Officially, Rich Ruohonen is listed as the alternate on the U.S. men’s Olympic curling team in Milan-Cortina. Unofficially, he might be the most indispensable 54-year-old personal injury attorney in the Olympic Village. He’d also be the oldest American to ever compete at the Winter Olympics.
“I’m not the dad, and I’m not the coach,” his homemade T-shirt communicates to other athletes, the Wall Street Journal reported. He’s there to compete. The way Team USA’s youngest Olympians tell it, that “guy” is the one cooking omelets before pressure games, grilling steaks after big wins, and quietly picking up a chunk of the tab to keep their improbable run on track.
