Bill Schuffenhauer 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.
Schuffenhauer's Olympics dream as a track and field athlete came to an end in 2000. While training for Sydney, he suffered a nasty ankle injury and could barely walk. When his friend told him that the U.S. Olympic team was practising 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. Piloted by Todd Hays, that crew 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 colour.\"
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