From CFL Gridiron to Olympic Ice: Keaton Bruggeling’s Unexpected Journey to the 2026 Winter Games

Keaton Bruggeling, a 27-year-old wide receiver for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL), is set to compete in the four-man bobsleigh event at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics. This unexpected turn comes after being approached by Olympic-level bobsledders just three years ago while training for the CFL Combine.

A Football Player’s Transition to Bobsleigh

Bruggeling, originally from St. Catharines, Ontario, played varsity football as a wide receiver for the Carleton Ravens before joining the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. In 2023, while preparing for the CFL Combine in Ottawa, he was scouted by Jay Dearborn and Mike Evelyn O’Higgins, who recognized his potential for bobsleigh. “Through the testing, and the running, and the jumping, they just told me I would be pretty decent at this,” Bruggeling told CBC News.

Dearborn, a former CFL defensive back, and O’Higgins, a former ice hockey forward for the Dalhousie Tigers, were too relative newcomers to the sport, mirroring Bruggeling’s unconventional path to the Olympics. He quickly found the sport exhilarating, stating, “There’s no feeling quite like it… I’ve been skydiving. There’s no feeling quite like just whipping down a hill at 150 [km/h].”

Overcoming Financial Hurdles

Bruggeling’s Olympic dream faced a significant obstacle: a $25,000 fee to compete at the Games, a result of funding cuts to Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton. To overcome this, he launched an online crowdfunding campaign, raising over $10,200 from family, friends, and strangers. “It was just amazing to see how many people came together and… just believed in me,” Bruggeling said. “It warms my heart to think that I have this kind of support and this community behind me.”

He highlighted the broader issue of funding within Canadian Olympic sports, noting, “We lacked funding on all levels of the Canadian Olympic sport.” Canada’s bobsleigh team is currently using sleds purchased from Germany in 2018, recognizing Germany’s dominance in the sport due to superior equipment and funding.

Looking Ahead to the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics

Team Canada’s four-man bobsleigh team, including Keaton Bruggeling, will compete on February 21st and 22nd. Heats 1 and 2 are scheduled for 3:50 a.m. ET on Saturday, February 21st, with Heats 3 and 4 following at the same time on Sunday, February 22nd. Bruggeling expressed a friendly competitive spirit, acknowledging Team U.S. And Team Switzerland as key rivals while also wishing them well, emphasizing the strong community within the sport.

Bruggeling balances his bobsleigh training with his CFL career, utilizing off-season time to train at ice houses in Calgary and Lake Placid, New York, using push sleds to simulate the bobsleigh start. He acknowledges the physical demands and inherent risks of the sport, stating, “It’s hard to get those reps in, especially in season… You can only slide about two or three times a day because it’s that hard on your body.”