Tony Benshoof is a luge athlete competing at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
Though the U.S. never has won a medal in singles luge, Tony Benshoof has been the closest to the podium. In Torino, he was .153 seconds from a bronze medal.
Six weeks before the 2009 Worlds, Benshoof had surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back, an injury he sustained while lifting a box in 2006. Though Benshoof couldn't touch his toes until mid-January, he finished 18th in Lake Placid. The injury had hampered
Benshoof realized that he was a respected World Cup competitor in November 2003. After setting a track record in Altenberg, Germany, he was approached by German legend Georg Hackl, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time Olympic silver medalist. Hackl told Benshoof that his record-breaking run was one of the best runs he had ever seen. Says Benshoof, "That was it. I knew I was on a roll."
Although he says his music is "only a hobby," Benshoof plays the guitar and is an accomplished pianist. He says that his mother "forced" him to start taking piano lessons when he was in third grade. "For about three or four years," he says, "I kicked and screamed, but later I realized I was really happy she pushed me into it." Benshoof travels with his guitar, saying that it's a good antidote to luge.
Benshoof is an avid waterskier and wakeboarder; his parents live on White Bear Lake in Minnesota. Slalom waterskiing, he says, is the only other sport that gives him the same "competitive edge" feeling as luge. In 2000, Benshoof fell while skiing and sliced open his head, exposing his skull, an injury that required 75 stitches.
While watching the 1988 Olympic luge competition on television, Benshoof recalls saying to his father, "How the hell do they stop on those sleds?" A year later, his father took 13-year-old Benshoof and one of his friends to a luge clinic for kids in Minneapolis. Benshoof, who says that he was in "great shape" from participating in boxing, was picked to advance to a tryout in Lake Placid. But that fall, he said, "Two things happened to me. I was chosen to try the 'real' luge, and I got knocked out. Needless to say, I never got in the ring again."
Though the U.S. never has won a medal in singles luge, Tony Benshoof has been the closest to the podium. In Torino, he was .153 seconds from a bronze medal.
Six weeks before the 2009 Worlds, Benshoof had surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back, an injury he sustained while lifting a box in 2006. Though Benshoof couldn't touch his toes until mid-January, he finished 18th in Lake Placid. The injury had hampered
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his racing—after finishing fourth in Torino, Benshoof slipped to 14th at the 2008 Worlds—especially his starts, which place a lot of strain the back. He was also unable to properly shift his weight on the sled to navigate the tracks' curves. By December 2008, Benshoof had lost sensation in his right leg. During the 2009-10 World Cup, Benshoof's back pain continued as he raced much of the season with three herniated disks. Undeterred, he paced himself to consistently finish in the the top 10 and earn a season-best fifth during the eighth and final competition in Cesana, Italy. Heading into the Vancouver Games, Benshoof insisted that such pain wouldn't be a distraction.Benshoof realized that he was a respected World Cup competitor in November 2003. After setting a track record in Altenberg, Germany, he was approached by German legend Georg Hackl, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time Olympic silver medalist. Hackl told Benshoof that his record-breaking run was one of the best runs he had ever seen. Says Benshoof, "That was it. I knew I was on a roll."
Although he says his music is "only a hobby," Benshoof plays the guitar and is an accomplished pianist. He says that his mother "forced" him to start taking piano lessons when he was in third grade. "For about three or four years," he says, "I kicked and screamed, but later I realized I was really happy she pushed me into it." Benshoof travels with his guitar, saying that it's a good antidote to luge.
Benshoof is an avid waterskier and wakeboarder; his parents live on White Bear Lake in Minnesota. Slalom waterskiing, he says, is the only other sport that gives him the same "competitive edge" feeling as luge. In 2000, Benshoof fell while skiing and sliced open his head, exposing his skull, an injury that required 75 stitches.
While watching the 1988 Olympic luge competition on television, Benshoof recalls saying to his father, "How the hell do they stop on those sleds?" A year later, his father took 13-year-old Benshoof and one of his friends to a luge clinic for kids in Minneapolis. Benshoof, who says that he was in "great shape" from participating in boxing, was picked to advance to a tryout in Lake Placid. But that fall, he said, "Two things happened to me. I was chosen to try the 'real' luge, and I got knocked out. Needless to say, I never got in the ring again."
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