at 6 feet tall. So her real height is somewhere between 5’11” and 6’0″.
Her weight has never been officially shared. Based on her height and powerful sprinter’s build, it is likely around 70 to 75 kg.
That strong, tall frame suits bobsleigh well. A brakewoman has to push a heavy sled as hard as possible at the start, so leg power and body mass really matter.
Background and Early Life
Desi spent her childhood on the Gold Coast. When she was nine, her mum signed her up for Little Athletics in Ashmore, and she quickly showed real speed.
She made her first national team at just 12 years old and dreamed of running at the Summer Olympics. She also played netball and Australian rules football at school, but her coaches later asked her to focus on athletics to avoid injuries.
Desi attended Helensvale State High School and graduated in 2018. As a young sprinter, she often trained at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre near Olympic champion Sally Pearson.
Is she married? Who is Desi Johnson’s Husband?
No, Desi Johnson is not married. As of 2026, she has no husband.
She also has not publicly confirmed a boyfriend. Even though she shares a lot of her life online, Desi keeps her love life away from her social media pages.
Most of her posts focus on training, food, travel for competitions and her journey in bobsleigh. Some websites have guessed about her dating life, but none of those claims have been confirmed by Desi herself.
For now, it looks like her full attention is on her sport and her growing online career.
Family Background
Desi has not shared many details about her family in public. The names of her parents have not been made public.
What we do know is that her mother played a big role in her sporting life. It was her mum who first enrolled her in Little Athletics, which started her whole journey.
Desi has said that most of her close family now lives on the Gold Coast, where she is also based. Information about any brothers or sisters has not been confirmed. She has no children.
Desi Johnson’s Net Worth 2026
| Year | Estimated Net Worth |
|---|---|
| 2019 | Under $20,000 |
| 2020 | $50,000 |
| 2021 | $120,000 |
| 2022 | $200,000 |
| 2023 | $300,000 |
| 2024 | $400,000 |
| 2025 | $500,000 |
| 2026 (current) | $500,000 to $800,000 |
Desi Johnson’s net worth in 2026 is estimated at around $500,000 to $800,000. These are third-party estimates, not official figures.
Most of her money comes from social media. Brand deals, sponsored posts and fitness partnerships on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube are her main income sources.
Bobsleigh itself does not pay much. Desi has explained that the sport is self-funded, meaning athletes pay for travel, sleds, gear and months of living in Europe. She even ran a fundraising campaign through the Australian Sports Foundation to support her season.
Her wealth grew fast after her lockdown workout videos went viral in 2020, and her Olympic run in 2026 gave it another push.
Career
Desi started as a sprinter and later moved into the heptathlon. She was once ranked number one in Australia at under-18 level. Her personal bests include 12.16 seconds in the 100 m and 5.69 m in the long jump.
Sadly, injuries kept getting in the way. She went through several foot surgeries and later fractured a bone in her lower back, which ended her heptathlon plans.
In 2023, pilot Sarah Blizzard invited her to try bobsleigh. Desi had never even touched snow, but she took the chance. She also had a short try at rugby sevens around this time.
The pair finished 21st at the 2024 World Championships in Winterberg. In 2025, Desi won the women’s push contest at an international training camp in Prague.
She made her World Cup debut in Cortina in November 2025 and later placed 15th in Altenberg, her best World Cup result. In January 2026, she was named in Australia’s Olympic team.
At the Games, Desi and Sarah finished 21st. They missed the top-20 cut for the final run by only 0.02 seconds.
Lesser-Known Facts About Desi Johnson
| Fun Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Never seen snow | She had never touched snow before joining bobsleigh |
| A champion’s prediction | Sally Pearson once said Desi would suit bobsleigh |
| Multi-sport kid | She made a national netball team at age 12 |
| Famous classmates | She graduated with future AFLW players Dee Heslop and Serene Watson |
| Lockdown star | Her home workouts during COVID made her go viral |
| Tiny margin | She missed the Olympic final run by just 0.02 seconds |
| History maker | Her race was the first time Australia sent two teams into the Olympic two-woman bobsleigh |
One of the funniest parts of Desi’s story is that Sally Pearson, the Olympic hurdles champion, once joked that she would make a great bobsledder. Years later, that is exactly what happened.
Desi also admits she barely knew what bobsleigh was when she started. She had never been to Europe and had never stood in snow.
Her Olympic race was also a proud moment for Australia. It was the first time the country had two crews in the women’s two-person event at the Winter Games.
Desi Johnson Social Media
Desi is very active online, and social media is a big part of her career. She has even said she would not be doing bobsleigh without it.
Instagram: @desijohnsonn with over 1.3 million followers. She posts training clips, outfits, travel photos and competition updates.
TikTok: @desijohnsonn with over 1.6 million followers. This is where her lockdown workout videos first took off.
YouTube: Desi Johnson, with around 200,000 subscribers. She uploads longer vlogs, Q&As and behind-the-scenes looks at her Olympic journey.
Her follower counts grew quickly during the 2026 Winter Olympics, and she posts almost daily across platforms.
FAQs
How tall is Desi Johnson?
Desi Johnson is about 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall. She has said she now stands close to 6 feet.
How old is Desi Johnson?
She was born on 6 April 2001, so she is 25 years old in 2026.
Does Desi Johnson have a husband or boyfriend?
She is not married and has not publicly confirmed any boyfriend.
What is Desi Johnson’s net worth?
Her net worth in 2026 is estimated at around $500,000 to $800,000, mostly from social media and brand deals.
What sport does Desi Johnson play?
She is a bobsledder who competes as a brakewoman in the two-woman event. She raced for Australia at the 2026 Winter Olympics.