Steamboat Springs Olympian Bryan Fletcher had to beat childhood cancer before he could ever focus on wining on the slopes.
When he was just 3 years old, Fletcher was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Strangely enough, his battle against cancer would start him down the path to the Olympics.
“My parents were looking for a distraction for me, from everything that I was going through, and I was a kid that just loved skiing," Fletcher said. "You know, my dad would have me up on the slopes, trying to teach me how to carve the perfect turn, and I was like, 'nah I’m going to point them straight and hit that jump.'”
Steamboat Springs is one of the few communities in the world with a ski jumping facility in its backyard.
When he was young, Fletcher heard they were looking for some little jumpers to join their club.
“The smile on my face was just instantaneous, like they knew they had to sign me up for the program. Later that afternoon, I was signed up and I was hooked,” Fletcher said. “You know, at first it was a total distraction, but then it became my focus. You know it was like, 'I’m going to go to Denver, do all the treatments as quick as I can, then come back and ski.' And when I was on the jump, it was just pure joy, it was everything that I wanted to be doing and more.”
Now he will be taking flight in South Korea while representing the United States in his second Olympics.
His event is the Nordic Combined, a combination of ski jumping and cross-country skiing.
Not only is Fletcher from Steamboat, but four other guys from his five-man team are also from there, including his brother Taylor, who is going to his third Olympics.
Fellow Steamboat Springs residents Ben Berend and Jasper Good are representing the U.S. for the first time.
Ben Loomis from Eu Claire, Wi. will also be going to his first Olympics.
“I really do think that it can be anybody’s game this year I have that optimistic feeling that anyone has a chance, that I have a chance, that any of my teammates have a chance," Fletcher said. "I’m looking forward to it; I think it’s going to be a really cool battle for the podium.”
The Steamboat connection doesn't stop in the snow. Three-time Nordic Combined Olympic silver medalist Johnny Spillane will be in the NBC broadcast booth as an analyst.
Spillane was born and raised in Steamboat. He still lives there, running his own fly fishing shop.
Fletcher hopes his story of beating childhood cancer and becoming an Olympian will inspire other kids struck with childhood cancer.
He co-founded a charity called ccThrive with Gavin Shamis, who also beat childhood Leukemia. The goal of their charity is to create awareness, provide mentoring, and make grants available for the continued rehabilitation and reintegration through therapy, training and counseling.
Shamis made the USA Luge Junior National Development Team and aspires to one day become an Olympian like Fletcher.