BROOKFIELD, Wis. — A fun summer activity for an 11-year-old has transformed into Olympic dreams for a Wisconsin athlete who will represent Team USA in luge.
Marcus Mueller's journey began in 2016 when a Sliders Search event came to New Berlin. What started as a casual tryout for the Brookfield resident has evolved into a nine-year commitment that recently culminated in his first World Cup victory and Olympic nomination.
First-time Olympians Marcus Mueller and Ansel Haugsjaa look to make a splash at the #WinterOlympics. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Nh9txTLFqq
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) January 16, 2026
"Going out the first time, we were just like, what are we letting our kid do? This is crazy," Teresa Mueller said about watching her son participate in the high-speed sport.
The Muellers initially had modest expectations for their son's involvement in the sport.
Watch: 20-year-old Brookfield luger Marcus Mueller earns first Olympic berth
"We didn't have any thoughts of it going any place," Al Mueller chuckled.
Marcus's introduction to luge began with a wheels-based tryout where participants weave through cones. The real test came next.
"I tried it on wheels for the first time, and they kind of have you weave through cones and do a little tryout," Marcus Mueller said. "If they like what they see, they send you out to Lake Placid to try it out on ice for the first time."
That Lake Placid experience changed everything for the Mueller family. They built start tracks in their Brookfield basement and made countless trips to New York for training as Marcus learned the technical aspects of the sport.
"You're steering with your ankles, your shoulders… Your bottom person and top person do different things," Marcus Mueller explained.
The commitment required significant adjustment for the entire family.
"It was a lot to absorb really fast," Al Mueller said.
The nine-year journey reached its pinnacle when Marcus Mueller and his partner Ansel Haugsjaa captured their first World Cup victory in Lake Placid to all but secure their spots on Team USA for the Olympics.
"Definitely wouldn't be here without my family and their support that they've had in me through all the sports I've done in my whole life, and then even with luge, so I'd be nowhere without my family right now," Marcus Mueller smiled.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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