A puzzling ailment had deprived 22-year-old Danny Casper of the capacity to carry out even the simplest activities. Virtually instantaneously, his role shifted from leading one of the premier curling squads in America to finding it challenging to get out of bed or descend stairs unaided.
Initially, Casper dismissed the discomfort when his neck and spine became painful towards the conclusion of a mixed doubles competition in February 2024. He put the aching down to his awkward method of sweeping, attempting to steer the curling stone’s trajectory. Ordinarily, as the captain and chief strategist for his male team, Casper delegated sweeping responsibilities to others. However, in mixed doubles, this choice was unavailable.
Danny Casper during Wednesday’s match against Team Czechia at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium on February 11, 2026 in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
(Julian Finney via Getty Images)
The unease consumed Casper’s thoughts shortly after his return to his residence in the Minneapolis suburbs. Intense pain radiated through his upper and lower limbs. A persistent tingling sensation afflicted his hands and feet, reminiscent of having rested on them incorrectly. He depended on his housemates for food and washing clothes. He possessed insufficient sensation in his digits to even roughly type messages on his mobile device.
Upon Casper’s initial series of diagnostic examinations, healthcare professionals found themselves just as bewildered as he felt.
With the passage of several weeks sans a definitive diagnosis or effective therapeutic strategy, Casper’s psychological outlook worsened. His concerns about healing in time for the next curling season dissipated. During his most desperate periods, while gazing at the overhead surface from his bed, his mind would wander to “the direst conceivable scenarios.”
“I attempted to view programs and other things to occupy myself, but it was quite dreadful,” Casper recounted to Yahoo Sports. “For a period, it was less about curling. The question became, what about reaching the next day?”
Indeed, the next day arrived, bringing Casper to Cortina, Italy, where this past Wednesday, he guided Team USA to triumph against Czechia in their inaugural contest of the current Olympic Games.
