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SALT LAKE CITY — The Olympics are over and athletes are returning home. For one Olympic athlete in Utah, however, this was his first time in a long time to watch the Winter Olympics from home.
The U.S. Men's Bobsled Team took home the silver medal in February 2002 in Salt Lake City, and it was an experience Bill Schuffenhauer will never forget.
Born and raised in Utah, Schuffenhauer wanted to be an Olympic athlete since the ninth grade.
“My original goal was to make the Olympic team as a track and field athlete,” he said.
While training in Sydney for the 2002 Olympics for track and field something happened that shattered his dreams of competing — in that sport.
“I had an injury. At that point, I honestly gave up," he said. "I thought my dream was done. I was just going to move on."
Through friends he became acquainted with a new sport.
“They introduced me to the movie ‘Cool Runnings.’ I was like 'oh, looks like a cool, fun sport,'” he said. “My goal was to be an Olympian, whether it was in track and field, bobsled, or men’s pairs figure skating.”
He had no time to lose.
“I only had about a year and three months from the time I made the decision to train as a bobsled athlete for the Olympics here in Salt Lake City until the actual Olympic team was announced,” he said.
His intensive training regimen including around-the-clock meetings, therapy, nutrition, fitness and weight training.
“(We were) trying to get every little edge as we possibly can, physically and mentally,” he explained. “When we do get to the Olympics or the world championships, the nationals, we know that I’ve done everything that I possibly could physically and mentally to be prepared for this moment.”
“I truly had to live my sport,” he added. And he did it as a team.
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Preparing for the Olympics takes an enormous amount of training and dedication. Take away the trainers and dietitians, and the task to stay healthy can become quite a challenge.“We trained together, we traveled together,” he said. “It all has to work together because when you do get to the Olympic Games, that has to be a natural thing that just happens for you.”
He competed in the four-man bobsled in what is called the Cadillac position, sitting right behind the driver.
“They call it the Cadillac ride or seating position because you don’t feel as much G forces and banging sitting right behind the driver,” he explained.
It was his first time competing as an Olympian for a country he was proud to call home.
“Straight from the streets of Salt Lake City to the Olympic podium in Salt Lake City, I thought, you know, you couldn’t write a story any better than that,” he said.
“It just brought tears to my eyes to realize that the dream that had been a dream for so long had now become a reality and I was living the moment right then and there,” he said.
This year he watched the 2014 Olympics from his home, surrounded by those he loves.
“That is really fun now because it’s an opportunity to reflect back on it and share those moments with them,” he said.
Schuffenhauer said although he misses the Olympic atmosphere, he he retired at the right time for him. He now is focused on raising his children and running his own company called Silver Retreats. He said the Olympic flag he was given by the USOC when he retired is hanging in his son's room.
