First Four Decade Winter Olympian
Ruben Gonzalez has been competing internationally since 1986.
He competed in the 1988 Calgary, 1992 Albertville, 2002 Salt Lake City, and 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
Training to Make Olympic History
Ruben’s training for the 2026 Milan / Cortina Olympics where he hopes to become the Oldest Winter Olympian in history and the first to compete in 5 Winter Olympics in 5 different decades.
He’s sliding better and more consistently than ever.
His coach says it’s possible for him to do it.
Note –
Ruben was 39 at the Salt Lake City Olympics and 47 at the Vancouver Olympics.
At the Olympic Village people always asked Ruben if he was a coach.
Now at 61, Ruben’s older than most of the luge coaches!
They’re inspired by what he’s doing and frequently help him out.
While training in Austria, a freak-accident happened…
An Accident that Never Should Have Happened
It Could Have Been Much Worse
Both Grayson and Ruben were extremely lucky.
Ruben could have lost a foot (it’s happened before) and Grayson could have been seriously injured if if he had hit Ruben’s sled.
When you watch the video at 1/2 speed, you can see how they both dodged a bullet.
Grayson pulls his legs up right before impact.
His sled hits Ruben’s sled (22 kilos / 50 lbs) and it flies off of Ruben’s hand narrowly missing Grayson.
Nothing hits Ruben either.
The impulse from his sled flying off his hands sweeps Ruben around just as Grayson’s sled slides under him.
It was a miracle nothing worse happened.
If it had, they may not have survived because there was not an ambulance or any medical personnel at the track.
Incredibly, the announcer did not announce a “hold on track” after this accident.
The track was cleared for the next sled…
Dislocated Elbow Changes Everything
He dearly needs as many luge runs as possible in order to have a chance to qualify for 2026 Milan / Cortina.
Ruben ended up missing most of the 2023-2024 season.
More Determined than Ever
TAKEAWAYS
Learn How to Become Unstoppable so You Can Achieve Your Goals FASTER than You Ever Thought You Could
Learn more here.
Followed Coach’s Advice
Oct. 8 2023
Ruben stuck around, spent time with the other athletes, and watched sleds go by while learning from the coaches.
Focusing on the future helped him to start feeling better.
Start of Rehab
Dec. 1, 2023
Pushing the Limits
Dec. 1, 2023
Rebuilding Arm
Dec. 9, 2023
No Surgery Needed!
Dec. 17, 2023
MORAL
Finally Fit in Sled
Dec. 29, 2023
Top of the Track
Jan. 19, 2024
Ruben started training again in Park City, Utah.
After a couple of weeks training from Ladies Start (about 75 MPH), he moved up to the top of the track.
It would be Ruben’s first time from the top in 14 years – 84+ MPH.
On the first run he crashed, but he knew exactly what he did wrong.
Next two runs were fine.
Ruben had forgotten how much faster it was from the top. But he knew that his brain would adjust to the speed. You have to train your brain.
Determined
He’s sliding better and more consistently than ever, but he still needs to improve quite a bit.
ONLY 25 men will get to compete at the 2026 Milan Olympics – 40 to 50 men used to get to go in the old days.
Next season (2024-2025) Ruben will train at several tracks to keep working on getting to the next level.
Finally, in October through December 2025 there will be seven races that will determine who goes to the Olympics.
Coach says Ruben has a shot as long as he continues to improve.
Will there be a movie about Ruben?
Find out here.