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
African officials on Wednesday pledged to scale up investment to accelerate development across the member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at a meeting in Accra, Ghana's capital.
They made the commitment during the 24th Annual General Meeting of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), where leaders highlighted the need to expand the bank's capital base to finance transformative projects.
Ghanaian Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson stressed that timely capital payments would strengthen EBID's leverage and sustain its growth, enabling the institution to stimulate inclusive economic expansion across the region.
"Timely capital payments are critical. It strengthens EBID leverage and sustains its growth and impact across our region. Expanding our capital base is essential to strengthen our ability to finance transformative development projects and stimulate inclusive economic growth among our member states," said Forson.
EBID recorded strong achievements in 2025, with total disbursements of about 722 million U.S. dollars, up 47.7 percent from 2024. Building on that momentum, President George Agyekum Donkor said the bank remains committed to helping member states tackle poverty and close infrastructure gaps across the region.
"We aim to direct at least 63 percent of new commitments towards the private enterprises to catalyze job creation and innovation. Simultaneously, the bank would embed environmental, social and governance principles across its operations, dedicating over 41 percent of resources to climate mitigation and social inclusion projects," said Donkor.
With disbursements surging nearly 48 percent last year, EBID officials said the bank is positioned to channel more resources into private-sector growth and climate-focused projects, reinforcing its role as a driver of inclusive development across West Africa.
African officials vow stronger investment push at ECOWAS bank meeting in Accra
