Olympian Brock Kreitzburg’s life could be a textbook case of how the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat are inextricably intertwined. At the same time, Brock also epitomizes the value of dedication, even in the face of adversity.

This lifelong athlete first found success at the age of 8 on the football field, and he honed his talent throughout school all the way to college at the University of Toledo, where he was wide receiver, as well as All-Conference in both football and track. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers came calling with an invitation to a mini-camp, but the pairing ultimately proved fruitless.

Though his football dreams were dashed, Brock’s athletic career was far from over. Following a three-month recruiting process by the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Foundation, Brock became one of three team members chosen. As it happened, the speed he had developed playing football and running track were the perfect fit for the bobsled team, where he would take his place as the push athlete, launching the drivers onto the track.

Brock’s Olympic debut had to wait until he finished his Masters of Divinity degree, but by 2003, he was back on the team. Along with Todd Hays and Steve Holcomb, he joined Team Hays, USA-1 late in 2006, and they iced the competition, with a second-place finish in Konigssee, Germany, and outright victory in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Going into the 2006 Torino Olympics, they were ranked second in the world in the four-man bobsled, but they finished in a disappointing seventh place.

His Olympic debut may have been less than ideal, but Brock returned to the track, now teaming up with Olympic colleagues Steve Holcomb, Steve Mesler, and Pavle Jovanovic. Together, they clocked the best season ever recorded for a U.S. team. Team Holcomb carved out a spot as the best team in the world, with a combined five gold medals and five silver medals in the World Cup tour. By the end, their two-man team occupied the No. 1 slot in the world, while the four-man formation came in at No. 2 in the world.

The Olympics have a way of capturing the public’s imagination and rewarding dedicated athletes, turning the most committed competitors into legends. Brock Kreitzburg has not ruled out the 2010 Olympics and is currently training under Dan Pfaff, a top coach with extensive experience preparing 33 Olympians, including several medalists. No matter what happens between now and the games in Vancouver, Canada, you can count on one thing: Brock Kreitzburg won’t be kept down for long. Brock Kreitzburg – United States Olympic Committee

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