Olympic gold medalist Curt Tomasevicz speaks on integrating faith with achievement

Sixteen years after winning a gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Curt Tomasevicz spoke to students at North American Martyrs Elementary School in Lincoln about his athletic career and the role of faith in his life.

“I realized at that time, this is my moment,” Tomasevicz said. “I’m never going to forget it. It just happened so fast. It was a pretty special moment.”

Tomasevicz earned two Olympic medals as part of the U.S. 4-man bobsledding team: gold in 2010 and silver in 2014, following an initial sixth-place finish at the 2006 Games in Turin, Italy.

He recently attended the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Italy as director of sport performance for the U.S. bobsledding team, where he oversees scheduling, helps select athletes, and ensures they have necessary resources.

“My role is definitely important for the success of the team without directly coaching or working with the athletes hand in hand,” he said.

A native of Shelby, Nebraska and graduate of University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), Tomasevicz played football for the Huskers before being encouraged by a strength coach to try out for bobsledding—a sport he knew little about at first.

“He said you’re going to push a sled as hard as you can for about five seconds, and then you’re going to go down the hill on an icy track about a mile long and get down to the bottom as fast as you can,” Tomasevicz recalled. “So, it takes somebody who is really strong, really fast and really powerful and a little bit crazy. And I thought, that’s me!”

During his talk on February 26, Tomasevicz described various aspects of bobsledding—from equipment like spiked shoes to physical training regimens—and emphasized psychological and spiritual preparation.

Tomasevicz told students that faith has been central throughout his journey. He recounted feeling anxious when traveling alone for his first tryout but found reassurance through prayer.

“I remember in that moment thinking it’s in God’s hands right now,” Tomasevicz said. “I can do my very best, but there’s so many things that are out of my control that I just have to have faith that God has a plan for me. That was really one of the very first times I was able to just kind of let go and let God take control of my life.”

After joining the team, he realized balancing training with maintaining his faith required intention.

“I realized pretty quickly that (my faith) needs to be part of my routine, not just in my weekly obligation to Mass, but also in my daily preparation to go down the hill,” he told students. “Bobsled is incredibly scary. When we’re standing at the top of a track, looking over a cliff… (t)here’s a lot of things that can be out of your control.”

He made prayer part of his pre-race routine: “Typically, I’d walk out to the start line saying Hail Marys. I pray for protection. I’d pray for a good competition,” Tomasevicz said. “I never prayed that we would win… My prayer was always focused on our safety, my competitors’ safety and how to make it a fair competition so that everybody could do their best.”

Tomasevicz encouraged students to integrate their own faith into daily routines: “Whether it’s going to Mass, whether it’s before you take a test, before you have a sports practice, before you have a game. Whatever it might be, you can tie in your faith to be the best student you can be, to be the best brother or sister you can be. You will be a better person if you can tie your faith into what you do, just like I became a better bobsledder because I tied my faith into what I did every day.”

He also shared challenges from crashes during races—estimating around 15 incidents—describing moments when prayer brought comfort amid uncertainty.

“I remember my very first crash. We always joke, you could either swear or pray. And thankfully, my instinct was to start saying Hail Marys. I think I got through three and a half Hail Marys before the sled actually came to a stop,” he said. “Those moments where it’s a horrible moment and things are out of your control, there’s nothing you can do but put your faith in God and let things happen.”

Tomasevicz highlighted how attention to small details makes both athletic performance and religious practice meaningful: “It’s looking at the big picture. What do you want to accomplish? In order to get to that goal, what are the small things you have to do? And then at the same time, it’s realizing that some things are not in your control… letting God’s plan happen too.”

Since retiring from competition after 2014’s Olympics—and earning his Ph.D.—he has become an assistant professor at UNL while continuing work with U.S.A Bobsledding as well as public speaking engagements reflecting on his experiences.

The Diocese of Lincoln promotes Catholic traditions through communications and events across its 134 parishes and six educational institutions throughout southern Nebraska (source). The diocese aims for members who actively practice their beliefs (source) while supporting vocations education programs (source).

At North American Martyrs School—where each grade followed countries during this year’s Olympics—students cheered loudly during Tomasevicz’s visit.

“They have an opportunity to come to a school where their faith is a part of where they are all day long,” he said. “That faith is a part of who they are… truly forming who they are. I think it’s an awesome opportunity and they’re only going to grow in that faith.”

Reflecting on his personal approach toward religion throughout athletics: “I’ve never really been outward about my faith,” Tomasevicz said. “Things that I did were many times behind-the-scenes… But it was part of who I am… helped me prepare…”

He concluded by telling students: “I’ll see you guys at Mass every weekend here too.”

An interview with Curt Tomasevicz discussing his career and Catholic beliefs—as well as video from this school presentation—is available via @CatholicDioceseofLincoln on YouTube.