Ruben Gonzalez is competing in the Winter Olympics 2010 in Vancouver in the luge for Argentina.
Ruben Gonzalez was a student at Houston Baptist University when his Olympic dreams first started to take shape. The then-21-year-old chemistry and biology double major became enamored with the idea after watching the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Games. The former soccer player scoured the list of Olympic sports and opted to go with the fastest sport on ice because of its dangerous nature. From there, Gonzalez headed to Lake Placid for tryouts and kept his sights set on making it to the Calgary Games.
The native Argentinean—who moved to New York City with his family when he was six—finished 32nd during the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary. Captured by the thrill of it all, Gonzales returned for the 1992 Albertville Olympics, where he placed 31st. But due to financial constraints and other personal responsibilities, it would be another decade until Gonzalez would again take to Olympic ice. Sliding to 41st place in Salt Lake in 2002, at the age of 39, Gonzalez would go on to miss the Torino Games before making history in Vancouver in 2010—to become the first person ever to compete in four Winter Olympics in four different decades.
Gonzalez resides in Katy, Texas with wife, Cheryl, and their two children, Gabriela and Gracen. Since Salt Lake, Gonzalez has traveled around the world as a motivational speaker, sharing his many stories of being an Olympian and offering tips on how one can successfully go after their dreams. In addition, he's also authored several books, including "The Courage to Succeed: Success Secrets of an Unlikely Three-time Olympian."
Ruben Gonzalez was a student at Houston Baptist University when his Olympic dreams first started to take shape. The then-21-year-old chemistry and biology double major became enamored with the idea after watching the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Games. The former soccer player scoured the list of Olympic sports and opted to go with the fastest sport on ice because of its dangerous nature. From there, Gonzalez headed to Lake Placid for tryouts and kept his sights set on making it to the Calgary Games.
The native Argentinean—who moved to New York City with his family when he was six—finished 32nd during the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary. Captured by the thrill of it all, Gonzales returned for the 1992 Albertville Olympics, where he placed 31st. But due to financial constraints and other personal responsibilities, it would be another decade until Gonzalez would again take to Olympic ice. Sliding to 41st place in Salt Lake in 2002, at the age of 39, Gonzalez would go on to miss the Torino Games before making history in Vancouver in 2010—to become the first person ever to compete in four Winter Olympics in four different decades.
Gonzalez resides in Katy, Texas with wife, Cheryl, and their two children, Gabriela and Gracen. Since Salt Lake, Gonzalez has traveled around the world as a motivational speaker, sharing his many stories of being an Olympian and offering tips on how one can successfully go after their dreams. In addition, he's also authored several books, including "The Courage to Succeed: Success Secrets of an Unlikely Three-time Olympian."