With the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics underway, the U.S. men's curling team, led by skip Danny Casper, is on the hunt for a gold medal after enduring considerable difficulties.
The last two years have been a roller-coaster of emotions for Casper. In 2024, he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare condition that affects nerves in the body.
His symptoms impacted his hands and legs, sidelining him from curling for much of last year.
"It's been a very challenging two years, I think it's been I got diagnosed with Guillain Barre, which is when your immune system attacks and destroys your nerves. It's been really hard," Casper said.
Thanks to physical therapy and medication, Casper returned to competition last year.
"It's still hard now. I still don't feel good, but I feel a lot better than I did. And I definitely won't be at 100 percent at the Olympics, but that's not going to be a reason why we succeed or don't succeed," he said.
With Olympic qualification on the line, the team had to compete at times without their captain. This meant that 54-year-old Rich Ruohonen would fill in when Casper couldn't play.
He then stayed on the team as an alternate and is now in line to become the oldest American to ever compete at the Winter Olympics.
"To be able to still play at this level at 54 and really help out in any way I can is phenomenal. It was my dream. It's everything I've worked for 30 years," said Ruohonen.
Despite the challenges, the team determined not to settle for anything less than the top place on the Olympic stage.
"We want to medal. We are going there to medal. We're not going to just be happy to be there," said Ruohonen.
"Every single day, in the shower, in the car, laying in bed, all I think about is winning the Olympics," said Casper.
US men's curling team overcomes challenges, chases gold at Winter Olympics
