Eagle Scout and former college sprinter suits up for Team USA’s bobsled team

When Eagle Scout Caleb Furnell clinched a spot on the U.S. Olympic bobsled team, the moment felt surreal to his family in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.

Jason Furnell said his son was athletic and excelled in track as a kid. He was meticulous when it came to preparation, something Scouting encouraged and cultivated. But an Olympian? Jason said it took a while for the family to wrap their brains around their son walking with Team USA when the tape-delayed 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Games opening ceremony is shown on NBC at 7 p.m. CT today. Caleb, 24, will compete in the four-man bobsled.

“At first, it was one of those things that doesn’t sound real when you say it out loud,” Jason says. “I would be talking to someone who would ask about him, and I’d say ‘Yeah, that’s my son.’ And for me, in the beginning, it was hard to believe. But you know, he’s been an athlete his whole life, and he works very hard. We’re looking forward to watching him be a part of this, and I know his family and friends are excited to support him.”

One thing is certain, Jason says. Caleb won’t be nervous when he lines up against the best bobsled teams in the world. The Scout motto “Be Prepared” fits Caleb like a glove. In high school and on the track and field team at Utah Valley University, Jason says the second his son lined up to compete, he had done everything possible to achieve victory. Parents don’t like to compare, but Jason says Caleb took preparation to a level a little higher than his other two sons, also Eagle Scouts.

“Scouting definitely helped instill those qualities in him, the need to be prepared,” Jason says. “When he’s training, it’s all about the details — mental and physical — that help him get better. When it’s his time to compete, there won’t be any fear at all. None. He’s already done everything.”

Injury forces a change of plans

Caleb’s road to the Olympics took a few turns. He was a standout high jumper and wanted to join the Brigham Young University track and field team. During his junior year at Lee’s Summit West High School, he planted his takeoff foot during a jump, and his left leg snapped. Paramedics stabilized his leg and rushed him to a hospital. Jason says the family initially thought he might never compete again.

Doctors predicted a full recovery after surgery, and they were almost right. Caleb jumped again, but left knee pain while planting made it difficult. He switched to sprints and qualified for the state meet in three events.

But BYU’s interest waned because of the injury, so Caleb walked on at nearby Utah Valley University and eventually earned a scholarship.

Shortly after graduation in 2024, a friend encouraged him to him to attend a USA Bobsled/Skeleton recruiting event in Salt Lake City. Athletes see if their talents translate to bobsled, and for Caleb, it did. He was invited to a rookie camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, New York. When the team was announced two weeks ago, his name was called.
Michael Shortino, his high school track coach, told a local television station that Caleb’s explosiveness as a sprinter is what makes bobsled so natural. Bobsled requires a powerful push in the beginning to propel the sled forward.

“It’s awesome,” Shortino says. “It also makes sense. What I saw on the track, when it was time to qualify or time to be an all-stater, he performed. Now the country gets to see that on the world stage.”

Scouting runs in the family

Back home in Lee’s Summit, Jason will watch the opening ceremony with friends at work on a conference room television. Margene, Caleb’s mom and a teacher at Lee’s Summit High School, will join other teachers and students for a special event. She also has ties to Scouting, having served as a volunteer for the Heart of America Council.

“We’re a Scouting family,” Jason says. “It was part of our daily life. The boys enjoyed being with their friends from church, and they really had fun on the campouts. Obviously, the high- adventure trips to Colorado and Arkansas were a big part of what they did growing up. All the things they learned are values they take with them today.”

To watch Caleb, fans will have to wait awhile. The four-man bobsled team event is set for Feb. 21-22 in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. The first heats begin Feb. 21 at 3 a.m. CT (10 a.m. local time). With more than two weeks until the first heat, Caleb has even more time to prepare.

“He’ll be ready,” Jason says.