Bryan Leturgez

Business and Marketing Alumnus; Director of Development
for Corporate and Foundation Gifting at Indiana State University

During the winter season, most people think of building snowmen, having snowball fights, or staying indoors while sipping hot chocolate and watching their favorite movies in front of a warm fire.

But Bryan Leturgez thinks of bobsledding.

The 1991 business and marketing alumnus has always been athletic. Growing up in the Terre Haute community, he dreamt of playing in the National Football League. When he transferred to Indiana State to continue his parents’ legacy as a proud Sycamore, Leturgez made the difficult decision not to join the football team. Instead, he joined Indiana State’s track and field squad, where his speed enhanced his competitiveness in the decathlon, 400-meter hurdles, and high jump.

Leturgez set a school record with a 7-foot-1.75-inch leap in the high jump. To this day, he still owns the third-best time for the 400-meter hurdles in Indiana State’s history, having posted a then-record 50.86 in 1986. In 2009, Leturgez was inducted into Indiana State’s Hall of Fame.

“There are many examples of athletes coming to Indiana State and achieving national recognition. I knew these athletes and I thought I could be like them,” he says.

He wasn’t just like those successful athletes; Bryan Leturgez became one of them. He competed in the 1986 NCAA Track & Field Championships and the 1988 Olympic Trials in the 400-meter hurdles. At these trials, he was approached to try out for an Olympic team, but it wasn’t for a track event. The sport was unlike anything Leturgez had ever participated in as an athlete.

Bobsledding.

For most people, this would be the moment when they would step back, shake their heads, and say, “No, no, no. I don’t know anything about bobsledding. How could I compete in the Olympics when I’ve never played the sport before?”

But that wasn’t Leturgez’s mindset. He had his heart set on competing in the Olympics, so he told the recruiter, “Why not?” He still wanted to compete, and this was his ticket to the Olympics.

After making this decision, it was time for Leturgez to work. He trained for bobsledding, a sport that involves sliding down a narrow, twisting, ice-covered incline on a four-runner sled that carries either two or four people. The bobsled can travel at speeds up to 93 miles per hour. Leturgez found that skills in football, track and field, and wrestling were very much applicable to bobsledding.

“I asked myself, ‘Should I be stronger or faster?’ Both. ‘Should I be stronger or smarter?’ Both. You can be really strong, but if you’re not as fast as that sled is going downhill and you’re riding on ice at peak speed, you better be fast. You have to jump into the sled at the right moment without harming your teammates,” Leturgez explains. “Every track is designed differently with the length and curves. It’s important to trust your team – giving them control with their responsibilities – and be fearless.”

Leturgez made the World Cup team and competed for ten years. During the 1992-93 season, he earned three gold medals, one silver medal, and one bronze medal, and he was part of a four-man team that won the overall World Cup championship. Then, he competed on the U.S. Olympic team in the 1992 Games in Albertville, France, the 1994 Games in Lillehammer, Norway, and the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan. Leturgez was team captain of the 1992 bobsled team, when he marked his best Olympic finish of 11^th place in the four-man event.

“There’s no greater feeling than hearing the National Anthem for your country played at the Olympics. That’s the driving force to compete to the best of our ability and represent our country,” Leturgez reflects. “Every athlete came to the Olympics for the same reason. At the Olympics, you’re surrounded by like-minded people who all want to achieve something that matters. But at the same time, every one of us had to overcome challenges to get there. We all had a story.”

Leturgez’s story didn’t end following his Olympic career. He worked at the Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta before transitioning into finance and investment consulting. Flash forward to 2023, and Leturgez accepted a position at his alma mater, Indiana State, where he now serves as director of development for corporate and foundation gifting with the Indiana State University Foundation Office.

“This was the right time for me to come back to Indiana State. The door was open and I’m so grateful to work with fellow alumni who are proud of our university,” Leturgez says. On a regular basis, he interacts with other alumni, especially at sporting events. “There is so much energy on campus right now. From the recent success of Sycamore athletics and the community support, I’m glad to be back home at Indiana State.”

Leturgez is home. He has been active on Indiana State’s campus since growing up in Terre Haute, and he’s glad to be back.

“Indiana State creates an environment for students to thrive and build lifelong friendships. Indiana State is a school that provides wonderful opportunities and long-lasting connections. That’s priceless,” he says.

From competing on the Olympic stage to supporting his Sycamore family, Bryan Leturgez has always been a team player. Because real pride begins with BLUE!