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| Born | June 24, 1973 (age 51) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Bill Schuffenhauer (born June 24, 1973) is an American bobsledder who has competed since 2000. Competing in three Winter Olympics, he won the silver medal in the four-man event at Salt Lake City in 2002.
Bill grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah and as a child, his mother was a prostitute and drug addict who was often beaten in front of him. [1] He had to steal, to eat from trash cans, and once was caught trying to break into a bicycle store to try to steal something to sell for food. [1]
The few friends he had were mostly in street gangs, and Bill drank and smoked cannabis often. [1] His mother was often evicted, and he lived in foster homes. [1] Schuffenhauer's maternal grandmother, Sadie Muniz, took him in as he was about to enter junior high in Roy, Utah. [1] "She reminded me to never give up and always push on," he said. [1]
Because of his grandmother's influence, he began going to school and started to participate in track and field at Roy High School, due to his great speed. [1] He persevered to become an Olympian, and his coaches encouraged him greatly as well. He soon became a decathlete. He went to Weber State University and there he won the junior nationals in 1992. Additionally he played American football in high school.
Schuffenhauer's Olympics dream as a track and field athlete came to an end in 2000. While training for Sydney, he suffered a bad ankle injury and he could barely walk. When his friend told him that the U.S. Olympic team was practicing bobsledding in Park City, he took the chance to go and observe. While there, the team members noticed his 6-foot, 200 pound frame and asked him he wanted to be a pusher. He accepted and trained with the team from then on.
He was not originally slated to be a regular member, but was promoted when one of the U.S. four-man team members tested positive for steroids. That crew, piloted by Todd Hays, won a silver medal at the Salt Lake Games.
At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, Bill's two-man team placed 14th, after which he retired. He had two children and he felt responsible for them. Bobsledders earn only a meager amount, but Bill made the tough decision to continue to aspire for qualification for Vancouver. He fought through a neck injury (2 herniated disks) with the help of a chiropractor and a team physician.
In January 2010, in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Bill and his 3 USA teammates placed sixth and qualified for Vancouver and it was officially announced on January 17, 2010, that Bill's team would represent the United States at Vancouver. They finished 13th in the four-man event.
"The dream is happening right now. I'm here. That's all I wanted," he said. Then he added, "It would be nice to get a medal of any color."
Schuffenhauer attempted suicide in 2016. He was saved by his girlfriend. Speculation has arisen that Schuffenhauer's attempt was related to brain trauma suffered during his bobsledding career, similar to CTE that boxers and other sportsmen who suffer repeated minor concussions face. [2]
Kristan Bromley is a retired British skeleton racer who has competed since 1996. He won the gold medal in the men's event at the 2008 FIBT World Championships in Altenberg, Germany. This was Great Britain's first gold medal at the FIBT World Championships since 1965.
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Heather Moyse is a Canadian athlete and two-time Olympic gold medalist, representing Canada in international competition as a bobsledder, rugby union player, and track cyclist and competing at the Canadian intercollegiate level in rugby, soccer and track and field.
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The 2010–11 Bobsleigh World Cup was a multi race tournament over a season for bobsleigh. The season started on 22 November 2010 in Whistler, Canada and ended on 27 January 2011 in Königssee, Germany. The World Cup was organised by the FIBT who also run World Cups and Championships in skeleton. This season was sponsored by Viessmann.
The 2013–14 Bobsleigh World Cup was a multi-race tournament over the winter season for bobsleigh, organised by the FIBT, which also organised in parallel the 2013–14 Skeleton World Cup. The season started on 30 November 2013 in Calgary, Canada, and ended on 26 January 2014 in Königssee, Germany.
The 2013–14 Skeleton World Cup was a multi-race tournament over a season for skeleton. The season started on 29 November 2013 in Calgary, Canada, and ended on 25 January 2014 in Königssee, Germany. The World Cup was organised by the FIBT who also run World Cups and Championships in bobsleigh.
The 2014–15 Bobsleigh World Cup is a multi race tournament over a season for bobsleigh. The season started on 12 December 2014 in Lake Placid, United States and ended on 15 February 2015 in Sochi, Russia. The World Cup is organised by the FIBT who also run World Cups and Championships in skeleton.
Tina Hermann is a German skeleton racer and a four-time World champion. She began racing in 2007 and was selected to the national team in 2009. She is coached by Dirk Matschenz (personal) and Jens Müller (national); away from the track, she is a police officer.
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