February 2021 | Vol. 18 Iss. 02
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HOMEGROWN OLYMPIAN CONTINUES TO INSPIRE By Sarah Morton Taggart | s.taggart@mycityjournals.com
B
ill Schuffenhauer admits he isn’t a big fan of playing outside in the cold these days. Which is funny considering that he’s a three-time Winter Olympian and took home a silver medal for fourman bobsled in 2002. Schuffenhauer is known for overcoming a challenging childhood of hunger and homelessness. But he also has happy memories as a kid growing up in Midvale. “It’s weird to drive by there now because I went to Midvale Elementary and it’s no longer there,” Schuffenhauer said. “My uncle and my cousins lived literally right across street. I remember playing at that park all the time with my cousins and hanging out at recess. Playing around in the wintertime and all that fun stuff.” He also spent much of his childhood barely surviving on the streets of Salt Lake City when his parents struggled with addiction. Schuffenhauer has recounted his story many times, in general conversation and now as a motivational speaker. He remembers eating food out of garbage cans and watching his mom do drugs. Schuffenhauer was moved in and out through more than a dozen foster homes before finally finding a home with his grandmother in Roy, Utah at age 12. “Seventh grade, that’s when I started doing
track, went from being a troublemaker to hopefully doing something better and have an opportunity to change my stars,” he said. “When I started doing track I wondered, how far could you take this? Honestly, I didn’t get the idea of going to the Olympics until high school. But I was like, ‘Yeah. Let’s just do it.’” Schuffenhauer continued excelling in track and field through high school and also played football. He was awarded a scholarship for track at Weber State University and stood out in nearly every event. Schuffenhauer’s chances for going to the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia were looking good until an injury during the 10-day qualifying competition changed the trajectory of his life. “I was ranked top five in the world for decathlon,” Schuffenhauer recalled. “Then I got injured and made the switch. Right before bobsled tryouts I had an open invitation to try out for the Orlando Predators, a professional arena football team. I was like, ‘Oh, I’ll check out this bobsled thing first because it’s right here (in Utah),’ and it all worked out.” Continued page 8 Bill Schuffenhauer (right) lets a fan hold his silver medal at Utah Olympic Park, where Schuffenhauer’s team placed second in four-man bobsled during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. (Photo courtesy Bill Schuffenhauer)
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